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    RL24, RL28, and RL34 Trailable Yachts
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    rl28 keel wont lower
    I'm in the process of purchasing an rl 28, there are several on the market. A broker has one for sale, and i'm about to go and hasve a look. Whilst talking to the broker he mentioned that the keel wont lower, he believes it is due to barnacles etc in the casing, also owner was reluctant to orhanise a survey but has now agreed, does anyone have asny thoughts as to why it wont lower, (apart from obvious, that being, problems with the hydraulics) i find it hard to believe that given the weight of the keel that barnacles would prevent it from lowering. boat is on a permanent mooring in nsw, has only been used a few times by the current owner, broker says shes "due for slipping, any advice appreciated, regards Peter
    peter21-Sep-2012    Edit    Delete 
    Re: rl28 keel wont lower
    Hi Peter.
    I had a very similar problem after I left the boat at anchor for almost a year with the keel up.
    It was a simple fix, but a bit of a hassle.
    I brought the boat home, unloaded it off the trailer onto some Chep pallets. I kept the keel area open.
    Then, with a timber saw, I cut through the barnacles that had grown across the opening of the keel well until the keel was freed up.
    The keel only works on gravity to drop down so I couldn't imagine there would be too many other reasons why it won't drop.
    The fact the current owner was reluctant to allow a survey of the boat would be a huge concern to me. What is he afraid of you finding out?

    Good luck with it.

    Garry Beattie
    Garry Beattie21-Sep-2012    Edit    Delete 
    Re: rl28 keel wont lower
    Thankyou Gary, I do hope that is all it is, Time will tell. To be fair to the owner/broker, they are just following common practice,(according to the broker) in that they wont pay for the survey, but want a copy of it if I dont buy her. A bit different to other deals I've looked at. Thanks sgain Peter
    peter21-Sep-2012    Edit    Delete 
    Re: rl28 keel wont lower
    When I brought my RL24, I had a slightly similar issue. The keel would sometimes initial jam when trying to lower.

    In my case it was a combination of marine growth and rust. Being a 24, I was able to roll the boat partially back off the trailer and drop the keel out
    Andrew23-Sep-2012    Edit    Delete 
    Re: rl28 keel wont lower
    I believe that I have just purchased the RL28 that you mention, located in Pittwater. The centre board is solidly jammed in the case with rust and barnacles after over 2 years lack of use. I have had the boat slipped and cleaned and we have used a saw between the case and the keel and with several hours of sawing, pulling and hammering we have been able to free it. The rust on the board was then ground back to bare metal with sanding disks, then painted with epoxy, primer and antifouling. It is now working fine at a cost of $700 in shipwright labour and materials on the centreboard alone (extra charges for the slip and clean of the hull).
    Ian Sharp28-Oct-2012    Edit    Delete 

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