I have a 1985 swing keel First 26 and am trying to remove the keel to service the winding mechanism, shot blast and re coat the keel. The previous owner confirms that the keel and winding mechanism have never been removed. With the boat standing on the keel in its raised position, I have removed the keel bolts and wound up the winding mechanism inside the cabin after removing the threaded collar on the rod. The keel should then drop out as the boat is lifted, so far without success. I am unable to withdraw the winding mechanism into the cabin as with the keel fully lowered the bolt fastening the lower end to the keel is not quite exposed from the keel box. The feeling is that it is the original bonding agent that the two plates holding the pivot pin are seated on. I have tried to extract the plates by drilling out 4 of the bolt holes and seating a tube against the plates, dropping bolts through attached to lengths of angle iron supported either side of the plates, then with the packing knocked out and the keel lowered, tightening up the nuts. Apart from a few creaks and groans everything remains intact.
Any ideas will be gratefully received.
Pete
