etap 22i any info drawings or manuals that will help repair keel lift

[dfoster]

hello i have just bought an etap 22i. when trying to recover the boat we discovered that the keel lifting system dosent work ( the winch goes round but it dosent lift). we cannot float the boat onto the trailor. ir anyone has any info or drawings that will help me to get the boat back on the trailor and rapair the broken lifting system i will be eternaly greatfull. i will be happy to pay for any manuals or drawings that you may have, even photocoppies.
kindest regards to all.
david

[anubis]

Hi David,
Have you emailed Etap? Martine is very helpful martine.aerts@etapyachting.com
or Ron/David at Woodrolfe
marina@woodrolfe.demon.co.uk
or Etap Owners
outtoplay3@hotmail.com
I think this sounds like a sail to a yard, crane and cradle. The keel is simple in design but needs to be on the land as you suggest to be worked on. Good luck
Best
Robert

[marketap]

If you have not already obtained drawings etc ., I have a set that I could fax to you. You can float the boat back onto it's trailor, and the keel will lift back into the keelbox. Not an easy job though! You will need a good pontoon alongside the slip & a lot of of time, no good trying if the slip is busy. I have recovered my Etap22i this way.
Again if you don't already know, you will then need the services of a crane with a very patient operator! The boat has to be lifted off its' keel.
It will be the Top Threaded block that has failed, all the other blocks connected to the keel are for guidance only. This will have to be replaced and the boat lowered back onto the keel. Very difficult as the angles are all wrong, and the boat has to be tilted as its' lowered.
We achieved all this in about 3 hours.
What a pain & what a terrible design! Etap should be shot!
If I had known how flimsy & inaccessable the whole mechanism is I would not have bought the boat!

[gmg]

I have a 22i '89 and experienced the same problem. Some manual pages are available at www.etapyachting.com. (http://www.etapyachting.com.) They may not be very helpful as there is not a detailed drawing of the front, keel raising, threaded spindle and threaded "nylon" composite block mechanism. A threaded block is bolted to the front upper keel thru which runs a threaded spindle allowing keel control. Front and rear blocks travel in aluminum channel integral with the keel box. My "nylon" block threads stripped over time. I am now very careful about overstressing the mechanism while raising/lowering. The right angle gearing mechanism at the mast foot might also be stripped.
As an interim solution the following may be possible. My keel has a transverse hole at its upper end. If yours has also, it might be possible to pass a cable or hook thru this and raise the keel temporarily for trailering and ultimate repair by means of a jacking winch or come a long system. You may have to build temporary supports about the keel box as its fiberglass construction may not tolerate vertical compression loading from the keel.
Remember to unbolt and turn out the spindle before raising the keel by other means or you may cause significant damage.
The keel can be viewed by removing the zippered keel box cover and aluminum roof.
If your problem is only stripped right angle gears at the mast pulpit, you may be able to disassemble these and turn the spindle with a locking pliers or other arrangement.
You may have to eventually hoist the boat off the keel after unbolting and removing the rear retaining block to inspect/repair/replace keel blocks. Irregardless, I would recommend inspecting the blocks as their retaining bolts may loosen over time and jam the spindle or aluminum channel.

Ultimately, I ordered replacement blocks from ETAP and had new right angle gears machined locally. (Neither cheap nor quick)

Incidentally, I grew weary of hand cranking the keel and so adapted a high torque cordless drill for the purpose (although I am very! careful about overtorqueing/stressing the mechanism.

I am sure you are frustrated by your 22i now but she is well worth it. Once repaired mine has performed well. She is safe and stable. Although I am not an aggressive sailor concerning rough weather, my internet wanderings have encountered others who state from experience that the 22i is extremely seaworthy.
Good luck and fair winds.