# Jaguar 21 Keels, lifting straps, & servicing it all

A lot will depend on the particular arrangement in the boat, as there have been a number of mods over the years. My boat was one of the first built and did not even have a locking pin to hold the keel up or down - hence the problem occurred to me - that to change the strop when afloat would be impossible. I have done a number of mods to overcome this, and other problems with the keel.

First, I made a pin arrangement to support the keel in the "up" position, so that I can let the tension off the strop. Then, in order to get the strop bolt out of the aft roller bracket on the keel, I made a 1" hole through the keel inner and outer casings (fibreglass and plywood) on the port side. This hole lines up with the strop bolt (when the keel is right up) and is big enough for a 13mm socket. On the starboard side, there was already a 4" hole in the fibreglass keel casing, aft. So, with the outer plywood panel removed, no mod was required on this side.

With the boat ashore, of course, the pin is not needed, as the keel can be blocked at a convenient height, so that it may be possible to remove the strop bolt via the 4" hole on the starboard side without needing access from the port side. However for this to be possible, the nut will have to be on the port side! It should be possible to reach the nut with a spanner via the second (larger) access hole in the keel case starboard side with the keel lowered slightly. Again, individual boats will vary as to the size and position of these access holes. (The second, 6" diameter hole, is provided to access the nylon bosses* at top of the keel. On my boat, there is also an access hole on the port side for the port boss, though removal of the boss required the port plywood panel and galley to be dismantled and removed first! ).

Having said all this, it is probably going to be worth looking at the keel roller brackets and rollers, if the boat is over ten years old. This operation is the subject of a fairly lengthy chapter, but I can advise further, if required.

*These are the round nylon bosses which act as "stops" to prevent the keel lowering right out of the boat. They are attached by a length of studding (which is screwed through a threaded hole in the keel) and nuts on either side. I could not really see the point in using studding and have replaced it with a plain (and stronger) stainless bolt, after drilling out the threaded hole in the keel. I put the nut on the port side. Now, when I have to take the keel out, I can remove both bosses from the starboard side.