I plan to leave everything as is until I get the chance to get used to the boat.
I do have a kick up rudder though.
The mention of the compression post does bring up another question. My keel,
fully retracted, sits on a single through bolt in the center (fore and aft) of
the keel and on the board trunk. This allows the keel to flop back and forth at
the top and it has made a small dent in the compression post. My first thought
was to box in the post with wood for added strength without having to change the
post. Should this even be a concern?
Terry Rausch
HMS 18 #23
(no name yet)
Kansas City, MO
Magico1@aol.com wrote:
> Terry, the HMS 18's were never intended to be beachable. They didn't have a
> beaching rudder, and once the keel was down it stayed there. My 1974 model
> was modified by the previous owner with a winch mounted on the (steel)
> compression post. There is a metal plate on the cabin top to help support the
> keel. The system works very nice. However Greg Yu has the factory set up and
> he is happy with it. He doesn't have any cables in the cabin, and he even has
> a padded cap that sits over the trunk and makes a nice seat. I really like
> the simplicity of the old system. Jerry Barrilleaux HMS 18 # 48
> Sunshine