You are welcome. Another point to make is when replacing the winding gear.....Make sure you cover the whole mechanism from tip to toe in marine grease or lithium-based grease, however, avoid the anodes of course. I have found that this action really protects the stainless-steel parts from tarnishing each year.
To sail you need to wind the keel to the fully down position, but on a broad reach I sometimes go 50/50. When in a marina or port I wind the mechanism up when birthed all the time. But lower it for maneuvering in port.
Cool, but i don’t get the idea of using “screw” system. Look at equipment that is abused/srong/reliability is most important!! They use hydraulic rams!
As long as this equipment is maintained, its perfectly good for the job in hand. The keel is guided with composite blocks to take up any sideways slack and if the boat is grounded the equipment simply rides up through the saloon table as the keel swings back. The screw is 100 turns from full up to full down and so its a very gentle movement in small increments. Key is the maintenance and I have mine out every year during the winter and its tip top and polished stainless steel before it goes back in again for the season and I smother it from top to bottom in the very best marine grease which protects it well. Just make sure you upgrade your mechanism to two anodes (one per per leg) as I have done and replace each season also. Its a good system.
