I am looking forward to launching our Dawson this mid late June once the ice blows away and I get a week to pull things together. 
I am planning to moor the boat in 10' of sheltered water is a bay on the western end of Lake Superior.
The bay is dredged for ore boats and shallow outside the channels. 

Since I have never been on a floating Dawson 26 (trailer sessions!), I have been thinking of the pivot keel.

How many of you folks sail keel down over keel up?  From the literature, the boat is self righting in either configuration.  Is this accurate?  I plan to put the keel down only during big water crossings on Lake Superior and up during runs around the bay.  Also, does anyone beach their boat?

If you look at the attached map:

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=duluth+mn&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=38.638819,81.826172&ie=UTF8&t=h&ll=46.760091,-91.989899&spn=0.130768,0.319633&z=12

you can see the bay with two entrances into lake superior.  One is under a lift bridge and full of tourists, the other is open and quiet.

Josh

I sail with the keel in all positions.  Off the wind, keel all or most of the way up.  Upwind all the way down.  Half way is useful in you have a bit too much sail up and are getting weather helm.  In big winds off the wind the boat rolls a bit more with the keel up.  The extra speed is quite a thrill. 

Important to check your cable and make sure it is in good shape and that your winch will hold it up.  My winch is not working properly and I have a pin that keeps the winch handle in place.  I don't have a keel locking pin and do not feel it is all that necessary. Mine was bent when running aground or cranking up the keel while it is in. 

One thing is important is to keep some tension on the cable at all times.  Otherwise the keel can swing against the front of the keel trunk.  I have considered drilling a 1/2" hole in the bottom of the keel in case the cable breaks and you are in short choppy seas.  The sound of that keel slamming, does not give one a good feeling at all.  This would allow a line to be run through the keel and secured until port is reached.  I am going to put that on my spring list.

The other problem with no tension on the cable is that the keel can swing and jump off the pulley where it turns to go done to the keel.  Trying to get it back on in big seas, can be very tough and potentially dangerous to the fingers. 

Great to hear of your boat going in the water!!!  Good times.

Bob

Where do you get a new keel pivot pin?  Are they hard to replace?

SMART MOVE  My boat came with a recently changed keel pivot pin.  The former owner gave me the one he had removed.  It was really scary to see.

At both ends where cotter pins held the pivot  pin in place, the material was almost TOTALLY gone.  I can't believe that it would have survived another day at sea.

The keel hold down pin is the same diameter, but would require that a thread be put on one end.  It could be made from 1 inch threaded rod turned down at the lower end.

Tell us what you learn.  I haven't yet pulled my keel out.

There are two styles of pins.  The one inche hold down pin came later in production.  Mine is hull 270.