center board position on trailer

[pearl372]

Hello all,

Just pulled my 2000 X out of the water and put it in the back yard. While washing it down, noticed that the center board was partly down. I thought I pulled it all the way up at the ramp but maybe not. It is supposed to be completed submerged into the hull right? I tried pulling it up while on the trailer but it doesn't seem to budge. Should I leave it alone and correct it when I launch in the spring or something else???

As always, thanks for the advice.

Rob

[Moe]

If you cannot raise the centerboard up with the line, and if you can't push it up into the trunk by hand, the boat probably slid back on the trailer while the board wasn't fully up and the centerboard is now jammed. This is putting a lot of stress on the centerboard pivot pin and hanger, and may be damaging the board where the pin goes through.

Make sure when you go to launch it again that you winch the boat further up on the trailer as it starts to float so you can relieve the stress on the centerboard and pull it all the way up. If you don't do this, the boat might not float back off the trailer.

[Zoran]

I would lower the front of the trailer and than support the boat stern while it is high. Next step is to raise the the trailer hitch. This will lower the rear end of the trailer and the boat stern will be off in the air on the supports. If the centerboard was stuck on the trailer now you would be able to pull it in. Since your boat was in the water you might have some growth on the centerboard or more likely in the centerboard well and that could be a reason that it will not completely retreive. As far as I remember centerboard is almost completely in the well and little bit of leading edge that is sticking out is parallel to the hull bottom. If you found out that the centerboard is not stuck on the trailer than you should remove it and see why is not retreiving and clean the well and centerboard itself and ensure that it is retreiving properly. You might also have an issue (I had it) that the centerboard split in two halfs where they were bended together by the factory. In my case it was still retreiving fully but if you get some growth in the crack it might be too wide to retreive. You will know what it is once you remove it.

I would be a bit afraid to tow the trailer if the boat is pressing down on the centerboard on the trailer, it might result in some damage to the centerboard or boat itself if it is not fully resting on teh bunks.

Zoran

[March]

You might want to note how much space you have between the nose of the boat and the V-shaped buffet on the trailer. If the boat is all the way up to the trailer, as it well should be, the centerboard will be "forced" to fold as far as it goes: the cross beams on the trailer would prevent it from going all the way down. At least, that's how my trailer is configured. There is a little bit of a freeplay there--a couple of inches at most. It's hard to visualize it jammed against the crossbeam of the trailer. In order to do that, you would have to crank the boat PAST the V-shaped buffet. Then the bottom end of the centerboard might jam against the cross beam, once the boat slips back.
There might be some obstruction in the trunk itself. Look at the centerboard: if the aft end is lower, then the problem is in the trunk (whether it's an obstruction, or the board exfoliated, like Zoran suggested.) But if the whole centerboard is out of the trunk, or if the fore part of the centerboard protrudes more from the trunk than its aft portion, then the axis of the centerboard is broken. You will have to remove the whole centerboard and replace the pivot point.

[opie]

Please crawl under the MacX and push up on the end of the board. Let us know what happens. My board is often down a bit when I peak under there while on the trailer. Try winching it up tight next time if that is the case, instead of just using your hands on the line.

[Pacamac-uk]

The centreboard on my was found to be jammed fast by a piece of driftwood caught up beside the board. I did manage to move the board a couple of times before I realised what was going on and it took a couple of hours of picking away at it and eventually splitting it with a saw before I could get all the wood out and release the board.

Get under the boat with a torch and check for anything jamming either side of the board.

Could also be the lifting/raising rope 'derailed' and jammed in the pulleys if it is similar to the .

[March]

Careful with the winch. If there's a piece of driftwood in the trunk, you'll break the centerboard line and the "wedge" will stay where it is--inside the slot. The best way is, remove and examine the centerboard. It will take you half an hour, at most. But a line as a "bridle" around the boat, to hold the centerboard in place. Go inside the boat and remove the centerboard bolt. Tap gently to dislodge the bolt and push it downwards. Then get under the boat, grab the forward part of the board, and pull it downward and forward. You should be able to get it out. Make sure the centerboard line is not cleated.
Examine the board and and the pivot. Now you can see the whole slot in all its splendor, and you can dilodge any debris that might have nestled there.
While you're at it, replace the centerboard rope with a steel braided cable. Make sure that the steel cable ends in a piece of rope that can be cleated and has enough play for the up and down position

[pearl372]

Thanks for your replies and advice. I won't be able to get at it during daylight hours until the weekend. I'll try the options presented, from easiest to most difficult and let you all know where I come out. Thanks again.

Rob

[pearl372]

One other point I failed to mention. This is a new trailer. First time used, ever. Bought from Ace trailers in Fla based on good advice from this board. Looking across the bottom of boat where it meets the trailer bunks, looks like it could be adjusted a bit for a perfect fit. Boat is pulled all the way up the V shaped buffet although it's not V shaped on this trailer. I did the Mac bump to get it the last few inches. Again, I'll try some of the options presented and get back to you.

Rob

[Kelly Hanson East]

Thanks Rob, that last note about a differnet trailer was important.

On the 'standard' trailer the CB will drop below the boat and trailer when the boat is positioned correctly on the trailer of course. If the boat isnt quite up snug, the CB will hang on trailer and you wont be able to move it from below or up top. Dont winch on it, you will stress/break it for sure, if it is caught on the trailer.

All bets are off with your new trailer, since we dont know where the bunks are.

I run an old piece of dock line between the trailer rails to 'catch' the CB in case it ever shakes loose while trailering on my btw.