swing keel pennant line on a 98X

[Zip Zimmer]

I can't believe that I haven't seen a lot of comment on the line that lifts/lowers the centerboard on an X. I think they call it a pennant. The steel cable rides over a steel bar with no block or anything to take the weight! Just steel on steel, right at the base of the mast!. Even though, when I bought the boat 7 months go, the dealer replaced it because it was frayed, it snapped clean when I was reversing, not watching my depth, and ran aground. Have any of you come up with a better solution to this problem? Now I'm faced with paying a bunch to put it on a lift, or go underwater in a gator infested lake in Florida to fix it! I'm not a happy sailor! Please help

[Dimitri-2000X-Tampa]

I have the same thing on my 2000X, but it is a centerboard line instead of a cable. Never had any problems with the CB line. You may be able to run a line under your boat (with two people holding it against the hull as you go back) to hold your CB up so you can put the boat on a trailer.

[Moondance]

Could you not just pull it up on the trailer ( the centerboard should fold up inside the boat ) and then drop the centerboard out while up on land.

Or better yet..drag a rope along the bottom ( one person on each side and pull the centerboard up and then pull it onto the trailer.

hope that helps.

[Frank C]

There have been several approaches to improving the centerboard line. Look thru the Mac Mods pages. Although it's time-consuming, you'll find two or three ideas. One guy inserted a nylon bushing at bottom of the compression post to alleviate the abrasion. If yours failed so quickly it must have a snag under there.

Sometime in '98 or '99 the factory switched from using a cable to using a Spectra (hi-tech anyway) line. They say it was to prevent electolysis corrosion of the cable. IMO, the rope is a better option, YMMV. Search on [drop centerboard], all terms, for other discussion, including techniques for dropping the board while on the trailer.

[Chip Hindes]

Mine has the line rather than the cable. I believe the line is much better able to handle the sharp turn at the mast base than the cable, and of course there is no question of electroysis damage. Don't know if it can be easily retrofitted to older boats. I have to agree though that, cable or line, this is a pretty cheesy design, even for Roger. Even if the cable/line doesn't abrade through and fail, this turn adds a tremendous amount of friction to the system.

I had the board out last year on an unrelated matter and replaced the line as a precaution, but the five year old original was in excellent condition with very little evidence of imminent failure. While at it I went to the next diameter up in line, easier on the hands even if you don't need the additional strength. My boat has spent most of its life on the trailer and with a six month sailing season it doesn't see the kind of wear that a boat which is always in the water sees.

I regularly pull my boat onto the trailer with the board partially down; it just folds nicely and is held up by the bunk. Be carefull the ramp is not too steep or you don't bang the boat too far forward onto the winch post, otherwise the board will go past the bunk and drop back down. BTDT. And of couse, you can't back up in shallow water or once the boat is on the trailer.

If this bothers you or circumstances prevent, it's pretty easy to pull a line looped under the boat aft to serve as a girth for the board.

[Zip Zimmer]

Thanks, guys. I was wondering what to expect in terms of how is the line attached to the centerboard? Carriage bolts? Also, I'm thinking of adding a block suspended somehow from the mast at the base, in order to bypass the little bar/hoop thigamajig that the cable slides over. Anybody done that?

[ALX357]

Yes i have installed a small turning or exit block next to the steel rod that is over the centerboard line hole. 'had to file its stirrup a bit to nest close to the mast base, and used a considerable amount of 3M 5200 adhesive to build up a tidy but visible reinforcement around it. The existing rod had to be bent a bit to make room for the block , but i left it there to be the final guide for the line down the hole. The block takes most of the turn, and a rope is used not a wire. Makes it easier to lift and avoids putting a permanent kink/crease in the line where the thin rod is.

[Greg]

Centerboard Line Chafing Fix

[craiglaforce]

Cable has held up suprisingly well on my 97. Just replaced it last year.
Perhaps your dealer did not replace yours with the high flex cable that is needed? There is a big difference in this cable vs the normal standing rigging cable. West catalog should clearly state which is which and have diagrams of the strand layup for each type.

It is easy to drop the centerboard while on the trailer and replace the cable.
I just back off the nut flush inside and wach the bolt a couple times with a short heavy hammer.

[Rolf]

I know I'm late to this party, but I wanted to comment that the rope has failed twice on my 2002x. The new rope has me nervous, as I know its when not if--just a matter of time til it breaks. I'm putting off the chafing mod fix til then. Does the rope really make better sense than the wire?
Rolf

[Frank C]

If I was working on my third centerboard line, as you are, I too might be curious about the cable. But my original CB line is beginning its 7th season, still the same line Roger installed - and by reading here I bet that's true for most of the 2000 model year.

I think you might need to get under there and find the problem, & Greg's solution looks perfect.

[Night Sailor]

My '97 has the original wire lift as it came from the factory. I always rinsed that tube and wire with fresh water after removing the boat from salt water, just as a did the trailer and motor.
It still shows no sigh of wear.

Could be that in those that wear wire and rope there is a misalignment at the bottom that creates extra wear on the line. Since my original has been slow to start down, but no problem doing so, or coming up, I never thought it worth the trouble to make a better arrangement. If I did, I would saw off the factory loop and rod, and install a low level micro deck lead block there. The advantage of the rod is it's very low to the deck, so it's less of a tripping hazard to toes.

[Scott]

Yup, 97X, Original centerboard line. No sign of wear and I've had my board out twice to inspect.

[Erik Hardtle]

When I added 138lbs of weight to my centerboard I added a turning block




Of course I replace the rope with all SS wire.

You can see the full mod at my website.

[Moondance]

Where can one find this new line rather than the cable.

My cable seems to be all coiled up and sometimes the centerboard won't go down.

I have to go forward and try to uncoil it so it will straighten out enough to go down.

It's a little bit frayed ( no where near breaking at all ) but thats not the problem.

It's a pain in the butt.

We're going to pull it out this weekend to fix it and I'd like to do it right the first time.

I checked out West Marine's website but can't find anything.

Thanks for any directions to the right line.