Help Center Board cable broke

[mpicanso]

Hi all,

I was out sailing yesterday in RI and on the way back I tried to pull my Center Board up and the cable broke. My Center Board is now in the down postion. Is this a hard fix? and How do I get the boat out of the water with the board down? I keep the boat in a slip so I do not trailer it much. Any help would be great.

Matt

[Harry van der Meer]

Put a line under the boat at the bow and using two people, bring the line back about 3 ft aft of the mast. This way, you should be able to pull the board up and secure.

It is not a problem if the board is not all the way up, as the trailer will force it up into the cavity.

Replacing the line when the boat is on the trailer is quite easy. You should do this with two people though. The manual describes the procedure.

Good luck.

[Captain Steve]

Harry is correct. Just pull it on the trailer and the crossmember holds the board up when you drive up the ramp. With my son inside we changed the line for the centerboard inside of 30 minutes, and back in the water. I use spectra line, 3/8 is easy on the hands.

[mpicanso]

Thank you all for your help. I hope to get it fixed tonight and be back on the water for Saturday.

[craiglaforce]

If you do it on the trailer I think you have to remove the board unless you can reach the fastener with the board in place. If you can put it on a lift with the board hanging down it should be very quick. The cable is held by a screw to the centerboard.

I replaced mine with flexible SS cable and used a nicopress hand die to swage loops for the new one to match the old one.

I think the steel will last longer than the spectra. Seems like simple abrasion causes the spectra to fail after only a year or 2. Either way, West marine will have all the parts you need.

The steel cable lasted me 7 years and then I replaced it when it developed a meat hook at the 90 degree transition from vertical to horizontal at the deck level.


Removing the centerboard on the trailer is a bit of a job but not that big a deal. I would schedule a few hours for it however.
I use antibond 5200 remover, a 4 lb drilling hammer (short handled sledge hammer). a wrench of course for the nut and some new 5200 to seal around the hanger bolt when reinstalled and a sheet of cardboard to lay on.

1) slack the lifting line (already done if it broke.
2) back off the nut to be flush with the end of the hanger bolt.
3) spray on antibond to the 5200 white goop
4) have a cold beverage, put the cardboard under the centerboard.
5) smack the hanger bolt inside the boat a few times to pop it loose from the 5200 grip of death.
6) remove nut all the way and drop the hanger a bit
7) carefully remove the centerboard without letting it hit you in the nose. It lifts forward a bit to clear the aft cross member then comes down. Weight is about 40 lbs or so.
8) attach new line , try to use the old line or cable to pull the new one through.
9) reinstall making sure it goes all the way up in the slot.

I also take an old steel pancake flipper with me to scrape off any barnacles either on the board or in the trunk.

While the board is removed, you can consider if you want to bottom paint it or not and check the pivot hole to make sure it is still just a small round hole.

Some people also just dive under the boat in deep water and change it that way if they are good divers and the water is clear.

[Captain Steve]

Craig is right...
you have to drop the board to change it. I seal it with 4200 so removal of the old stuff is easy. my son loosens the hanger bolt while I am laying on a blanket under the trailer. we reseat with the 4200 (quick drying version I think) and we are back in the water. I think the hanger bolt hole is above the water line. My Mac came with line so thats what I use. I started with a 70 foot heaving line, and its shorter as I replace the centerboard line.

[Valparaiso]

I just replaced my line today. I found that just getting into the water with the boat worked fine. Be sure to feed your line through the board such that the overhand that you tie ends up on the port side. The whole job should take ten minutes...no SCUBA required.

[Frank C]

I just replaced my line today. I found that just getting into the water with the boat worked fine. Be sure to feed your line through the board such that the overhand that you tie ends up on the port side. The whole job should take ten minutes...no SCUBA required.

Near SF Bay, add 15 minutes for a wet suit - surface water ~50F . . .

[Rolf]

Mast up, dodger, bimini in place, boat loaded and ready for a Catalina weekend. Boom! Boat won't back off trailer, Pull on CB rope and it comes off in my hands. Lasted one year. Dealer Mike Inmon of Mac yachts in Marina Del Rey says steel cables are subject to electrolysis... is that true with stainless, too? Drat, another lost weekend.
Rolf

[craiglaforce]

I don't think SS cable will have an electrolysis problem. Mine lasted about 7 years and the failure was a single strand that broke where it turns 90 degrees at deck level on that stupid sharp turn pin they used. If this was a wire pulley the thing would last even longer. Maybe my next mod phase will fix this. It would also make the board operate more smoothly.

For SS to have an electrolysis problem it would have to be in contact with a more noble metal, so unless your centerboard is made of gold I would not worry about electrolysis.

[Rolf]

Thanks Craig,
That makes sense to me. I'm bringing my boat there tomorrow to have a bunch of other goodies put on as well as my annual o/b check nearby. Mike Inmon wants to reinstall the blue cb rope. One year of use simply is unacceptable. I'm gonna press em hard for the stainless.
Rolf