Board is now unstuck!

[alsantini]

To refresh the topic, my centerboard became really stuck just before the last sail in Florida.  So, I figured that I would wait until I was home and bring the boat to Sailing World in Crystal Lake, Illinois.  I called for an appointment and got no response - seems he has closed down.  So, last week I contacted Fox Harbor Marine realizing that it is a power boat place.  The service manager said, sure we can do that!  I dropped Off the Wind off this Tuesday with a new line and general instructions given to the tech who would be doing the job.  4 hours later, I get a call from the service manager saying they had a 200 lb guy hanging on the vice grips and the board will not budge.  Not good...  We talked for a while since he really did not know how the board worked and said he would call later.  Another 2 hours go by when he calls.  Everything is fine.  The clevis pin connector is really bent and was stuck against the wall of the centerboard trunk with the line all balled up in the trunk.  hmm  He says he thinks the board was partially down and the line got pushed up into the trunk bending the connector and jamming the board.  He even sent me videos of the board moving up and down easily.  $360.00 and I am out the door a happy sailor.  But now here comes the true confession time.  For over a year my centerboard line has not held all that well in the clam cleat.  It would sometimes just release and let the board down.  I remember walking away from the boat at the dock going to get the trailer and I heard the board drop.  No big deal the trailer keel support will just push it up into the trunk as I pull the boat onto the trailer.  I realize that this was a really stupid $360 dollar mistake.  As the board got pushed up the line got pushed up and bent the connector jamming it into the wall of the trunk.  Lesson learned.  First install new line once old one starts to slip in the clam cleat.  Second, if it has dropped down pull it up tight before putting the boat on the trailer.  BTW I now have a replacement cleavis do dad that works like a charm.  Sail On   Al

[Christopher]

Al,
  I'm glad it is fixed.  Thanks for sharing your lesson learned.  Hopefully I will remember it so I don't do the same thing.  I know my line is getting old as well and I should plan on replacing it.

[Christopher]

Hey Al,
  Is Fastdoc98 the doc you took out in your boat last year at the CLR?  I appreciated him looking at my wound on my leg.  It is all healed now.

[alsantini]

Yes.  He now has an Eclipse.

[Fastdoc98]

Glad to hear it all healed up just fine Christopher; I figured it would.  From the above comment from Al - does anyone else think he carves a notch in something every time he gets to say that?   

[alsantini]

Yes, I have notches in my tiller....  LOL   

[Neil D]

Hi Al,

glad you got that CB problem fixed.  One time after I beached my M15 (which I no longer own), sand and mud got stuck in the down position (inside the stub keel) and I had to retrieve the boat onto the trailer by brute force.  Then the CB was stuck worse.  I was able to fix the problem at home, on the trailer, by crawling underneath the trailer with a garden hose with high pressure nozzle and I couldn't believe how much mud and sand came out. Thankfully, next launch, the CB dropped straight down.

Have you thought about replacing your clam cleat for the CB line with a good ol' fashioned horn cleat?  That's what I used to have on my Monty and I just lifted up and tied a cleat hitch to keep it in the up position.

[alsantini]

Neil:  Yes a change of cleat is in the future.  Not sure whether I will go with a horn cleat or a cam cleat.  Either one will be a tripping hazard but will no doubt function way better.  I am still waiting on launching the boat so I can see how the stock cleat will work with a new line.

[slode]

The problem I've had with mine coming loose is when launching.  It's happened 3 out of a couple dozen times but it's still a pain.  Even after I replaced the line with 1/4" sta-set it happened.  I've always made a point of cleating it in hard before stepping down off the boat but there's been times when she just won't come off the trailer and a loose centerboard line is the culprit.

I like how the factory cleat allows the line to go straight down within the cleat.  My thought is to go with a horn cleat with an open area between the mounts so it will mount right in place of the clamcleat and the line will come up right in the center of the horn.  I think a 4" size would be adequate and not cause any more interference on the floor than what's there now.

[alsantini]

That sounds great.  I had not thought of placing the cleat centered over the line.  I now think that set-up will be better than a cam cleat.  I think both are tripping hazards, but I will have to pay more attention to where my feet are.... duh    Of course, I have not had the boat in the water since replacing the line, so maybe it might function well again.  I wonder if it possible that the clam cleat is worn on both our boats and that is the real source of the problem.  What year is yours?  Mine is a 2007 #49.  It has more miles on the road than in the water.  When I trailer I always make sure to release the line so the board sits on the keel bunk.  My board starting slipping last summer.  I would pull it up and leave the boat (in a slip) and come back to sail in a day or so and the board would be down.  I started tying a slip knot to keep it up when I wasn't there.  I just figured the line was getting worn.

[crazycarl]

I had similar experience with our Starwind 19.  We had been sailing lake Delavan and when the time came to pull the boat I couldn't get the board all the way up.  I dove under it and found the board was wrapped in vegetation.  I removed what I could and pulled the boat.  Arriving home I raised the boat on the trailer and tried to drop the board with no luck.  Several days later I noticed the board had moved down.  The vegetation had tried out and released the board.

[alsantini]

Boards are wonderful devices but can really become a PITA.  I was just at my boat checking it over and I think I may have bought the wrong line.  It is slippery....  Should have bought 1/4 in stayset.  Oh well.  I am hopping to launch next week and once in the water I will figure it out immediately.
Tell you wife my 3rd book is now in editing (daughter)