Centerboard shackle fixed

[alsantini]

I motored up the intercoastal to Little Sarasota Bay and the Bayfront Marina.  Took about 1.75 hours motoring at around 5.75 mph to arrive.  I was greeted by the Technician Nick who had three boats to pull out of the water.    When it was my time to be pulled, Nick and the manager plus the asst manager all worked together to get the slings perfect based on the Com Pac pic that I supplied indicating the hull shape and position.  Once they got it "perfect", Petit Chat was pulled out of the water and brought on shore.  There was no pull up line and no shackle.  With the centerboard lowered, the smallest person reached up into the trunk and with a little help pulled down the line and what was left of the cheapest shackle I have seen!  What a piece of junk.  Apparently, as I thought, the pin through the shackle either broke or fell out.  The line was fine and both the hull and the board were in very good shape.  The bottom paint was doing its job. The new shackle was installed to the board and line and the system checked a few times.  In less than 30 minutes I was back in the water and heading back to my dock in Nokomis as a happy captain.

What did I learn?

The factory put in a worthless piece of junk probably costing pennies.  A screw holding the pin in place gave up during the 4 years of the boat.  3 years in salt water, and 1 season in fresh water destroyed it.

I replaced with a very high quality Winchard cast stainless steel shackle purchased from Amazon!  Part link  https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004PDIABY?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_dt_b_product_details It has a Allen screw pin that locks in place, is less than an inch wide and easily 500% stronger than the factory option.

I believe everyone with a centerboard should check the shackle and if possibly replace it before it becomes a problem.  If it is a problem, it will cost $$$$  My cost was $140 for the diver to tie up the board so I could get out of the slip.  $20.00/foot or $400 to pull the boat.  One hour labor at $195 to replace the shackle.  And, the cheapest part?  The shackle for less than $25.00.  That comes to $760.00.

If you have clear water and are youthful, dive it and replace it and the line!  That's the cheapest way to go.  Had I not been stuck in 3 feet of water a diver could have accomplished the task. 
Pictures to follow once I figure out how to reduce their size so CPYOA will allow them.

As for me nw I will Sail On....    AL

[crazycarl]

Great news! Expensive,but now you can put that concern at the bottom of the list. Now that the water has warmed here, I need to dive on the Orion. While putting her in a new slip last December, the prop grabbed a dock line and fouled it around the shaft. I may have to hire a diver. My BCD developed a leak after many years.