changing centerboard pendant

[sjaffess]

My centerboard pendant is starting to fray.  It is just a matter of time till it breaks.  A few years ago I replaced it by beaching the boat and using a come-along attached  to a tree to turn the boat on it's side and attach the new line. It was not a very easy process.  Any alternative suggestions would be welcome.  Has anyone used a stainless steel wire instead of line?  My friend has a dock with a lift for his pontoon boat, but I'm not sure I can get my Suncat on his lift.

[Peter Dubé]

I too would be interested in hearing how to do this. Would be a bummer to have that line fail. Board would be all the way down with no way to raise it....

When you turned your boat on its side with the come-along, where did you attach the line to the boat?. I wonder if you could pull the boat over with the halyard?

[suznhenz]

I have Purrfect on a lift, with a 2"  or so space between the bunks that the keel is sitting on, hoping that, when I have to change the pennant, I will be able to drop the centerboard and get underneath to replace it. Here in Florida, if the boat lift idea didn't work, I would lash a 6' or so length of line to the end of a new pennant, then  anchor in 3' or so of water and go overboard, drop the centerboard as much as I can, dive under and cut off the old pennant, attach some  line to it ( there should enough line to be able to stand up beside the boat to lash it to the pennant), then pull the old pennant, the helper line and the new pennant through. That's my plan - who knows if it works!

[sjaffess]

I tied a line to the middle of the mast as high as I could reach standing on the boom.  This seemed to be a good angle and the boat came over nicely.  I'm looking fore someone on the lake that has a lift.  That would be the easiest way to go.  I don't know if the halyard would work.

[BruceW]

I did this twice; I waited for good weather, went to shallow water, used a coat hanger to poke a small line through, then taped the real line on, and pulled it up. Took a dive or two to tie it on the centerboard (just a mask and holding my breath).  This is just a tad more work, but i hadn't read your comments yet!

[Bilge Rat]

Bruce,

Diving is probably the method I would use in an emergency replacement situation. just curious, did your pendant break before you replaced it, or were you just doing maintenance? Also, what kind of knot did you tie to attach the line to the board - a bowline?  I would think that being able to tie a bowline while holding your breath might be quite an achievement.  Maybe I should practice in the pool

-Shawn

[BruceW]

Shawn,

I just did it when it frayed, but was not yet broken.

Yes, it was a bowline. I did it by the old rabbit jumps out of the hole, around the tree, and back into the hole in one breath method.

So, yeah, it was quite an accomplishment. I was glad the water wasn't cold.

Also, I only had to do it once on the Suncat; the second one was a Precision 21, but I was better at it the second time.   I did the Slipper line when it was raised on a hoist. I found that more nerve-wracking because it's hard to trust a hoist.

[Bilge Rat]

Thanks for the additional feedback Bruce.  I am going to need to practice my underwater bowline tying, all in one breath.  That's a real test of master seamanship!

Happy New Year!

Shawn

[capt_nemo]

Centerboard pennant failures are usually due to chafe, causing the line to fail at a most inopportune time.

Most of the "chafe" or wear on the pennant can be avoided by following a simple procedure.

Once the boat is recovered on the trailer, RELEASE the pennant and let the centerboard rest on the trailer. This relieves strain on the line and line pressure against anything that can cause chafe while driving down the road. Otherwise, the tight line rubs against whatever it touches and the movement while bouncing down the road SAWS through the line gradually with ultimate failure when lowered into the water. BE SURE TO SECURE THE CENTERBOARD PENNANT PRIOR TO LAUNCH!

I have used this technique with several centerboard boats and NEVER had a failure despite years of ownership. I checked my Sun Cat pennant after 3 1/2 years and couldn't see any chafe anywhere on the pennant line. But, since it was on a borrowed lift at a local trailer shop decided to replace it with a new line anyway.

Hope this helps to avoid someone's future frustration.

capt_nemo

[Jon898]

Thanks for the additional feedback Bruce.  I am going to need to practice my underwater bowline tying, all in one breath.  That's a real test of master seamanship!

Happy New Year!

Shawn

I had learned with the "round the tree and down the hole" method for the bowline and then started mountain climbing in my (crazy) youth.  There we were taught how to tie one single-handed when adding a safety line...it was much faster and essentially goof-proof (vital when your life will depend on it).  It's difficult to describe (standing part in upturned left hand, free end in upturned right hand with about 10 line diameters flopping from the right hand, place the free end over the standing part and grip the underside of the standing part with the right thumb while maintaining a hold on the free end with the right hand's fingers, twist your wrist clockwise forming a loop with the free end already coming through it flopping to the right of the standing part, if possible grip the loop with the left thumb and fingers and pass the free end under the standing part and back down the loop, pull tight) but easy to demonstrate and really fast.  If you can find a climber, they can probably demonstrate it for you.

Jon

[Peter Dubé]

Here is a good video of how to tie the bowline one handed. It took me some time to learn it, but now it is all I use.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=OgE8YRePgaA

Also, what diameter line is used for the pendant?. Is it quarter inch?

[Jon898]

Yup, that's it...should have known YouTube would have it.

[BruceW]

cool on the knots; I may just spend some time with a rope or two and that youtube video.

or just admit I'm an old dog, haha

[Peter Dubé]

What size line is the pendant?   Im guessing 1/4 inch, but I want to know for sure before ordering.

It did take me some practice with line and the video.  Its much simpler than it looks.  Its all in the wrist ...  just a simple twist of the standing part of the line is all there is too it.  once you get it, you have a hard time remembering why you thought it was difficult ....