Damn centerboard

Will D

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Aug 22, 2018
41
O'Day Daysailer Pueblo Reservoir
Last time on the water I broke my CB down haul. Yesterday I spent 4 hours trying to remove the damn thing
First I forgot to uncleat the CB raising line. Now I'm stuck here. The only thing to do is keep digging.
 
Jul 7, 2004
8,402
Hunter 30T Cheney, KS
I sympathize. I had to dig down deep to drop my rudder enough to clear the post just so I could slide out my propshaft.
 
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JRT

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Feb 14, 2017
2,039
Catalina 310 211 Lake Guntersville, AL
I have no help but feel you pain, mine likes to randomly get stuck up, which just sucks for pointing for us. I do notice you have one of those Hangkai outboards, how is that? I've seem them cheap brand new on Amazon but never pulled the trigger for the bad reviews.
 
Jan 19, 2010
12,362
Hobie 16 & Rhodes 22 Skeeter Charleston
I once helped a friend lift a MacGregor 21 off of a trailer for bottom painting. We found a big oak tree with a strong horizontal-ish branch and we slowly lifted the boat using ratchet straps. We were able to hang the entire boat from the tree branch while we worked on the bottom. Do you have a big tree nearby?
 
Jul 7, 2004
8,402
Hunter 30T Cheney, KS
I once helped a friend lift a MacGregor 21 off of a trailer for bottom painting. We found a big oak tree with a strong horizontal-ish branch and we slowly lifted the boat using ratchet straps. We were able to hang the entire boat from the tree branch while we worked on the bottom. Do you have a big tree nearby?
Pics! we want to see pics!
 
Jan 19, 2010
12,362
Hobie 16 & Rhodes 22 Skeeter Charleston
Pics! we want to see pics!
I wish... that was a long time ago. It was actually the pastor of my church and the boat hung from a tree at the parsonage. It got all of the old ladies at the church talking.... A 21' sailboat hanging from a tree in the front lawn.... :dancing:

I'll email him and see if he has any pics.
 
Jul 7, 2004
8,402
Hunter 30T Cheney, KS
I wish... that was a long time ago. It was actually the pastor of my church and the boat hung from a tree at the parsonage. It got all of the old ladies at the church talking.... A 21' sailboat hanging from a tree in the front lawn.... :dancing:

I'll email him and see if he has any pics.
There must be some biblical humor in there somewhere. Suspended mock-up for an Ark maybe?
 
Jan 19, 2010
12,362
Hobie 16 & Rhodes 22 Skeeter Charleston
There must be some biblical humor in there somewhere. Suspended mock-up for an Ark maybe?
Oh Yeah.... there were a lot of Noah jokes passing through the pews. For sure!
 

Will D

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Aug 22, 2018
41
O'Day Daysailer Pueblo Reservoir
I do notice you have one of those Hangkai outboards, how is that? I've seem them cheap brand new on Amazon but never pulled the trigger for the bad reviews.
Before I bought the boat the PO started it up for me and it seemed fine. But my first time out with it the starter cord snapped. Got a new one but don't like to use the engine at all cause it's super loud and when the prop is engaged the motor starts to die if I reduce the choke. Emergency use only! Last sail I was happy to sail away from the mooring and return with just a little paddling.
 

Will D

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Aug 22, 2018
41
O'Day Daysailer Pueblo Reservoir
After digging a foot deep this bitter November day I finally got it out. Here are pics of the access ports, the centerboard pivot bolt, the dangly bit of the down haul mechanism that popped out, and finally the centerboard itself that looks to have never received any attention. It had water sloshing in it so I put it in the tub to drain. I noticed a crack where the wire had come out, so I hope it doesn't undermine my repair. For now I'm just going to resecure the boat on the trailer and deal with it in the spring, when I plan to have a go at mending all the scratches on the underside and restoring the gelcoat. From what I can tell by peering into the centerboard housing the blue gelcoat is original from 1982. I'd like to try flipping the boat for that but there IS a large tree by my driveway...20181106_132022.jpg 20181106_111232.jpg
 

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Jun 2, 2004
1,923
Oday Day Sailer Wareham, MA
Might be a 1972, but not 1982, CB rigging is pre-1974 version. Drawings below are from my Expanded DS II Owners Manual. One thing, when you do put the CB back in, be sure not to lose the plastic bushing in the CB pivot hole, CB actually pivots on that, not on bolt, the bushing is slightly longer than the CB is thick so that clamping pressure of bolt against the sides of the CB trunk doesn't stop CB from pivoting.

There is a lot posted on the Day Sailer Association Web-Site Forum pertaining to the cables on the older model (1971-73) centerboards. You do need to sign up for a user name/password but do not need to be a member of the DSA to read or post questions.
 

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Will D

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Aug 22, 2018
41
O'Day Daysailer Pueblo Reservoir
Great drawings! Very accurate. Thanks for the tips, I will def check out the DSA forum. I have never liked the way the cb control lines are rigged and cleated. I want to modify it so that you pull straight back on either line, each with it's own cam cleat atop the cb trunk. I don't think there's a real need for blocks on the down line. If I do that I'll post pics.
 
Oct 19, 2017
7,733
O'Day 19 Littleton, NH
There must be some biblical humor in there somewhere. Suspended mock-up for an Ark maybe?
The song never told us what Michael did with the boat he rowed ashore.

the bushing is slightly longer than the CB is thick so that clamping pressure of bolt against the sides of the CB trunk doesn't stop CB from pivoting.
Good point. Also, I would think the bushing should be long enough that it wedges in with just a little pressure so the bolt doesn't pinch the trunk down against the CB.

-Will (Dragonfly)
 
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Jun 2, 2004
1,923
Oday Day Sailer Wareham, MA
Will Gilmore, it is long enough to prevent pinching the CB, mine could only be about 1/8" longer than it is (if even that?) and not be a tight fit. As long as the bushing is about 1/8" +/- longer than the CB is thick, it will prevent the pinching, it is pretty non-compressible plastic.

Will D, thought you might like to see how later DS II (1974-76 and 1977-later) models were setup, that cable to pull the CB down was more or less eliminated, replaced by a 5/16" line that lead around lower, forward corner of CB and straight up through CB trunk, 1974-76 line then just lead aft to cleat on CB trunk, 1977-later added a set of blocks to lead that down line up and the tackle to pull board down ran up to top of cuddy opening, then down and aft to cleat on CB trunk. My recommendation would be to switch to the 1974-76 setup but replace the plastic grommet where the up line exits the trunk with a block to reduce friction (use a larger version of the block that leads the up cable through the top of your CB trunk.
 

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Jun 2, 2004
1,923
Oday Day Sailer Wareham, MA
Here are the rest of the drawings, The picture of a modified 1976 model is not my boat, I found this on-line. I would put a quick-release cleat on the down-line if possible, that would release easily if you run aground. Duckworks Boats has those and many have used them on the line that holds down their kick-up rudder.
 

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Jun 2, 2004
1,923
Oday Day Sailer Wareham, MA
Sanding the top corner of the CB helped to reduce the amount of sticking in the up position on my boat, hence the drawing <GRIN!>
Still sticks once in a while, but far less often!
 

Will D

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Aug 22, 2018
41
O'Day Daysailer Pueblo Reservoir
how later DS II (1974-76 and 1977-later) models were setup, that cable to pull the CB down was more or less eliminated, replaced by a 5/16" line that lead around lower, forward corner of CB and straight up through CB trunk
it's weird but my cb doesn't seem to match either the older or later model diagram. The down line, which I reinserted using resin and then glue for good measure, goes into the cb about 2 inches up and aft of the up line, not forward and down. And there seems to have been a hole as for the 5/16 line knot. But it has been filled in as you can see. Maybe the original CB was replaced with one from a later model and was retrofitted.
 

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