Hunter 23.5 Centerboard -follow-up

[Mike in Cape Cod]

Hunter 23.5 Centerboard -New Saga-Read new info

Thanks to all responders to my forum 2012 July 24th question regarding a replacement center board for the H 23.5 especially to Dave Condon for his valuable input.

The conclusion of how the centerboard came off the boat is that the control line (uphaul/downhaul) broke about three inches from where it attaches to the centerboard. The board went vertical and the tide went out driving the board into the sand below the boat and wave action and the weight of the boat wallowed out the bushing in the board which holds the pivot pin in place.It did not take long for the board to detach under that strain.

I found the board burried in the sand with only six inches of the board sticking out of the sand and upon digging it out, found it to be intact.That was the good news. The bad news was that the board put a three inch hole in the hull of the boat just foreward of the centerboard trunk.

A trip to the boat yard revealed the damage which I had suspected after hauling it out on the trailer and seeing water gushing from the area foreward of the centerboard trunk. Lucky for me the yard is owned by a man with 35 years experience working on sailboats and he is in the process of repairing the hole and fitting a new pin and bushing to the board. Daves comments on the molding of a new board for the 23.5 are ingrained in my head as no one currently makes a replacement board for this model, so I was very lucky to retrieve it. See photos of damage.

 

[Crazy Dave Condon]

Bob Walker with Foss Foam now has the mold for the 26/260 centerboard mold. Ok fellows that is where to get one as Hunter no longers make them. He also has the 240 mold as well.

Anyone want to send an intact centerboard for a 23.5, call Bob Walker and he probably would work something out with you as he could splash it with Hunter's ok and then he would have a good mold instead of guess work.

 

[Mike in Cape Cod]

Dave is right. If someone is replacing their centerboard line and can send the board to Foss Foam for them to make a mold for the 23.5 it would help everyone who own a 23.5 as there is currently no mold in existence. I am sure they would compensate the person who loans them their board with at least a new board to use for a spare or to offer for sale to an owner in need. I would loan them my board however the yard where my boat is being repaired charges $230.00 per lift to put the boat on or off the trailer and onto and off stands plus i have been waiting some time to use the boat when repaired and summer is almost over here.

 

[Adana]

I put my 23.5 on the hard at the end of last week to paint the bottom. As I pulled the centerboard to paint it and the well it sits in and replace the line I remembered this thread. Yesterday morning I contacted Foss Foam and was told that Bob was on vacation but I could email him and he would almost certainly get back with me within a day or two. Bob responded promptly but unfortunately I am unable to assist in this endeavour at this time. Here is what I know for anyone else who might be in a better position to assist in this. They will need to have the intact CB for two weeks and that time won't be able to start before next Monday (August 13). I was offered a replacement CB as compensation but all expenses related to shipping of my intact board and additional time on the hard would be at my own expense. Unfortunately I am not in a financial position to incur these up front expenses at this time. Sorry I was unable to help the community. I had really hoped this was going to work out for all of us.

 

[BrianW]

Adana, how did your centerboard uphaul line replacement go? BrianW

 

[Adana]

Not very well.... I thought I had the two lines secured together but was obviously mistaken. They came disconnected and now I have nothing... lol... that is my afternoon project if the weather will hold off. Thanks for asking.

 

[mkrupa]

is there an available diagram / drawing of the center board bracket? i have a center board that wont go all the way down. i have tried a little pushing with no success. i am afraid the bracket may be broken as I have read these forums and need to pull out of the water to repair.

 

[Hugh Straub]

Step one. Check this forum for the 23.5 manual which has a diagram.

Step two. Check this forum for several very helpful posts on dropping out the entire CB assembly. All of the water ballasted boat CBs appear to be the same system so don't limit your search to 23.5s.

Step Three. Pull the boat at a boat yard which can block the boat up two or three feet above the ground.

Step Four. Remove the stainless bolt located under the cover just aft of the mast compression post.

Step Five. Insert a 3/4 inch threaded rod into the hole where the stainless bolt was.

Step Six. Tap (pound) on the rod to free the bracket and the entire CB assembly. Have some one under the boat to catch it...caution, its heavy.

I know this sounds complicated, but it really is quite straight forward. Chances are you'll find the axle around which the CB rotates has come out of the bracket. While its out, this is. a great time to replace the control lines.

Good luck!

Hugh

 

[mkrupa]

thanks for the reply, sounds like the hard part will be to get it on stands somewhere. i could not find the manual on this site? what am i missing?

 

[Hugh Straub]

Send me your email address and I'll send you the manual.

Kind regards

Hugh

 

[mkrupa]

mak@bellsouth.net

I have an owners manual, I was looking for assembly drawing for the keel.

 

[Mike in Cape Cod]

Well here is another sailing saga.... Last summer (you can read the saga on this thread) I had the centerboard come off my boat while on the mooring due to the centerboard line breaking. At that time I was able to recover the board and had a reputable sailboat repair shop hoist the boat on a lift, removed the centerboard housing and repaired the board where the pivot pin goes through by inserting and glassing a bushing to fit the pin, install a new pin and the Delrin sheave and centerboard line using a low stretch line all for the sum of $4,000 The repair took 3 weeks and the boat tied up the shops lift all that time.............Today I launched my Hunter 23.5 and was motoring to my mooring 5 miles down the coast and had a good size chop hitting us broadside so I lowered the board to stabilize the ride. A few minutes later we heard a loud bang and wondered what it was. When we approached the mooring the tide was out and we were in just a few feet of water so I went to raise the centerboard and the line was limp. We tied up to the mooring and I swam under the boat and found the centerboard was gone. We have about zero chance of finding the board and will need a replacement. Can anyone help.... Please ?
PS - Last summer I contacted Foss Foam and they had no mold to make a 23.5 board.

 

[Hugh Straub]

Yikes Mike, a dreadful story. Did the same centerboard job in Louisiana together with new bottom paint and new graphics on the topsides for $1,700. The CB axle shaft had come free from one side of the metal cassette in my CB trunk. The yard used a cut down, sturdy cutlass bearing in place of the old plastic bushing. The yard threaded the shaft ends and secured the axle shaft in the cassette with two thin nuts on the shaft ends where the ends protrude from the cassette. The shaft cannot now fall out of the cassette. (I hope)

I regret I have no suggestions about where to find a replacement CB.

Good luck in your search

Hugh

 

[Mike in Cape Cod]

Thanks for sharing that great idea. Does anyone have or know where I can get a replacement board ?

 

[Mike in Cape Cod]

Can anyone working on replacing their 23.5 centerboard uphaul line make a tracing of their centerboard and mail me the tracing.? I will pay for the mail postage.....

 

[Merlin Clark]

Mike,
You might try marinerecycle on yahoo groups. There was a guy on there from your area selling Sandy salvage parts.
Also, Don's Marine Salvage in Clearwater FL or Sailorman in Ft Lauderdale might be able to help out with a replacement. There are marine salvage places on each coast, those are just the ones I know and have used.

 

[Hugh Straub]

So sorry you have to deal with the damage, but you were lucky to get your cb back.

I hadn't considered until now the safety aspect of major hull damage in way of the ballast tank. On any other boat that hole would be an immediate major catastrophe while on a water ballasted boats, like ours, the holing is just an inconvenient, big expense...but not life threatening.

Kind regards

Hugh

 

[Mike in Cape Cod]

Need 23.5 centerboard - lost mine

So sorry you have to deal with the damage, but you were lucky to get your cb back.

I hadn't considered until now the safety aspect of major hull damage in way of the ballast tank. On any other boat that hole would be an immediate major catastrophe while on a water ballasted boats, like ours, the holing is just an inconvenient, big expense...but not life threatening.

Kind regards

Hugh

Hugh , thanks for the reply. I lost the centerboard and need to find a used replacement. Hunter no longer has the mold to make a new one....

 

[Crazy Dave Condon]

I have asked but no one has responded. What is the length, width and height of the 240 and 23.5 centerboards. I wonder if both are one in the same. No word from Hunter as yet

 

[twalker H260]

Can't be sure but it looks like the 19,23.5,26,240 and 260 may all share the same brackets and possibly the same centreboard.

Based on drawings and info located here:

http://www.marlow-hunter.com/export/Model-Information/
Many drawings share model #s I.e. 19/23.5/26 or 240/260 etc

Unfortunately the only drawing I can find on the centreboard just shows layup and materials used but no dimensions.

http://www.marlow-hunter.com/export/Model-Information/23.5_1993_1997/Centerboard 23.5.jpg