23.5 swing keel line replacement

[KrustyKrab]

Hello All! first of all, I am delighted to find a forum with other 23.5 owners! I hope that I can offer some advice and will certainly be asking for some.

Can anyone tell me if the swing keel control line can be replaced with the boat on the trailer? Or must it be on stands? It would cause much more logistical problems for me to take it to a marina for this.

Also, I have read about an access port at the bottom of the mast support inside to get to the keel head, but my boat doesn't seem to have one? (picture - not my boat, but the same) So how would one get to the keel head to work on it?

Many thanks!

 

[Hugh Straub]

You must raise the boat off the trailer to drop the centerboard to change the control line. If you search this site, you. will find several posts with pics showing you step by step just how to do it. Be mindful that the centerboard assembly system is the same for all of the Hunter water ballasted line of boats so instructions say for a 260 are the same for a 23.5.

To drop the board assembly, you must first remove the formica cap just aft of the mast compression post to reveal a 3/4 inch bolt. unscrewing that bolt will allow the assembly to be dropped. With the vessel blocked up, the job isn't hard as you'll see in several posts. The best tip is to buy a 3/4 inch threaded rod...say 2 feet long, to screw into the bolt hole to control the assembly while it is being lowered and reinstalled. Be careful, the board even though fiberglas, is heavy.

Kind regards

Hugh

 

[KrustyKrab]

Thanks Hugh! By remove the formica cap, do you mean the trim that goes around the wooden post in a horizontal plane? Mine appears to be epoxied in place. I don't have any access ports or obvious points of opening anywhere around that post. I think I had better leave this to the marina. I don't have the equipment to put my boat up onto stands.

Many thanks!

 

[mmsailor]

Thanks Hugh! By remove the formica cap, do you mean the trim that goes around the wooden post in a horizontal plane? Mine appears to be epoxied in place. I don't have any access ports or obvious points of opening anywhere around that post. I think I had better leave this to the marina. I don't have the equipment to put my boat up onto stands.

Many thanks!

I just had the line replaced on our 94 23.5 . When they got it apart they found a lot of play in the sheeve the line runs across . When I Ordered the part from the store here or hunter they gave me a 3 week time frame . I paid for the part and ordered and in the mean time took the old one and had one made . I am getting ready to send this one back to where ever it came from . So it is possible to have that part made if you know a person with a lathe . 3 weeks is a long time to wait on a small part /

 

[KrustyKrab]

Thanks everyone. Sounds like a job for the local Hunter dealer marina. My time is too limited to tackle a job like that.

 

[Crazy Dave Condon]

Tidewater Marina in Hav De Grace, MD has just done that for a 23.5 and suggest you go to them as they are familiar with that.

 

[KrustyKrab]

Tidewater Marina in Hav De Grace, MD has just done that for a 23.5 and suggest you go to them as they are familiar with that.

Thanks Dave, that is where I go for service. I can see it from my front yard

 

[Needmoretime]

Dave, I'm beginning to understand you have quite a bit of background with the 23.5. I may be bugging you more in the future...Right now my centerboard is quite difficult to pull up and I'm wondering if this is a precursor to the line failing due to excess friction with the centerboard and it's housing etc. I usually haul it up when I have some forward momentum just before mooring and it's still a challenge. Without forward movement it's quite difficult. I have occasionally used the winch to assist but I'm thinking that is too much pull on the rope and blocks. So the question is... is this normal? Thanks.

 

[KrustyKrab]

Needmore, I'm not Dave, but I can tell you that I've always used the winch to pull up my centerboard, and I bought mine brand new back in '93.

 

[Needmoretime]

Needmore, I'm not Dave, but I can tell you that I've always used the winch to pull up my centerboard, and I bought mine brand new back in '93.

Thats good to know. Thanks.

 

[Crazy Dave Condon]

needmoretime;

If you look at the line on top of the boat going directly to the centerboard, can you tell me if it is 7/16 or 1/2 line. If 1/2 that is a big problem as the line is too big for the sheaves as Kermit found out two days ago. Let me know and send me your contact infor mation to davecondon@mindspring.com and where you are at. I can call. Your information is not shared.

 

[Needmoretime]

Will do. May not be for a few days. Thanks!