Armas binding

[Time4change]

I looked at a 2006 Telstar 28 and am considering purchasing it. With the boat it the water it was difficult to retract the armas, the port was more difficult than the starboard. In trying to diagnose the problem I could see fresh scrape marks where the Link shelf was binding on the intermidiate boxes on the bow. The boat has been sitting up for about 8 months. The non factory dealer took it on trade and new little about the design of the armas and made the comment that after a couple of years the armas may have settled and this "binding" might be considered normal. Which I seriously doubted. One of the things that drew me to the T28 was ease of use. Has anyone experienced a "binding" of the armas? Is there a adjustment? Any suggestions? Thanks.

 

[sailingdog]

The clearance on the intermediate boxes on the ama folding design is very close, and often needs to be modified slightly, as each boat is slightly different than every other, due to the tolerances in the fiberglass molding process. Generally, the amas are fairly tight and stiff when the boat is new, and ease up after a bit of use. There really isn't any adjustment for it, but once you've modified the boxes, it shouldn't be a problem after that.

My boat is a 2006 model BTW.

BTW, the folding design intermediate boxes were changed slightly in early 2007, mainly to allow the fold-down side decks to fold more cleanly against the main hull. The other changes that the boat has gone through include:

Longer centerboard/deeper draft on newer models
Interior dam on the cabin sole to allow the head to be used as a shower.
Added stainless steel posts to the partial bulkheads forward of the galley and nav station
Added cushions and squared off the forward ama hinge structure in the cabin.

If you have any other questions about the boat, let me know.