center board cable question

[kip]

i have an oday mariner and guess what? aha, the center board cable snapped near the board and is now all the way down on my moored boat. i haven't ever made this repair and i'm looking for experienced advice. my instincts are to fish a wire or rope down the trunk to hook it and raise it up and replace the cable. i don't even know what the connection is made up of. a freind suggested pulling her up on the beach to retract it but the beach oppurtunities are limited to a steep rocky landing. maybe i need a diver to fasten a new cable. would a rope be better than a cable? i love this boat and need to get her fixed in the water, the boat landing at this lake has 100 yards of two feet deep water beyond the ramp so i don't think winching it up on the trailer would work. thanks

 

[Brian Kellenberger]

Centerboard cable replacement

Kip,Sling a rope from one side of the boat underneath the hull and back up the other side. Position the rope so it will pull the CB up as you tighten. Then haul the boat out. You will need to replace the thimble and ferulle that holds the cable to the CB. I had the same problem except mine broke while sailing. I live on Choctwhatchee bay in NW Florida and we have real shallow water. I had a tough time geeting back to the dock until I was able to get the CB up using the previously explained method. Good Luck.Brian

 

[ed21]

Inspect board

I replaced mine w/ same size wire. Luckily mine didn't break, but it was getting meathooks. I wouldn't use rope. It probably is to thick to work w/ CB drum.Mine is the 170 lb. iron board.  I blocked my boat up while it was on the trailer using a hydraulic car jack, cinder blocks, a 6x6 under the bow, and assorted shims & blocking. Then I took the tires off the trailer & lowered it & slid it sideways enough to lower & access CB. It wasn't as bad as it sounds. I wasn't at a marina. It might be worth it to use one to haul out boat if you can. I then removed CB & gave it a good sanding & painting. If I did it again I would use coal tar epoxy instead of regular paint. I did 2 loops of wire through the CB hole, then nicopressed the end. Be carefull, I nearly broke my arm when dropping the CB. Use some blocking & a 2x4 lever & keep clear when you remove the CB bolt. I used 2 U clamps to secure the wire in the drum so that I could adjust length of wire . I wasn't sure of the length. Replace gaskets at CB pin & inspect pin. Never let the CB drop & stop abruptly.I always keep a loop or 2 of wire around the drum.  Also don't make the wire to long. I've heard of the board being dropped & swinging forward & cracking fiberglass in front of CB truck.BTW- Brians method to raise board is the way to go.

 

[kip]

problem solved

thanks for the replys. As it turned out, I had a friend of a freind scuba dive and do the work underneath. it worked out great. I frayed the end of the new cable a little bit feeding into the trunk but he was a phone company worker and had with him some nifty scissors so we trimmed the stainless steel cable end again and she looped into the ferrel easy, crimped, done. this is a great message board. thanks again.