Mariner Centerboard
Chris, I think this CB problem is fairly common in older Mariners. The first time we sailed our 67 mariner 3 years ago, the centerboard got stuck up in the housing -- after we had cast off (from a shallow launch) - A little scary. I had to take a long screwdriver to push it down out of the housing. This didn't last long. We finally decided to fix it. We took the CB out (be careful when you do this -- it's quite heavy). After you remove it you will see all this flaky stuff and what appears to be huge layers of the board itself seperating. We layed it down on it's side and removed all the flaking stuff. You can pound it with a hammer -- this usually helps to loosen it. We were worried about breaking it, but it really isn't an issue. These CBs were made of very heavy thick metal. After you get all the flake removed, try coating it with West Systems Epoxy. After refinishing the centerboard you will find yourself faced with another common mariner problem. Since you will have removed some of the expanding rust flake, the centerboard will now have much more room to move around in the housing. It may clunk from side to side. There have been many remedies for this listed on this site. You can try rubber washers on the sides of the CB (inside the housing) or read up on the other fixes. Good Luck. -h. hey
