centerboard woes

[roy]

The centerboard on my 192 has been acting up. All started last year when the vessel broke it's mooring (yup, I absentmindedly left the board down and it chafed away the mooring line - 10ft tide here) went for it's unmanned cruise and ended up on her side in the marsh grasses - phew, no rocks! Anyway the pennant was jammed in the cboard pocket and me and the volunteers didn't want to waste anytime s their 17ft outboard may be threatened being way up this marsh creek. (I would have loved to sit and tinker as she's never shown me her belly side up before...nor since.) Back on the newly rigged mooring line I tried anything to get it unjammed, diving with snorkel didn't work as the current and short breath got the best of me. Tried pulling her over with anchor tied to mast and that wasn't about to work (now feel more sure it'll never blow down, what's this thing got for ballast?) Anyway we had some great breezes here this week and I ran over the mooring line as my 16yr old gallantly tried to grab the pick up buoy. My quick thinking prevented the dinghy from being swept under, but the resulting mess may have caused even more havoc on the centerboard pennant, or line. A quick call to Rudy, and he suggested hiring a scuba diver. Last years problem was finally solved with a 200-dollar hoist and a quick flick of a screwdriver to pull the board down. Too expensive. Anyway, does anyone know of a way to "coax" down a stubborn board? I had been lifting it all the way and dropping it an inch or two while moored, as it would usually be stuck if left all the way up. My feeling is the pin is jamming in the pocket, as the pin may be too long.Help

 

[Justin - O'day Owners' Web]

Free dive with the screwdriver?

Hard to tell from your post - is the board stuck up now, or can you not raise it for fear it will stick again? You ought to be able to free dive on your boat and knock the board free. If you can do it by feel you won't even need to be fully under the boat to do it. When you next haul the boat, check to see if there is crap up in the slot binding the board. Another possibility is that the board has swelled and so you may need to dry it and fair it.Justin - O'day Owners' Web

 

[roy]

Thanks Justin

I'll let you know how she looks (board is up) when I next go to the sandbar. Sailed with board up last night but had no time to take a swim. Tried to rock her down with hard heeling and hard-a-lee maneuvers.Thanks again, later,Roy

 

[Pat Corbett]

Mine was stuck, too

...and I spent too many times diving under with a screwdriver and prying it loose. I would then keep about 1/4 of the board down all the time, when on the mooring, dropping the rest after unhooking.(It had swelled after being holed).Last fall, on the trailer in the backyard, and on saw horses, I dropped, faired and painted it. It hasn't gotten stuck yet this summer. I wonder how much you can fair it before you have to worry. I still keep it about 1/4 down. Superstitious,I guess.

 

[roy]

further inspection

I have discovered chest deep water excellent for the dive and work. The centerboard becomes fouled when almost all the way up, seems like weeds or something is fouling it. Almost at the point the pennent becomes thicker at splice. I too am leaving it down partially untill I find a fix...