Centerboard

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David R. King

I can only raise the centerboard on my 1997 h26 a short way. It comes nowhere near tucking into the slot in the hull. This is with the boat in the water. Seeing how this assembly is designed, I'm not surprised. There seems to be very little mechanical advantage to the raising/lowering system. But occasionally, I read in this forum about h26 owners raising the centerboard for shallow water operation, usually motoring. Am I doing something wrong? I really don't care to winch it farther up. That might put too much stress on sheave at the mast base. All of my sailing is done in deep water so the issue is theoretical, but I'm still curious. Thanks for your comments. David King "Molly"
 
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Ray Bowles

Dave, This response is going to be long to cover

the different areas effecting the CB. I currently have the CB assembly off "Speedy" (95 H26) in my shop for repair and refitting. The CB should retract fully into the keel area with about 4 inches exposed below the hull. This exposed area should be parallel to the bottom. My boat has a line running from the CB up through the mast support tube to the cabin deck surface. It then comes through a sheave mounted at the mast base fitting and heads to starboard and aft until it passed through a deck fitting at the front edge of the cabin top slider where it turns directly aft to the line locks next to the starboard winch. Just aft of the fitting at the front of the slider my CB line is terminated. It then is coupled to another line with a block and tackle assembly that runs from this termination back to the winch area and then forward and back to the line lock. I KNOW this is very confusing but that is the best I can do. Without this extra block and tackle mechanical advantage in leverage I doubt that I could even start to raise the CB. With this advantage I can most often raise the CB with a direct pull on the line, only, if the boat is making good headway and the water therefore is helping raise the CB. Otherwise I must winch the CB up. You are right that care must be taken to not over tighten this line. You would then probably break the sheave pullys and that would be a big no no. If yours can't be raised then you either don't have the extra block and tackle advantage or you have a broken sheave at the mast base position. Other that that there would have to be something in the CB well that prevents raising. Ray S/V Speedy
 
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Jeff

3 to 1 Purchase

David, Mine has a pulley system attached to the center board uphaul line. Still takes two hands but I can retract the keel fully. This rig lays on deck next to my main sail halyard between the deck organizer and the rope clutches. I run this line thru the rope clutch which makes things a little easier. Jeff "Festivity" 1996 H26
 
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Nancy Berg

CB Stays down about 8 in.

Well, based on a converstaion we had with Greg at Hunter during our replacement of the CB line, the board does NOT come all the way up when pulled by the line. The aft portion will stay down at an angle leaving 6-8 inches between the board and the hull. Now you CAN push it up all the way (such as when you put the boat on the trailer it goes all the way up in the slot) but unless you do that it will hang down a little. We tested this several times while the boat was on the hoist and that is the case. It is a problem when you beach the boat as the CB can get stuck in the mud or bushes. I'd like to hear other comments on this because it is a problem at the lake due to dropping water levels. Crazy Dave are you there?
 
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Alan

My boat.

I have not seen the boat or asked the yard what happens when they lift it with a sling, BUT, when I pull the keel up with the CB line it thumps into place. When I swam under the boat with the keel retracted it was essentially parallel to the bottom as when it is on the trailer with 6-8" exposed (as I recall). It is supposed to draft 1'9" with the keel retracted. It does not fully retract like some other swing keel vessels but, fully retracted it should be parallel to the bottom. alan
 
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David R. King

Nancy-reply

Nancy, Yes, that's my situation. The board does not come up all the way. I know how the assembly works and mine is clean and correctly set up. But it still hangs down at an angle when I haul the control line as hard as I can. Interesting, some of these replies say that the board comes up completely. Oh well, it means that I can't anchor in less than 15' of water and feel that the board will not ground. "Molly"
 
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Jeff Peltier

Keel up

If you and Nancy are talking about h26, h260, h235 or h240, the keels on all of these stick out a few inches (depending on model). In the up position, they are all parellel to the bottom of the boat. Areas of suspect are a broken sheave (pulley or turning block) on the centerboard pivot assembly, a stretched line that has bottomed out on the centerboard blocks on the deck or a broken turning block coming out of the mast compression post on the deck. I fixed a new 260 that had it's centerboard line strung in such a way that it missed the turning block on the pivot bracket. After that it pulled up like it was ment to, which for reference, most men would be able to do without the winch. Hope that helps Jeff Peltier
 
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Nils Anderson

260 CB up & parallel

Our 260 centerboard comes up all the way. After loading on the trailer, it is still an inch above the trailer support, at which time I gently relax the line letting the CB rest on the trailer. Also, I eliminated the block-pulley mechanical advantage and run the CB line from the turning block through the clutch and a few wraps around the winch. I can lift the CB using the winch handle pointing aft and pushing it toward port overboard. The deck stays clear of blocks and lines this way.
 
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