We have shared our experiences with stuck centre boards and the various ways to loosen them etc. On the O'Day 23 series 2 (mine is a 1902) the line which raises and lowers the centre-board is in the cockpit. My question concerns the tube between the cockpit and the hull throughwhich the raise/lower line is fed . What are the details of this tube? How is it secured to the hull and how is the plastic "lead-in" on the floor of the cocpit held in - is it secured with 4200/5200 or it it part of the tube? Has anyone removed/repaired this tube and knows the details? The reason behind my question is that Bullocks Cove, where I moor my boat is silting up and at some moon tides the depth is not enough. Consequrntly the boat sometimes sits on the sand. The sand gets into the centre-board trunk and the board does not drop. The tube which leads the line to the centre-board is, acording to the drawings, straight so there has to be an easy way to help drop the board when it gets stuck. So I am looking at ways to use the tube and push from the top with something which will go around the line - i.e. another tube which I can nudge/push on when necessary. I am not thinking about removing the existing tube ---- just trying to think of a way to help gravity do its thing. Any ideas/suggestions/concerns ---- I know this is a problem we all face so I hope someone out there has come up with a brilliantly simple idea. Thanks in advance James
Centre-board line feed tube
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Centerboard
James, If it were me, I'd try to get a deeper mooring. I moor in Dighton on the Taunton River and although I have a shallow mooring area, my keel never sits on the ground at Spring Tide Lows. If it did, I would move it to another location. My boat draws about 20" with my centerboard and rudder in the up position. I think that what you want to do would work, provided that you located the hole in right area, but I'd be more concerned with the bottom of my keel getting worn from hitting the bottom. Joe
James, If it were me, I'd try to get a deeper mooring. I moor in Dighton on the Taunton River and although I have a shallow mooring area, my keel never sits on the ground at Spring Tide Lows. If it did, I would move it to another location. My boat draws about 20" with my centerboard and rudder in the up position. I think that what you want to do would work, provided that you located the hole in right area, but I'd be more concerned with the bottom of my keel getting worn from hitting the bottom. Joe
DON'T DAMAGE THE TUBE
I can't remember exactly where (someone on this forum) the subject of damage to this tube came up and there were warnings about damage to it. I also have an 83' 23' O'Day. The result would be water coming into the hull. I know nothing about its structure other than what is visible, but I have been extremely careful when re-threating new line through it so as not to damage it.
I can't remember exactly where (someone on this forum) the subject of damage to this tube came up and there were warnings about damage to it. I also have an 83' 23' O'Day. The result would be water coming into the hull. I know nothing about its structure other than what is visible, but I have been extremely careful when re-threating new line through it so as not to damage it.
My experience
I own a 1979 Oday 23, which is the same model as your 82 (both are the "Mark II"). I have unstuck my centerboard a couple of times by using a three foot 1/4" diameter steel rod. Remove the grommet in the cockpit that surrounds the pendant line. You will see that the opening is considerably larger than you thought. I "padded" the end of the steel rod with a wad of duct tape, and GENTLY pushed the rod down until it touched the trailing edge of the stuck centerboard. A few light taps on the end of the rod with my shoe (I usually forget to bring a mallet), and voila. I got this idea from this very website ten years ago. It was my first post and I have been a regular ever since. Big caveat: others have written on this site warning to never use the above method because it can lead to a rupture of the tube containing the pendent line, letting water into the boat. I am not sure, but I think that author was describing his experience on his Oday 25, and he described that part of his pendent line tube was made of flexible hose. This material would be more prone to damage by a steel rod than a solid tube would be. I think the Oday 23 tube is solid; at least what I can see of it. There have been several others on this site that have used a steel rod to free their centerboards too, so it must have some merit. Check the site Archives for more info.
I own a 1979 Oday 23, which is the same model as your 82 (both are the "Mark II"). I have unstuck my centerboard a couple of times by using a three foot 1/4" diameter steel rod. Remove the grommet in the cockpit that surrounds the pendant line. You will see that the opening is considerably larger than you thought. I "padded" the end of the steel rod with a wad of duct tape, and GENTLY pushed the rod down until it touched the trailing edge of the stuck centerboard. A few light taps on the end of the rod with my shoe (I usually forget to bring a mallet), and voila. I got this idea from this very website ten years ago. It was my first post and I have been a regular ever since. Big caveat: others have written on this site warning to never use the above method because it can lead to a rupture of the tube containing the pendent line, letting water into the boat. I am not sure, but I think that author was describing his experience on his Oday 25, and he described that part of his pendent line tube was made of flexible hose. This material would be more prone to damage by a steel rod than a solid tube would be. I think the Oday 23 tube is solid; at least what I can see of it. There have been several others on this site that have used a steel rod to free their centerboards too, so it must have some merit. Check the site Archives for more info.
My Experience
I have a 1978 O'Day 23 which I believe is the same as yours. I've used the same method as Mike to push from above. I purchased a thin metal rod at the local hardware store and carefully slide it through the tube and give a firm shove when it feels like it's on the top of the board. I've had to do it maybe twice in the last four years.
I have a 1978 O'Day 23 which I believe is the same as yours. I've used the same method as Mike to push from above. I purchased a thin metal rod at the local hardware store and carefully slide it through the tube and give a firm shove when it feels like it's on the top of the board. I've had to do it maybe twice in the last four years.
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