Jammed Centerboard Cable

[Larry Burch]

My first mate let go the centerboard winch handle and the board decended very rapidly. As I cranked it up I noticed that it would no longer go down. The board is now about halfway up and I don't know what to do. Apparently the cable kinked which is keeping the board from going down. Does anyone have any suggestions or have a schematic drawing of the winch mechanism? Any help would be appreciated by emailing me at: lburch@tnh.netMany thanks. Larry Burch

 

[John Dawson]

cable repairman

never shows up! Guess you could try all the stuff that gets recommended here. Examine the drum and visible cable; go swimming and look/feel for kinks (using gloves); run a line underneath from winch to winch and take up on the keel to loosen the tension on the cable; raise keel and pull it out on trailer; loosen cable and pull on it with boathook; examine pivot area for damage; check the locking pin; raise keel, enter shallow water, then lower keel on bottom to take tension off. Hopefully it isn't some kind of damage done.