I own a 1973 Irwin28. There are cable and pulleys in the bilge and the remnants of a hand crank in the cockpit. The pulleys are completely rusted and seized up. I believe I have a centerboard model. I took a line and ran it under the boat from bow to Stern and felt no centerboard in down position. I can't tell if its even still there. My question is, if I take this boat out and raise sail and catch some wind..do I run the risk of rolling her? She is a shoal draft and with board up has a draft of 3'...with it down 7'3". This centerboard contains lead as ballast. I have read other forums where people have taken them off. Can this be done and still sail safely? I do not have a way to haul the boat out and the water is to cold to dive in and check what's going on. Can someone please help me with this one. Thank you