O'Day Javelin centerboard issue

Mar 23, 2014
6
Oday Javelin Silver Lake
Hi all,

I recently purchased a 1979 O'Day Javelin and took it out for a sail last weekend and ran into the following situation: The launching and rigging went fine and I was able to put down the centerboard fine by releasing the centerboard line near the trunk.

Here is where I got into trouble - I was taking the boat out of the water after retracting the centerboard all the way (so I thought). The boat would not go all the way onto the trailer and when I looked underneath the centerboard was not fully retracting.

There is also a small hole towards the back of the centerboard trunk with a small pin....not sure how this is supposed to hold the centerboard fully in place.

Anyways, I am not sure what to do and haven't launched the boat since then, but I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions or things I should look for when launching the boat again to see what the issue is?

Thanks,
Brian
 
Jun 2, 2004
1,923
Oday Day Sailer Wareham, MA
I'd check to be sure the centerboard pendant (line to lift/lower) is rigged correctly and that the stainless steel cable part is also set up correct. (see pic below), I know that the setup on Widgeons and DS IIs have been screwed up many times by previous owners......resulting in a problem like you are having. (I was fortunate, mine was A-OK)
 

Attachments

Mar 23, 2014
6
Oday Javelin Silver Lake
Thank you very much for the reply. How do you recommend checking to see if the CB is rigged correctly? I am a little confused on how I would be able to see Diagram #2 as what I can see (attached image) does not look like the diagram.

Is there a test I could do next time I take the boat out in the water to see if the rigging is correct?

http://www.odayjavelin.com/images/Centerboard_Winch_Front.JPG
 
Jun 2, 2004
1,923
Oday Day Sailer Wareham, MA
Are you sure that your boat is a 1979 and not a 1969?
The setup that your picture shows was used on the late 1960's JAVELINs. The cable from the CB should be wrapped around the small metal cylinder and the rope pendant should wrap the opposite direction around the large reel. As line is pull off the large reel the assembly rotates, winding the cable onto the small reel. The cable from the CB leads through a metal channel with 2 sheaves mounted on top of the CB trunk with the reel positioned forward of the CB trunk (mostly I mention this for anyone even less familiar with older Javelins than me) This reel assembly was used for the older (1962-70) Javelins, the setup that I posted before was for newer boats (since you said that your had a 1979 model).

I wonder if you picked up a snag while sailing, something may be hooked on the cable preventing it from fully raising the CB.
 

Attachments

Mar 23, 2014
6
Oday Javelin Silver Lake
Ok that is interesting, the prior owned sold it to be as a 1979 but sounds like it might have parts from different years.

With the large/small reel setup, besides the cable being snagged on something, the only other issue that I could think of was the cable might have snapped, right?

When I first launched it, the centerboard went down just fine and you could tell it was under you, so the cable seemed to have tension and did not have any issues then.

Any other recommendations? If I am still running into trouble do you know of any sailboat repair shops in northern MA or NH that would be able to look at or fix a centerboard like this?
 
Jun 2, 2004
1,923
Oday Day Sailer Wareham, MA
If the cable broke, you would know it, because it would give zero resistance when you pulled on the line, the reel would just free spin.

You could give Rudy at D&R Marine a call, he is in Assonet, MA which is southern Mass (near Fall River and Taunton) He might know of a former O'DAY Dealer in your area, or a good repair shop. (508) 644-3001

Does your boat have the molded-in cockpit with the area under the forward deck accessable through a hatch, or is she open from bow to stern with a forward deck that is wide-open underneath? That will be a big clue to actual age.
 
Mar 23, 2014
6
Oday Javelin Silver Lake
Sunbird - thanks again for the response and the info here. The forward deck is wide open underneath and I am starting to piece the age together a little more as I spoke to Rudy today and he mentioned as you had stated that the style centerboard system I have (with the smaller wire and larger line winches) is a pre 1970 model most likely a 1968 or 1969.

For the benefit of anyone else with this design, Rudy said he does not carry parts for this model centerboard, but his suggestion was to take it to a mechanic or someone that has experience with an engineering or leverage system that would be comfortable working on it. He said that it is unlikely I would be able to find a sailboat repair shop to work on this.

My plan is to get it in the water again and see if I can diagnose it further and if I need to, then I might have a family friend / car mechanic look at it.
 
Jun 2, 2004
1,923
Oday Day Sailer Wareham, MA
I would suggest giving Stuart Marine a call, they are in Maine, but are the present builder of the Mariner and Rhodes 19 which used to both use basically the same CB setup as your Javelin. Nothing ventured, notihng gained! They do a lot of repair/rebuilding of older boats, might be of some help on your CB?

http://www.stuartmarine.com/
Contact Info
Dave Whittier, president
Stuart Marine Corp.
38 Gordon Dr (shop)
PO Box 469 (mail )
Rockland, ME 04841
207-594-5515 shop
855-594-5515 WATS
207-594-5514 fax
207-370-7555 voice-to-text mobile messaging
info@stuartmarine.com
Shop Hours
Tuesday - Saturday
8:00 AM - 4:30 PM
 
May 5, 2014
44
Oday Daysailer II Eugene, OR
I would just convert to the newer uphaul system. At some point, you will probably want to drop your board and check that the trunk is clear and that the cable is in good shape. There are various techniques for supporting the boat so you can remove the board, but that is another topic. By the way, to confirm the year of your boat, look at the hull ID number. The last four digits show the month and year of manufacture.
 
Jun 2, 2004
1,923
Oday Day Sailer Wareham, MA
By the way, to confirm the year of your boat, look at the hull ID number. The last four digits show the month and year of manufacture.
That won't work on this boat, she is too old. The 12-digit Hull ID Number that included the model year of the boat did not start until the 1973 Model year, at least 3 years after this particular boat was built.
The O'Day boats built prior to the HIN requirement all had 2 numbers stamped on a small (about 2" X 3") aluminum plate (Located on the forward flotation chamber of the pre-1971 Javelin) the 2 numbers were: HULL# and CLASS#. Hull# refers to total o'DAY production and CLASS# refers to how many of that class (Javelin in this case). For instance, my old 1969 Widgeon was Hull# 22698 and Class# 1791, that meant she was the 22698th boat built by O'Day and the 1791st Widgeon. Hull# again refers to total production by O'DAY, so Hull# 22699 might have been a Javelin, or a Mariner or a Sprite, etc. Same with Hull# 22697..... then again, the Hull# before and/or after mine might have been another Widgeon. So, the Hull# on any particular O'DAY may or may not help in determining the model year of that boat...... but it can make the estimated year easier to pin down.
 
May 5, 2014
44
Oday Daysailer II Eugene, OR
Oh, yeah. Forgot about that. If it's the newer Javelin, the number would have the date, but if it's the old one, it wouldn't. I guess that's one way to tell, if the choices are either 1979 and 1969.
BTW, it seems that Sunbird has done the same mods to the DS II that I have, except for the back deck. (But I put in DS-I style thwarts and oarlocks. So there.) Either great minds think alike, or the deficiencies at O'Day in its later years were such that the modifications cry out to be made. Would be interested in the benefits of the poop deck, and also how Sunbird engineered it. But that's a different thread.
 

Ward H

.
Nov 7, 2011
3,645
Catalina 30 Mk II Barnegat, NJ
Rod, I am always impressed with you knowledge of O'days. Do you maintain a library of manuals and such or do you keep it electronically. If you keep it all in your head I am even more impressed.
 
Jun 2, 2004
1,923
Oday Day Sailer Wareham, MA
Some of my library is on my computer, some is my collection of old brochures and magazines, but a lot is stored in the brain files in my head....... Funny how I can recall all kinds of boat info from 30+ years ago, but sometimes had trouble memorizing important stuff in school!

Talbotb, I have started a new post on the Daysailers (O'Days 26' or under) page about my afterdeck modification. I still need to take some more photos and do some measurements.
 
Mar 23, 2014
6
Oday Javelin Silver Lake
Update: I was able to stop by a local boat shop to lift the boat off the ground and the issue was the line to pull the centerboard up was not long enough so after replacing the line with a longer once, the centerboard now fully retracts into the trunk.

Thanks for the help with this and I'm looking forward to getting some days in on the water now!
 
Apr 2, 2017
13
O'day Javelin Braintree, MA
The above picture is my centerboard style. Does anyone know how to raise an lower it. New to this and trying to get going. seems like when I pull the line the board would lower.
 
Jun 2, 2004
1,923
Oday Day Sailer Wareham, MA
If pulling the line lowers the CB, there will be no way to raise it (only one line). Check, the line should be wound around the reel in the opposite direction as the wire cable that actually connects to the CB. It may have been wound up wrong by the previous owner, a common problem when replacing the line. Pulling on the line should rotate the assembly and reel in the cable.
 
Apr 2, 2017
13
O'day Javelin Braintree, MA
Thanks for all the help, this forum has been a lifesaver. I have a sailing class next week and wanted to check all my rigging. Is there anyone who could post the setup of a fully stepped mast. I need to check all the lines and wires and I would not know where to begin