Can be difficult
HiI had the bottom painted on my 23.5 last fall. I figured while they had it in the slings was a good time to replace the centerboard halyard. It turned out to be a major job because the centerboard had a large split in the fiberglass. It was repaired using West System epoxy. The stainless steel bolt/nut that holds the centerboard assembly in place had been overtightened at the factory and the threads were ruined. That required re-threading at a machine shop. I had considered doing the halyard replacement job myself, but given all the complications I was glad not to have to deal with them on the trailer or...as in your friends case, in the mud.Good LuckAlan LongS/V Random Access