Stuck Centerboard Pendant

[Hoosier Kevin]

I have a 1978 O'Day 25.

This past weekend I had a diver help me replace the centerboard pendant. I bought the replacement pendant from Rudy at D&R.
To make a long story short - there was a communication problem with the diver and myself and I pulled the up the centerboard line too soon.
He was attaching the shackle to the centerboard when I pulled the line up.
The problem is that the shackle is stuck in the pendant tube that leads to the cockpit. We tried to dislodge it but it was stuck and so difficult to get to.
Looks like I will be hauling it out with the centerboard unattached. We did use a line to hold up the centerboard much like a sling.
I wanted to throw this out on the forum to see if anyone else has been so unfortunate to have dealt with this hoping to get some advice on a good way to dislodge the shackle from the tube.
I also wanted to see if anyone has come up with a better way to get access to the centerboard while it is on a trailer.
I have read past forum entries about securing the stern with the trailer jack at the lowest level and then cranking it up. Also borrowing a trailer used for full fixed keel. Or jacking up the boat.

 

[Brian S]

I should think you'd be able to hook and pull down the shackle using a length of (clothes hanger) wire with a hook bent at the end. Of course, the diver would be doing that from under the boat.

Haulout should be ok, as the trailer rollers will push the CB up into the trunk, and hopefully there will be a roller to keep it up there, vs. the end falls short of support and falls down resting on some other transverse trailer member. Getting it back in the water is a different story.

Your best bet if the diver can't get it from the water is to do it from a lift. Lowering the trailer tongue to the ground, then blocking under the stern of the boat, then jacking the trailer tongue up will generally lift the boat up off the trailer supports at the rear, facilitating paint. But it won't lift enough to drop the CB all the way down (or even down just enough,) allowing access to the trunk. Depending on how high your trailer holds the bottom of the keel above ground, you might be able to jack and block the boat and work the trailer out from under. The depending issue is if the keel is high enough above ground to allow the CB to drop far enough to get inside the trunk.

 

[Ward H]

I agree with Brian. On my 1980 I don't think the shackle would fit inside the tube.
I do know that the top of the CB trunk narrows and the clevis pin will not fit all the way to the top of the trunk. Of again, this is on my 1980.
I would fish around with a hook of some kind to try to pull it down. You may need to take the "sling" off to give the diver working room, then put it back on once he has it so he can connect it to the board.

Good luck.

 

[Brian S]

As I was reading Ward's post, but before I got to the point about the CB trunk narrowing, it occurred to me that the thickness of the splice would get jammed in the tube long before the shackle ever got up that far.

For this reason, next time I need a main halyard, it will be tied to the shackle using a halyard knot, not a splice as I had done last time. The thickness of the splice does not ride up over the sheave well, making it a little more challenging to get full hoist on my main.

 

[LeeandRick]

I'm not sure if the O25s tube is straight like a O23 but before I replaced my CB halyard it would hang in up position . I bought 2 rifle cleaning rod kits and made the rod long enough to push the shackle out of the tube to get the board to drop.

 

[Hoosier Kevin]

Thanks to all of you for your replies!
I like the idea of the rifle barrel cleaner kits! Makes great sense!, and the need to buy two kits makes sense!
Looking at cutting the conduit pipe down so that I can get the barrel cleaners in.
Have any of you had issues when you cut the conduit pipe? Seems to be above the water line but close.

Again thanks for your responses; Hoosier Kevin

 

[LeeandRick]

I have only been on a 25 one time for a beer 30 years ago so did not pay much attention to the centerboard line. If it is like the 23 there is a plastic trim/fairlead sticking in the top of the tube where the line exits. This is removable and allows enough room to slide a rod in beside the line. No conduit tube cutting required.

One issue I found that was causing the most problem for me was a groove that the original steel cable had cut into the fiberglass where the conduit enters the top of the centerboard well. My replacement line (5/16 Staset) would get hung in this groove and not function properly. I re-lined the conduit with a plastic tube when I epoxied the bottom and had the CB outView attachment 129555