I have one of those famous O'Day 23's with a cast iron keel. As has been noted many times, the centerboards have a tendency to get stuck up inside the keel and mine is no different. I'm asking for some hints on maybe getting it down. I already tried putting a rod through the cable hole and hitting it with a hammer. I've cleaned out the slot in the keel from underneath as far up and as best I can. I've even drilled and tapped a long lag bolt into the centerboard and tried to pull it down and/or tap it down by putting visegrips on the bolt. Any other suggestions?
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The problem is one of two things.
The centerboard is damaged and has taken on water and expanded. The other is that the centerboard housing is made of cast iron. It rusts and when it does, it expands. This is a common problem. One way is to take a common hand saw and saw between the housing and the centerboard. Do this on both sides. That should release the center board. Be careful about putting thing through and hammering on them. You will damage the centerboard and cause the first problem mentioned here. good luck. it is a dirty job! r.w.landau
The centerboard is damaged and has taken on water and expanded. The other is that the centerboard housing is made of cast iron. It rusts and when it does, it expands. This is a common problem. One way is to take a common hand saw and saw between the housing and the centerboard. Do this on both sides. That should release the center board. Be careful about putting thing through and hammering on them. You will damage the centerboard and cause the first problem mentioned here. good luck. it is a dirty job! r.w.landau
Jerry, If you don't have any luck with the penetrating oil it may be worth your while to call Rudy Nickerson of D & R Marine. He may be able to offer you some solutions to curing this problem. Rudy is pretty knowledgeable about O'Days and I'm sure others have asked him about this. I hope that the penetrating oil works for you. Years ago, my friend had the same problem with his Tanzer 22 and he was finally able to free it up. When he got it free, he replaced the pivot pin with a Stainless Steel pin. My friend has since passed away but he had sold this boat to another friend of mine who has owned it for about five years now, and he hasn't had a problem with it since. Good luck! Joe
The best suggestion...
that I've heard so far (and works VERY well BTW) is to use a machete and slide it up into the trunk alongside the keel and work it down the trunk on both sides until the keel is freed up. It was amazing how much junk came out of there before the keel came down.
that I've heard so far (and works VERY well BTW) is to use a machete and slide it up into the trunk alongside the keel and work it down the trunk on both sides until the keel is freed up. It was amazing how much junk came out of there before the keel came down.
stuck center board
Hi Jerry, I have a 1979 23 O'Day and I had a similar problem. I realize that there is a difference in our center boards as mine is fiberglass. I found that I had indused my problem by not applying bottom paint to the board and the it and trunk became fouled with barnicals. I tried everything that I could think of with the boat in the water, but finally had to suck it up and have the boat hauled. With the boat on the travel lift I used an old hand saw and carefully freed up the board and removed it for the winter for painting. I can't really say that this was alot of fun, but lesson's learned. Good luck. George
Hi Jerry, I have a 1979 23 O'Day and I had a similar problem. I realize that there is a difference in our center boards as mine is fiberglass. I found that I had indused my problem by not applying bottom paint to the board and the it and trunk became fouled with barnicals. I tried everything that I could think of with the boat in the water, but finally had to suck it up and have the boat hauled. With the boat on the travel lift I used an old hand saw and carefully freed up the board and removed it for the winter for painting. I can't really say that this was alot of fun, but lesson's learned. Good luck. George
Thanks
Thanks for all the ideas. I do have the advantage of being able to pull the boat out on my davits and set it on the aeawall apron. I've used Kroil on cars but never thought to use it on this problem. Now to figure out a way to get it up in there without turning the boat upside down LOL. The machete and saw blade thoughts are real possibilities. Last time I just used a skinny screwdriver and I'm sure it didn't make it all the way into the keel. Even that way I did get enormous amounts of crud out of it.
Thanks for all the ideas. I do have the advantage of being able to pull the boat out on my davits and set it on the aeawall apron. I've used Kroil on cars but never thought to use it on this problem. Now to figure out a way to get it up in there without turning the boat upside down LOL. The machete and saw blade thoughts are real possibilities. Last time I just used a skinny screwdriver and I'm sure it didn't make it all the way into the keel. Even that way I did get enormous amounts of crud out of it.
modify a garden sprayer??
Jerry, I believe repeated spraying ,,what twice a day? The little plastic tube on the spray can does have velocity. And I also wonder if Kroil can be bought by the quart. I have seen it in pint cans like turpentine and paint thinner comes in. If so a garden sprayer with a narrow copper tubing could maybe work. I think an accumulation of many spray applications is the answer.
Jerry, I believe repeated spraying ,,what twice a day? The little plastic tube on the spray can does have velocity. And I also wonder if Kroil can be bought by the quart. I have seen it in pint cans like turpentine and paint thinner comes in. If so a garden sprayer with a narrow copper tubing could maybe work. I think an accumulation of many spray applications is the answer.
A hand saw might work
Jerry, We used a hand saw on a 1975 O'Day 25 that I delivered to our club years ago. I think that the saw can work if you are persistent. If there is any way that you can get a strong thin nylon strap up into the slot and around the trailing edge of the centerboard to apply some slight downward pressure, that may get it to move. If you're able to get the board down a few inches that way, you may be able to use a jack to wiggle it back up, just to get it loose. With a wooden block on your jack, it shouldn't damage the centerboard. My friend had a cast iron centerboard on his Tanzer and he spent a lot of time whacking at it with a sledge hammer before he was able to free it. I'm hoping that you will succeed with this. Good luck. Joe
Jerry, We used a hand saw on a 1975 O'Day 25 that I delivered to our club years ago. I think that the saw can work if you are persistent. If there is any way that you can get a strong thin nylon strap up into the slot and around the trailing edge of the centerboard to apply some slight downward pressure, that may get it to move. If you're able to get the board down a few inches that way, you may be able to use a jack to wiggle it back up, just to get it loose. With a wooden block on your jack, it shouldn't damage the centerboard. My friend had a cast iron centerboard on his Tanzer and he spent a lot of time whacking at it with a sledge hammer before he was able to free it. I'm hoping that you will succeed with this. Good luck. Joe
Jerry, I owned a PY23 that was also designed by Mr. Hunt .
That was one reason I bought the first O'Day 25. It was a great boat. It also has the same flaws. The cast iron centerboard housing rusts and when cast iron rusts, it expands. Ain't no lubes like WD40 will make it fall down. It is going to be nasty hard work of removing rust that will let that centerboard drop. Then you get to the hard work. Unless you want this on a yearly basis, you need to clear it prep it and coat the centerboard trunk. Again like I mentioned in Post #2, it could be a damaged centerboard that has taken on water and expanded. All good boats have.....problems. this will be yours! fix it and enjoy the boat. r.w.landau
That was one reason I bought the first O'Day 25. It was a great boat. It also has the same flaws. The cast iron centerboard housing rusts and when cast iron rusts, it expands. Ain't no lubes like WD40 will make it fall down. It is going to be nasty hard work of removing rust that will let that centerboard drop. Then you get to the hard work. Unless you want this on a yearly basis, you need to clear it prep it and coat the centerboard trunk. Again like I mentioned in Post #2, it could be a damaged centerboard that has taken on water and expanded. All good boats have.....problems. this will be yours! fix it and enjoy the boat. r.w.landau
I looked up a PY-23
Thought PY stood for PENN YAN BOATS Pennsylvania Yankee Penn Yan NY Hummmm Canadian made.. It does look similar to an O'day
Thought PY stood for PENN YAN BOATS Pennsylvania Yankee Penn Yan NY Hummmm Canadian made.. It does look similar to an O'day
Chuck, It stood for Paceship Yachts.
My PY23 was a wonderful sailing boat that Raymond Hunt designed. The PO spared no expense in the hardware. The running rigging was all color coded including the red and green jib sheets. The sails were old but wonderful. I have yet to have a genny as powerful as the one on my PY23. So, when looking for another boat. I was torn between Catalina25 and the O'Day 25. I chose the O'Day 25. Raymond Hunt also designed it. It is fast and comfortable inside and out. The down fall that I saw in the Catilina was the narrow catwalks and the main sheet behind the helms/tiller man. r.w.landau
My PY23 was a wonderful sailing boat that Raymond Hunt designed. The PO spared no expense in the hardware. The running rigging was all color coded including the red and green jib sheets. The sails were old but wonderful. I have yet to have a genny as powerful as the one on my PY23. So, when looking for another boat. I was torn between Catalina25 and the O'Day 25. I chose the O'Day 25. Raymond Hunt also designed it. It is fast and comfortable inside and out. The down fall that I saw in the Catilina was the narrow catwalks and the main sheet behind the helms/tiller man. r.w.landau
Chuck, Lake Arthur is tough to sail. Every valley contributes
it's own wind set.To sail well, the sails are constantly trimmed. We have 90 to 180 degree wind changes some days on certian portions of the lake. We have had a few days with over 30 knot winds in the last two years. The last one I had a wave break on my port deck. I was beam to the waves. That was the largest I have seen there. I sailed the rest of the way to the mooring downwind under bare poles at about 2 knots. Yes, the freeboard is pretty high and works as a sail. We normally only lose a sailing day to no wind or severe lightning. No wind is more common. Good thing I fish! r.w.landau
it's own wind set.To sail well, the sails are constantly trimmed. We have 90 to 180 degree wind changes some days on certian portions of the lake. We have had a few days with over 30 knot winds in the last two years. The last one I had a wave break on my port deck. I was beam to the waves. That was the largest I have seen there. I sailed the rest of the way to the mooring downwind under bare poles at about 2 knots. Yes, the freeboard is pretty high and works as a sail. We normally only lose a sailing day to no wind or severe lightning. No wind is more common. Good thing I fish! r.w.landau
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