Widgen Centerboard Rigging

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M

Mel

Hi,

I've had a O'Day Widgeon (1982) for 5 years. This year the centerboard won't come down or up when pulling on the ropes(rigging). I have checked out the archives but have not found an answer to my problem.

I can get under the boat on the trailer and pull the centerboard up and down freely for several inches. It is not stuck. But when pulling on the centerboard ropes it will not move either up or down. The ropes do not look stuck between the centerboard and the trunk. The ropes are in good/excellent condition. Any ideas? Can I access the ropes by removing the cover?

Does anyone have a diagram of how the ropes look inside the trunk?

Any help would be very much appreciated.

Mel
 
Sunbird22358

Sunbird22358

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Jun 2, 2004
1,944
Oday Day Sailer Wareham, MA
not really a cover

That isn't really a cover per se, it is a cap, but there is solid fiberglass under it, it is a trim piece (but strong enough to originally serve to mount the jibsheet cleats)
I have a diagram (rough) that shows how the lines are rigged, however I have to admit it is more or less made by "reverse-engieering" based on the diagram of the lines from the Widgeon owners manual (what shows outside the trunk) combined with my knowedge of how the Day Sailer II CB is rigged (I have one of those). My direct experience with the WIDGEON was with a 1969 model that had a lever-operated CB. My advice is to give Rudy Nickerson a call at D&R Marine (508) 644-3001. Rudy was the Parts Dept. Manager for O'Day from 1973 to 1989 and also built several WIDGEONs after O'DAY went out of business.
 
Sunbird22358

Sunbird22358

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Jun 2, 2004
1,944
Oday Day Sailer Wareham, MA
CB rigging from manual

Here is the diagram from the rigging sheet that shows CB rigging
 
M

Mel

Widgeon Centerboard - Different model

Hi,

My 1982 Widgeon has a different rigging. One rope enters the front of the trunk and one rope enters the top of the trunk near the middle on top. Anyone have a drawing showing the INTERNAL ropes.


Mel
 
Sunbird22358

Sunbird22358

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Jun 2, 2004
1,944
Oday Day Sailer Wareham, MA
Call Rudy

Well, maybe yours was modified? Or the diagram that Rudy gave me might be for an earlier (mid-late 1970's) model year. Best advice is probably to give our friend Rudy Nickerson a call. (508) 644-3001
 
Sunbird22358

Sunbird22358

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Jun 2, 2004
1,944
Oday Day Sailer Wareham, MA
Call Rudy

Well, maybe yours was modified? Or the diagram that Rudy gave me might be for an earlier (mid-late 1970's) model year. Best advice is probably to give our friend Rudy Nickerson a call. (508) 644-3001
I'll post a pic of the Javelin CB rig, unfortunately O'DAY didn't provide diagrams of the control line routing inside the CB trunk in the rigging guides. If I were you, I'd just roll the boat off the trailer and remove the CB, then fix what ever is jambing the CB and reassemble everything (take pictures for reference as you work).
 
M

MSchneider

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Aug 8, 2006
15
NULL NULL Massachusetts
Widgeon CB problems

Mel, I have a 1979 Widgeon. For the three years I've owned it, the CB has been difficult to get down. This year I decided to fix it, as it was no longer much fun to have to roll the boat on it's side in the water, rigged, to use a pair of pliers to pull down the CB.

When I got the boat off the trailer, and removed the CB, I discovered that the "sticking" problem was due to the sides of the CB trunk having been warped/delaminated such that the interior surface was wavy in spots. I made up a sanding stick, and sanded the interior walls. I also sanded down the CB itself, to allow greater clearance. I purchased new lines, bolt, washers, etc. from Rudy at D&R.

When I rerigged the CB, I pretty much followed the diagaram in Sunbird's third post. The lift line exits out the top hole in the CB trunk (when the boat is right side up), and the drop line exits the lower hole. This is actually backwards from the way it is supposed to go, based on the drawing supplied by Rudy, and shown in Sunbird's first two posts. The only conclusion I can draw is that the lines cross inside the CB trunk, so that the lift line, which needs the mechanical advantage of the block to raise the CB, exits out the lower hole. I called Rudy on Thursday, and he called me back on Friday regarding this issue. Unfortunately, Rudy couldn't tell me definitively that the ropes crossed. He suggested that, knowing it didn't work the way I've got it now, I remove the CB, swap the lines, and see if that works better. I hope to do that over the next 2-3 days. Rudy did send me a diagram of the CB, identifying the lift line and the drop line, which I can take a picture of and post here, if it would help you. Rudy also sent me a copy of the Widgeon manual, which contains the picture posted by Sunbird of how the lines are rigged on the CB trunk.

My suggestion would be that if/when you remove the CB, you pay close attention to the lines as you pull the CB backward, to see their exact position, and which hole they exit. I wish I had paid more attention when removing mine.

Mark
 
M

MSchneider

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Aug 8, 2006
15
NULL NULL Massachusetts
Update -- CB now works!

I have just finished removing the CB, "crossing" lines, and reinstalling the CB. It now works! So at least for a '79 Widgeon, that would appear to be the correct routing of the pendant ropes.

Mark
 
Sunbird22358

Sunbird22358

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Jun 2, 2004
1,944
Oday Day Sailer Wareham, MA
Post Diagram

Mark, I'd love to see that diagram that Rudy sent you! The hand-drawn diagram of the lines that I posted (the one NOT from the owners manual) was created by reverse engineering and guessing based on the CB rigging of my 1979 DS II.
That diagram from Rudy would be a great addition to my WIDGEON files. THANKS!
 
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