Time to re-engineer the CB cable system

[RussH]

OK since my attempt at installing an aluminum centerboard didn't go so well I've reinstalled the original cb minus the cables. My plan is to attach an operating rod to the trailing edge of the cb. The operating rod is 3/8 dia 316 SS tubing filled with epoxy. It is attached to the cb via a cable tang and exits the cb trunk through the aft pulley hole. It will be held down by a bungee. With the board up it folds aft and is lashed with small rope.
This topic was discussed some time back but it faded and I could never get the pics.
For those wishing to try a steel or aluminum cb, good luck. I had a lot of problem with lateral movement of the cb and could never come up with an effective means of shimming the cb in the down position. Metal boards thick enough to fit tightly within the trunk weighed more than I wished to test.

[phil]

I've done about the same thing with one difference. Instead of a rod, i installed a through hull block on top of the cb housing and a line to the tip of the cb.. I have increased the weight of the cb to the max allowed and although I haven't sailed the boat yet, i 'm hopeful that the added weight will allow the cb to remain in the down position without a down haul.

[Bob Damon]

Just a few reminders for the above posts. Please reference the bylaws, especially Bylaw 3, Paragraphs 6.2 and 6.3. 6.2 indicates a metal cb is not permissable, only fiberglass, wood, or fiberglass covered wood. 6.3 indicates ballast may not be added, so if you wanted to increase the weight of the board, it would have to be done by adding more glass. This of course only applies if you are planning to race the boat. How you control the cb is not controlled but if you are planning any structural modifications to accomodate your control devices, please shoot me an email or pm with your plans. Good luck. My first DS was a II and I re-rigged the controls on that boat.

[RussH]

Thank you Bob.
Phil I thought about the same thing. I was going to use a 5" hole saw and cut a hole near the tip of the cb. Then I was going to pour it full of lead and fair the lead over the cb to hold it in place. Thought I'd try the rod first but if your rig works let me know and I'll follow through with plan B.
I have bought new sails including an asymetrical spinnaker. Can't wait to try it.
Sail on.

[phil]

I had thought about the rod to enable down haul as well as up haul, but thought that the rod might be in the way when on a run or reach and the cb was up. My old McGregor had only the weight of the swing keel to hold it down and maybe thats because it was very heavy. who knows? we'll see. Too bad there isn't just a lever on the side (like the DSI) to raise and lower with a friction lock.

[owldraco]

I have thought about using a rod to help lower and maybe raise the centerboard. Many of the boat plans that I researched about building (before I bought the DSII) used a rod to raise the board. The boards were weighted of course. So I was thinking of installing thru hull fitting on he trunk near the rear and use a rod with a inverted "V" tip on the end to assist the Board to go down when it gets stuck. (I also probably need to sand a bit off of the sides of the board.)

Andrew
Central Ky
Green River Lake

[RussH]

OK the first few attempts didn't go well but I'm still trying. 3/8 tubing was too large. Will try some 1/4 inch this weekend. I'm using the aft cable hole in the trunk. I held the CB snug in the well and marked the spot directly under the hole. I then attached a CB tang to the CB at that level, with just the single cable hole protruding past the rear edge of the CB. When hauled up fully into the well the tang has sufficient clearance. The test rods were attached with a cotter pin but the final rig will have to have a stronger pin.

[Capt Dave]

When I purchased my DSII last December the only thing that was keeping out of the water other than the weather here in the Northeast was that the up-haul cable to the centerboard was broken.

I spent the next 4 months researching how best to correct the issue. I read all the posts regarding the use of a rod and I even bought the cable kit from D&R that is specified as the factory replacement.

However when it came to actually doing the repair I too had seconds thoughts about the cable to rope setup. So I decided to simplify the design by fashioning it after the CB controls that is used on my friends Boston Whaler Harpoon 5.2. It meant removing all the CB blocks and line in the cockpit and the cuddy then installing two thru deck block for ¼” line in the top of the forward most area of the trunk but still inside the cockpit. The center board is controlled by two, 3 strand ¼” lines with loops woven into one end and thimbles installed to protect the line which are then held to the CB by a pair of 5/16” flat head stainless steel bolts. Drilled, tapped, and countersunk through the side of the board (see photo in my gallery). I needed to hone out the board to accommodate the line and thimble for that I used a drill and a doweling jig to keep the drill bit centered and square and then a router to clean up the slot. To hold the board in position the lines run through a pair of clam cleats also mounted to the top of the trunk.

Now to be completely up front I have not had a chance to test this setup in the water but in the garage without the assistance of any possible buoyancy it works great. I also had reworked the jib sheet cleats although not necessarily required. I hope to test this very soon and I may change the down haul line to incorporate a shock cord in the event I hit an obstruction under the water but for now I am very pleased with it.

Good luck with whichever method you choose.

[Capt Dave]

I have added more pics in my album; check them out.

[RussH]

OK I've got it ready for a trial, now if the weather will cooperate. I ended up using 3/8 OD 316 stainless tubing sch 40. True it does stick up about 3' when the board is up but it lowers and raises the CB very well. I attached a piece of low stretch flat rope to the topmost forward edge of the cb, routed this through the existing forward CB trunk hole and this is used to keep the board down. This flat rope is pulled tight and cleated off with a small bungee. I extended a length of parachute cord through the SS tube and attached it to the cb tang in case the rod is damaged or comes loose. The aft cb tang is located on the cb so that it rises neatly into the aft CB trunk access hole. I made a rod handle from 1/2 inch sch 80 pvc (whipped nicely). When the cb is hauled up I secure the rod by inserting a pin through a hole drilled through the tube at that level.
I had the boat blocked up on some old dock floats (about 5' high) and tested this arrangement many times. The cb was easy to lower and raise.
Some have expressed concern over the rod being a safety hazzard should you strike something with the CB. I see a possibility of it striking the boom but not Capn or crew.

[phil]

could you hinge the rod so that when the cb is up the rod lays flaat against the top of the cb trunk?

[RussH]

Phil, that what I'm considering. I want to sail it and check the strength of the rod but then drill, saw, and connect the rod with a 316SS bicycle chain masterlink or other suitable hinge. Got any ideas?

[phil]

chain link sounds like a good idea. can you get them in stainlesscb

[RussH]

Phil, I may try one of these
http://www.bikeparts.com/search_results ... =BPC318722

[phil]

let me know how it works. I'm off to FL on friday to work on a job and maybe i'll get a chance to sail a little (that's where my boat is at the moment). By the way, if you go to DSII for sale and click on my ad , you can see my boat after restoration. I decided not to sell it after all .
Phil