Centerboard dropping

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Centerboard dropping

Postby RobH912 » Mon Jul 12, 2021 9:52 am

So yesterday after racing was having some problems getting the boat on to the trailer :? , when finally pulled out of the water was looking under the boat to see if I was centered on the trailer and saw that my centerboard was not aligned with the roller and was dropping down at least 8+ inches :shock:

Checked to see if the handle could bring CB up further but it could not. CB was easily pushed up into the slot, wedged some rope in the center board housing to hold the CB up and with the help of a friend the two of us got the boat straight on the trailer, CB now supported by a roller, removed the rope wedge, strapped the boat to the trailer, and parked it in the yard.

My CB handle, gasket all look pretty new, however the PO did not post anything on CB work in his posts of restoring #2444 in the forum so I am thinking that while the handle and gasket may have been replaced, I still have a circa '68 CB

Spent some time this morning reading CB posts and seems like the most likely cause of CB drop is that the square hole in the CB is now rounded. :(

Are there other causes for the CB drop to drop?

I am in driving distance to Rudy / D&R and just wanted to check on line before calling Rudy making a road trip this week.

Thanks!
Rob


DS1 #2444
Cape Cod
Eastham, MA
RobH912
 
Posts: 201
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Re: Centerboard dropping

Postby GreenLake » Mon Jul 12, 2021 12:02 pm

8" is quite a lot. Pin and/or hole would have to be significantly deformed. If you can, I would drop the boat on the ground, lever it over with the mast (careen) and take out the CB. Only way to know whether you need a new handle, or a new CB (and/or whether you can shim the hole).
~ green ~ lake ~ ~
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Re: Centerboard dropping

Postby RobH912 » Mon Jul 12, 2021 12:43 pm

GL - Ok thanks for the quick reply.

Talked to a sailing club friend who said they had marginal success shimming the CB hole… before doing the project again with a new CB.

It will be a lot of work for me to careen the boat (need to bring it home), so I’ll talk to Rudy first, check out return policy but have all new parts available. I only want to do this project once.

Thanks!
Rob


DS1 #2444
Cape Cod
Eastham, MA
RobH912
 
Posts: 201
Joined: Thu Sep 20, 2018 9:33 pm

Re: Centerboard dropping

Postby GreenLake » Mon Jul 12, 2021 1:25 pm

That's a way to do it. My experience with a 2-3" droop was that shimming worked well. Too well, in fact: I overcorrected and now the handle doesn't quite get vertical enough to engage the lock. It's just going to be a matter of time :).

At the time, we dropped the boat onto the parking strip before the house and pulled the mast across the street (quiet/residential). Takes just a few minutes to get the boar out or put it back in, and in-between the boat can sit upright.
~ green ~ lake ~ ~
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Re: Centerboard dropping

Postby jalmeida51 » Mon Jul 12, 2021 1:35 pm

Hi Rob,

I had to replace my c/b last year due to about 10 inches of droop. The square peg on the handle was worn and the square hole in the c/b was worn. I bought a new handle and c/b from Rudy and that fixed the problem. I am not sure if my new c/b is class legal due to it weight more than the original c/b. I told Rudy I wanted extra ballast in my new c/b. I would just ask Rudy Is the c/b class legal due to you race.

After installing the new c/b and tightening up the handle against the rubber gasket to stop leaking, the c/b went down easy but it was a real bear to retract by

using just the handle. I rigged up a 5 to 1 purchase and the c/b comes up with very little effort.

Put some type of lubricate on both sides of the rubber gasket it will help get a good water tight seal. I used water proof grease.

John
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Re: Centerboard dropping

Postby RobH912 » Tue Jul 13, 2021 11:15 am

John - thanks for the thoughts on the CB replacement. Yes I will talk to Rudy about the CB weight.

This afternoon I am meeting up with one of the DS sailors that I sail with and he say's he has removed and replaced his CB while the boat is on the trailer. Thinking he shifts the boat slightly so that the CB is no longer sitting on the roller, swings down... but will share the approach after I see it.

Should then be able to see what the problem is, the handle, CB, or both.

Good thought on the gasket / grease, mine started to leak some this spring and needed to tighten up handle some.

Thanks!
Rob


DS1 #2444
Cape Cod
Eastham, MA
RobH912
 
Posts: 201
Joined: Thu Sep 20, 2018 9:33 pm

Re: Centerboard dropping

Postby Anstigmat » Tue Jul 13, 2021 3:05 pm

My CB drooped a lot too, but the idea of paying that much for a new board seemed extreme. A previous owner had already drilled a small hole in the top of the trunk through which a line was run to a hook in an old CB. The CB I have now did not have the hook so I drilled a hole in the rear of it and tied a thin Dyneema line, ran it up through the hole, and ended it in a clam cleat. I uncleat it to drop the board with the lever, and use the rope to pull it up. You can lock it in the full-up position by just cleating it off.

I also find it handy for locking it halfway down at low tide.
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Re: Centerboard dropping

Postby RobH912 » Wed Jul 14, 2021 6:31 pm

Thanks everyone for their thoughts on my centerboard issue.

Here's an update and it is a head scratcher :? to say the least... but good news.

So yesterday went with a DS friend to try to drop my centerboard while it sat on the trailer. He has had several DS, works on them a lot, and and a great sailer. The basic idea is that on most trailers the centerboard after unscrewing the handle screws can be lowered down missing the trailer's cross beams, removed and inspected... at least on his trailer. My circa '68 trailer that goes with my '68 DS has too many cross beams but we were able to remove the handle, looks good and mostly square, centerboard drops down an inch or so and on my trailer held up by a roller, but we were able to inspect the square hole by holding the centerboard up with a screw driver and and happy to report that hole was was square also :D Sorry no pictures, after inspecting, I got below the boat to help push the front of CB up so the handle could be reinserted, screwed down. Took 20 minutes

Not really sure what happened last Sunday, we both were confused yesterday. Thinking that centerboard may have been against a ramp not allowing it to go up, I have recently had to tighten up the handle as gasket was leaking and maybe didn't have the lever all the way forward, or the pawl was "in the way", or all of the above... just weird.

Anyway not getting a new centerboard, but do need a new gasket and know how to do that now. Also learned that Cape Cod Ship Building who now builds DS offer a centerboard, race legal weight and reported to be a little more shaped.

Thanks!
Rob


DS1 #2444
Cape Cod
Eastham, MA
RobH912
 
Posts: 201
Joined: Thu Sep 20, 2018 9:33 pm

Re: Centerboard dropping

Postby GreenLake » Wed Jul 14, 2021 9:59 pm

I have one of those older trailers.
2798
One of the rollers is positioned so the CB is supported, so it's not hanging off the handle when stowed or being trailered.

Glad you don't need new parts, but when you have your boat sorted, you may want to benefit from a better shape. (I should have, long ago :)).

I picture you back at head scratching. :P
~ green ~ lake ~ ~
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Re: Centerboard dropping

Postby RobH912 » Wed Jul 14, 2021 10:43 pm

GL yes similar roller support of CB.

VERY happy I didn’t a new CB. Cape Cod Shipbuilding’s racing CB is $793, almost what I paid for my boat… I’m sure it is very nice.

Yes still head scratching… but now back on weather helm.
Rob


DS1 #2444
Cape Cod
Eastham, MA
RobH912
 
Posts: 201
Joined: Thu Sep 20, 2018 9:33 pm


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