Ive had to replace the u-bolt that was securing the centerboard uphaul cable in the cuddy of my DSIII. I had to cut off a piece of the cable since the old u-bolt was rusted. Since the cable was fed through the block without a thimble my repair works the same way (no thimble), however I secured with 2 u-bolts rather than just one. My question is how much cable should be exposed in the cuddy when the CB is in the up position. I have 12 inches of cable between the u-bolt and CB trunk. Will this be enough to lower the CB completely and not have the u-bolt come in contact with the CB trunk, preventing further downward movement?
And if 12 inches is enough would it be better to redo the repair and use a thimble?