Sindrift center board problem

[Tom Kearns]

Thanks to all of you for the constructive replys to my question about the jib sheets getting hung up on the tabernacle...will try the solutions in the spring. Have another question: a friend of mine has a Spindrift DS...the center board is controled with a lever instead of a pully system like my O'Day. The lever is broke inside the center board well...the board cannot be raised or lowered. Suggestions?

[adam aunins]

This will sound like I'm being a smart a$$ but I don't mean it that way. I would take it apart find what's broke and then fix it. That's not a quick sounding fix but in the long run it will most likely be the easeist and least diffacult. Plus when it comes time to sell there wont be anything "rigged up" to worry buyers.

[calden]

Does the lever move but have no effect on the board? It could be that the square bolt that goes through the square bushing in the centerboard is stripped, or it could be that the square bushing is either stripped or no longer seated in the board and is just turning freely.

If the lever can't be moved at all, it could be that the centerboard is jammed in the housing slot - maybe a piece of something is stuck in there. Your friend will have to take the centerboard out to figure out what the problem is.

Fixing it won't be hard once you know what the problem is - all the component parts are available. If the bushing is loose in the board, it will take some creative work with fiberglass to re-glue it back in, but it's still not hard (been there, done that, etc.) It might be as simple as a chunk of wood or colony of barnacles jammed in the slot. Some of those housing slots had tight tolerances with the board, and even a small piece of junk will freeze it up.

Carlos