Centerboard makes loud squeaking noise

[Relentless]

Hey all
Whenever I anchor out to eat lunch or hanging out a swimming, we get a lot of power boat wake and as the boat rocks back and forth, it makes an annoying squeaking noise.
I raise the centerboard about halfway up and it doesn’t squeak.
Is this normal?
I am looking to do the Texas 200 this year and want to make sure there isn’t issue.

[GreenLake]

I had been drafting a detailed reply when the browser tab suddenly disappeared w/o trace. Not even a trace in the browser history. Mystery.
Let's try again.

[GreenLake]

I've sailed the Tx200 in a DS (not mine, but the DSII owned by former forum member @jeadstx) and conditions can be rough or at least put a lot of stress on your boat. So you definitely don't want any undiscovered problems or weak spots, and where possible, you might think about what can be done to beef up critical systems.

I cannot tell you specifically what the source of your noise would be, but it may help to understand how the CB is designed on a DS1.

The CB is held in place by a pivot pin, which is what the handle attaches to. That pin goes through the CB trunk wall on the SB side, but on the port side, it only rests in some shallow depression. It does not pierce the CB trunk wall. This setup only works because the CB will wedge itself in the CB trunk, so the pin doesn't have to hold the full bending force.

Here's what I found on my boat:

[GreenLake]

What you see in the picture is something a number of DS1 owners (and the PO of my boat) have done. They drilled and tapped the other end of the pin and secure it with a bolt through the CB trunk wall on the side opposite the handle.

I think this would be a useful upgrade for what you are planning. It would also force you to take the CB out, so you can inspect it and give it any TLC it deserves. Some boards have cracks on the leading edge (they are laminated in halves and then glued together). A bit of expoxy and layer of glass would not come amiss. And you can use the occasion to make sure the CB is fair.

You'll want to inspect the square hole for the pin. It's an embedded piece of brass, and if either pin or it have worn down a bit, your lever will have a bit of play. The cheap fix is to shim the opening, I used some bronze washers that I flattened with a hammer. A more expensive fix is to use a file to widen the opening and insert a full sleeve.

I was able to obtain a bit of SS hollow square stock that had an ID that fit the pin exactly. My plan had been to use that as a sleeve. However, I opted for the quick fix at the time. It's not as good as over time the added metal will give a bit, but even after a few seasons it's still better than it was before.

PS: any machine shop would be able to do the drilling / tapping for you at a reasonable cost, so don't worry about lack of metalworking skills.

[GreenLake]

Also make sure your rudder is in great condition and strong. The Tx200 can be murder on rudders. (Here's a link to my latest efforts at beefing up my own rudder, turns out keelboats like to endanger rudders as well)

I'm probably telling you something you already know, but do spend a rainy afternoon and do a deep dive in all the sections of the forum. You'll find some older posts on the Tx200, but also lots of discussion about issues other people ran into with running and standing rigging and foils. You'll want to use them to prepare. By preventive maintenance, upgrades as well as a good selection of spares. (And don't forget the third reef in your main).

PS: good luck and tell us how it went.