Longevity of amsteel for CB uphaul

[klb67]

My centerboard uphaul cable is broken at the thimble in the cuddy and I'll be replacing it - my plan is to careen the boat tomorrow to get the CB out. I planned to replace the broken cable with the factory wire cable. I found posts (some on here) where folks used amsteel/dyneema instead of the 1/8" wire cable. I'm interested in hearing feedback on how well that held up over time. I don't have the tools to work with wire and will have to take it to my local shop to install, but I could deal with hog rings and amsteel. I'm looking for a long-term repair, however, and am leaning towards using the factory wire unless I get good feedback that amsteel is an equivalent repair. Thanks.

[GreenLake]

I've used Amsteel in my trailer winch for several years now, instead of the orignal wire. Works fine, even though there's always some of it exposed to UV.

Amsteel is super easy to splice, strong and slippery; given that it's out of the UV in your application I'd expect it to last quite as long as wire, unless you have an obvious chafe point that's able to saw through it. Amsteel is naturally resistant to cuts and abrasion, which helps.

[jeadstx]

I know that on the Mariner forum they have been using Amsteel to replace the steel cable for their 165 lb. centerboards. Several have said it has held up well for a few years. The reel that line is on has exposure to UV.

John

[TIM WEBB]

klb, are you sure you're not talking about the CB *uphaul*? I have no experience w/ Amsteel, but I do have experience w/ replacing the UH cable on TRW, and the first thing I discovered is you don't have to remove the board: you can get to the tang attachment point w/ the boat careened, and use a messenger line to pull the old out/put the new in. I used a galvanized cable that has a clear (Lolon? Not sure) sheathing. It's what I had available to me where I work, and also have the crimping tools/swedges as well. I have experience w/ Spectra (also strong, slippery, and easy to splice), and I wonder if it would work as well?

[GreenLake]

Spectra and Dyneema may be the case of two trademarks for the same or very similar fiber. Samson Rope sells their Dyneema rope as Amsteel.

[TIM WEBB]

I know that Spectra is a Dow Chemical brand name. Dunno 'bout Dyneema, but have heard it used in similar context, along w/ HMA, etc. Parachute manufacturers have been playing around with all sorts of similar line for many years now. The largest Spectra I've seen is 1500# - pretty small diameter. I was under the impression that Amsteel was made in a larger diameter?

[GreenLake]

I read up a bit since the last post: similar fiber chemistry, but independently developed by two different manufacturers.

Amsteel is the Samsom Rope product based on Dyneema and it's sold down to 2.5mm, and it's a single braid 12-strand . It's usually spliced with Brummel splices with buried tails which are really easy to do in that material. It can also be spliced to regular double braid (if you get the ratio of diameters right). I've used it on my winch, as I wrote, and did an eyesplice with thimble for the shackle that connects it to the bow eye. I believe the shackle is actually the weak spot.

I've made various halyards, with double braid tails, as I've detailed on some other threads here. My splicing instructions are from L-36.com.

[klb67]

Thanks all. I'm going with the factory size wire. I put the boat in the water, motored over to the adjacent sand beach, and quite easily had my DS on its side. I had already loosened the CB nut/bolt and taped line to the CB up haul wire and downhaul line to make reinstallation easier. Removal of the CB was a piece of cake. I should have the new wire on, a fee spots on the board fixed up and CB reinstalled next weekend. I was also glad to find the bottom of the boat and CB trunk in good shape.

[klb67]

Question and an update:

Can Tim or anyone else confirm that the bracket mounted to the centerboard can fit down through the hole in the front of the centerboard trunk (the hole in the trunk, not the hole in the plastic bushing that fits in that hole)?

I realized that the plastic bushing needs to be installed on the wire between the two loops in the wire uphaul cable before the whole assembly is reinstalled into the boat, since I am having my local shop install the loops since I don't have a proper tool to crimp the cable ferrules (otherwise, I'd just make the loop in the cuddy after everything else is installed). In order to install everything as I imagine, I'll need to be able to unscrew the bracket from the centerboard, and shove the bracket down through the up haul hole into the center board trunk, then reconnect the bracket to the board.

Can anyone confirm my plan will work? (My boat is 45 minutes away and my center board, cable and bracket are at the local shop that is closed today).

p.s. I edited the subject to correctly refer to the uphaul

[TIM WEBB]

I'm afraid I can't answer your question because TRW doesn't have the plastic donut - I threw it away when I did the brass pipe retrofit. With the CB all the way down, the 3 screws that hold the tang to the CB are accessible. I did it the other way around: used a messenger line to pull the cable from the inside of the trunk and out through the brass pipe. The swedged loop *just* fit through it.

[klb67]

Thanks Tim. The brass retrofit is probably Plan C - especially if I hear or determine that there is no way the CB bracket will fit through the hole. Plan B is probably try to borrow the tool to install the crimp in the boat and/or bring the boat down to the shop to have them install it.

[Kleanbore]

The brass fitting upgrade is best done while replacing the cable. The crimping tool is available at Lowe's or Home Depot (can't remember which one I purchased mine from) for $20 to $25.

[TIM WEBB]

True Kerry. klb, if I were you, I'd give Rudy a call at D&R before proceeding any further. He might have a quick and easy solution to your dilemma ... ?

[klb67]

I decided to post a reply since my repair is completed! I took a short victory sail this morning before I had to get back home for my 2 year old before my wife had to leave with my almost 6 year old. A substantial front is moving in and the wind was really building on the lake - I had to leave just when it was getting good.

As to the repair, I can confirm that the centerboard bracket can JUST fit through the front hole in the centerboard trunk. I had my local shop install new wire and nicropresses just like it came from the factory. My FIL held the board while I installed the three screws, fished the downhaul line up the top hole in the trunk, and then he swung the board into the trunk until I could get the bolt in. Having help made the job much easier. The boat also sails much better now that the centerboard can swing all the way down (before the clamp holding the broken wire together hit the trunk and left the board angled back just a bit).

One last question - does anyone grease the centerboard bolt? I didn't and wondered if I should. It's easy enough to remove if I determine that I should have greased it - it just didn't occur to me until now.

Thanks all for the feedback.

[TIM WEBB]

Glad you got it all sorted out - well-deserved victory sail! ;-P

Never heard of greasing the CB bolt - prolly not necessary, given that there are no bearings or anything of that sort in there, the pivot point is fairly low speed/low friction, and unlikely to fail because of that. However, some have applied petroleum jelly or similar to the gaskets in order to help keep H2O from bilge ingress ... ;-P