Centerboard uphaul line location

[hectoretc]

Greetings all,

This picture borrowed from Roger's book (I bought both hard copy and CD so I should have limited copyright to use his pictures as a reference shouldn't I?) it shows the up and down haul lines for the centerboard in Roger's boat. My downhaul line is located in the cockpit on the CB housing (a subject of another discussion) but what I want to concentrate here on, is the uphaul line (the lower line in this picture). As with my boat, the line exits the CB trunk, and is terminated with a block attached to an anchor and 2nd block giving some leverage advantage for raising the board.
I would prefer "not" to have this line consuming the space between the cuddy hatch and base of my mast. Why can't I find or fabricate a 180 degree block assembly that will bring the CB uphaul line out though the hole, and immediately turn it around and send it through the cuddy bulkhead out into the cockpit where I can use blocks or other means to apply tension to raise the center board?
The existing setup has always seemed... kind of... kludged... Definitely no thought given to efficient use of space. But their priorities were probably different than mine.

Same question from another angle (literally)
(again jdoorly's Desperado)
Jay - This picture has thrown me for a loop a couple times, previously I had commented on your management of the uphaul line because of your battery compartment location not allowing the original floor mounted blocks, but looking at this again. It appears that your uphaul line comes out the CB housing higher than in Roger's photo (and in my boat). Your uphaul line appears about the place where Roger's downhaul line exits the CB housing. Did you move your uphaul line location or was it there when you got your boat, or is this just an optical illusion?


Does anyone other than me (forever the optimist) think it might be possible to install a through the housing block similar to my downhaul line, right outside the cuddy bulkhead in the cockpit and route the uphaul line through there instead of having to go into the cuddy to come back out to the cockpit?

Just looking to discuss options at this point... Again, my desire is to open up the floorspace between the mast step and the cuddy hatch area.

[jdoorly]

Good Idea Scott. I don't see any reason it can't be done and I'd like to do this myself. Maybe mount one of these...

http://www.duckworksbbs.com/hardware/blocks/rl481/index.htm

to the front of the trunk or to a piece of wood mounted to the trunk. The wire would come out of the trunk, go around the sheave and through the wood mount then parallel the trunk side and exit through a small hole in the bulkhead and on to a 4::1 purchase. The sheave is not made for wire rope so it will wear faster but because of the bolt and stop nut the sheave is replaceable, or perhaps you can find a wire sheave. I haven't found one.

This will probably require a new longer wire rope for the centerboard-up, which means freeing the cable ends from there stupid hiding place and creating a better up/down system (i.e. one where the wire doesn't get caught on the side of the centerboard, a problem for which there doesn't exist enough salty language.) I did however, have some luck of late with threading each cable in opposite directions through a circular ss cotter pin before the cables go out of the trunk. It seems to keel them from falling to the side of the cb when they are slack.

[jdoorly]

I just had a chance to look closely at the trunk and uphaul and see that you could mount the block on the top of the trunk and overhanging the hole in the trunk and lead the uphaul into the cockpit from the existing bulkhead hole. You wood just need to adapt the straight block base to the curved trunk. However, this may encroach on you idea of elbow room around the cuddy entrance, but I'm going to try it.

[Alan]

If I understand correctly what's being talked about here, Capt Dave installed a similar system, based on that used in the Boston Whaler Harpoon 5.2:

gallery/search.php?user_id=1229

It looks simple and tidy. However, I was reading about the design on a Boston Whaler site, and someone was thinking about replacing it with a different system because he was unhappy with its performance. Unfortunately, I can't remember what the specific problem was, and I can't find a link. If I do, I'll post it.

[hectoretc]

If I understand correctly what's being talked about here, Capt Dave installed a similar system, based on that used in the Boston Whaler Harpoon 5.2:.

If I'm seeing the picture correctly, this is exactly what I was talking about in the last paragraph of my opening post. It actually takes it one step further and appears to have both the uphaul and downhaul lines coming out through a single double surface mount block? I wish we had a closeup. Is Capt Dave still active here?

I just found his last post on the topic and sent him a PM in case he checks in, but it certainly suggests it's possible. A challenge for me is that my CB cables (both up and down) terminate on the CB at the same spot (it's all one cable) so I don't think I could get away with putting the downhaul line forward in the CB housing. I'll have to look at it again though.

[hectoretc]

I just had a chance to look closely at the trunk and uphaul and see that you could mount the block on the top of the trunk and overhanging the hole in the trunk and lead the uphaul into the cockpit from the existing bulkhead hole. You wood just need to adapt the straight block base to the curved trunk. However, this may encroach on you idea of elbow room around the cuddy entrance, but I'm going to try it.

Let us know how that works out. I don't have any concerns about the immediate space around the cuddy trunk. I'm going to do something similar to what you did with your folding cuddy door that doubles as a "seat/step" in the cockpit, and a matching removable step/seat just inside the cuddy (to cover my batteries, charger, cables and the like).

As you can see I opted to put my battery boxes a little further back and straddling the CB truck since I had that nice port side hole to work with from the cracked floor anyway. I can make the step high enough to allow the CB cable to go through the original fairlead if that's what you're aiming toward, and it sounds like it is. My goal was to open up the cuddy floor between the batteries and the mast base rather than the assorted trip wires laid there by the original design.
Thanks - Scott

[hectoretc]

I just had a chance to look closely at the trunk and uphaul and see that you could mount the block on the top of the trunk and overhanging the hole in the trunk and lead the uphaul into the cockpit from the existing bulkhead hole. You wood just need to adapt the straight block base to the curved trunk. However, this may encroach on you idea of elbow room around the cuddy entrance, but I'm going to try it.

Hi Jay - I don't know if you charged out and purchased that Racelite block already, but I found another brand (Ronstan) at West Marine that looks like it could do the same thing, and not need to be adjusted for the curved CB housing.



http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wcs/st ... sNum=50062

I'm thinking of the RF-568 which has only two lateral mounting screws, thereby not caring about the surface curvatures (also about 1/2 the price). Having not looked at my CB housing, I can't speak to if this is high enough to make the corner (3/4" sheave), the racelite appears to be a fairly large block (1 1/2" sheave?) so that may be relevant in this instance. Additionally, maybe the wider footprint is an advantage in this case for leverage?
Alternatively, two Ronstan blocks could be used to make the corner in two steps (if necessary) for the same price as one Racelite, and would still make dealing with the curved surface easier. I have a West Marine in town here, so I'll probably get over there and check them out this week.
Thanks - Scott

[hectoretc]

If I understand correctly what's being talked about here, Capt Dave installed a similar system, based on that used in the Boston Whaler Harpoon 5.2:.

If I'm seeing the picture correctly, this is exactly what I was talking about in the last paragraph of my opening post. It actually takes it one step further and appears to have both the uphaul and downhaul lines coming out through a single double surface mount block? I wish we had a closeup. Is Capt Dave still active here?

I just found his last post on the topic and sent him a PM in case he checks in, but it certainly suggests it's possible. A challenge for me is that my CB cables (both up and down) terminate on the CB at the same spot (it's all one cable) so I don't think I could get away with putting the downhaul line forward in the CB housing. I'll have to look at it again though.

Not sure if it's appropriate to quote myself, but I mentioned in this post that I'd sent a PM to Capt Dave and he responded so I wanted to post a follow-up. Capt Dave said this design worked well, with the initial common issue of the downhaul line getting caught up on the top-side of the CB. He resolved that by using some tubing sliced lengthwise and attached to the top curve of the CB making a channel for it to ride in. Sounds like a good solution. Thanks Capt Dave!

[Alan]

Thanks, Scott! I've been wondering how well Capt Dave's system worked ever since he posted that. It never would have occurred to me to send him a PM, so I figured I'd never find out.

[jdoorly]

About quoting yourself, it makes me shiver just to say it! Just because technology makes it possible doesn't mean you should do it. Doing so can cause a rift in the time-space continuum of our multiverses, so your gambling no only with the lives of your offspring but also with your ancestors, and you know what kind of trouble that can be!

About centerboard control lines: As I think about this I'm finding the design problems aren't with the uphaul but with the downhaul chafing the cb box outlet and getting pinched and stuck like my stock design did.

[hectoretc]

You're right... Capt Dave said the problem was with the downhaul line. I think I've gotten those two crossed up before... and will probably do it again...

Except (and you're right he did say downhaul line was the problem) when I look at his pictures...

and considering his design has the up and down haul lines coming out at the top near the cuddy wall, which is maybe right above the pivot bolt?, I would expect the downhaul line (connected to the front of the centerboard) to be in a much better position naturally, to work than the uphaul line which is connected to the back of the CB. Unless I don't understand how this works, (and obviously I don't) by releasing the uphaul, the centerboard will drop somewhat (gravity works with us here) bringing the downhaul line even more inline with the "through the housing" block. On the other hand, when the CB is down, the uphaul line is back and at a sharp angle to the block. When you pull the line, it almost has to go around the edge of the board until the board comes up well over half (I would expect). Again, I must not be visualizing this correctly.

[hectoretc]

Hi Jay - I don't know if you charged out and purchased that Racelite block already, but I found another brand (Ronstan) at West Marine that looks like it could do the same thing, and not need to be adjusted for the curved CB housing.

Really tempting the grimm reaper here, not only quoting myself again, but this time with pictures... arghhh!!!!

Well, having gotten that business out of the way...
I bought a pair of these little Ronstan blocks and took them out to the boat.
They will work, positionally, that is to say they can be positioned to work, but I think the 3/4" sheave size is too small. My up/down CB haul lines are 1/8" steel cable, and it won't like to make that sharp of a bend easily. It might work, but I can see the larger block you were looking at would have a much better chance of managing the reversing corner. To that end, I was even thinking (as I looked at the setup) of fabricating a metal U brace that attaches to either side of the CB housing providing an outside attachment point for something much larger like a garage door cable pully. (is it still a block if it came off a garage door?). They are about 2-2.5" in diameter and made to handle steel cables. I have one here someplace, I'll bring it out this weekend to see how it would lay up.

[hectoretc]

Unless someone simply knows this already...

To anyone in the "warm" part of the country who still has access to their DS2 and (unfrozen) water... If you think to remember it, can you please measure the length of travel, of the centerboard uphaul line on a DS2, from centerboard fully down to fully up?

In otherwords, let the centerboard all the way down (so the uphaul line is shortest), maybe use a marking pen and put a dot on the cable, or tape mark right where the cable exits the CB housing, and then raise the centerboard up fully, and measure the distance from your mark on the cable to the CB housing edge.

I need to know how much travel to allow for while reworking the pulley system on my DS2. Thanks - Scott

[TIM WEBB]

Just took a look, and I'm getting right at about 14-1/4". Measured it on the trailer: since I know where the swedge is when the board is down (just forward of the donut where the cable exits the trunk), I just measured from there to where the swedge is with the board all the way up (on the trailer).

[hectoretc]

Just took a look, and I'm getting right at about 14-1/4". Measured it on the trailer: since I know where the swedge is when the board is down (just forward of the donut where the cable exits the trunk), I just measured from there to where the swedge is with the board all the way up (on the trailer).

Thanks Tim - That's exactly what I needed to know... Thanks again!