New DS II owner, CB problems

[windwalker]

Picked up a 1973 DSII last week and got her in the water today to try her out. Stepping up from a Phantom, I was quite pleased.

We did about a 20 mile run on the Upper Chesapeake without any problems from this old girl, until we got back to the boat ramp. Went to put up the CB and it wouldn't budge. We walked her into the launch and used the ground to push it up enough to get on the trailer. Crawled underneath the trailer and I could push it up most of the way by hand enough to get her home. Reading through some old posts I'm guessing the cable got jammed. Seen a lot of reference to this but didn't see anything on how to get it un-jammed and prevent it from happening again? Maybe I searched the wrong things? I know you guys get beat up with the same old stuff from the new guys all the time, sorry. I did see some reference to a bungee on the UH to keep it tensioned. My set up seems to have been modified by one of the PO's. I have quite a bungee system on the DH, but none on the UH.

We couldn't figure out how to rig the Boom Vang, but I was able to find info on here for that, which is cool. Thanks

It also seems like my main sheet has been modified as I have a fiddle block set up attached from the CB trunk to mid boom. There are 4 blocks on the stern that I'm not quite sure what to do with? And there are some clam cleats mid cockpit on the coaming that I'm unsure about? PO also was no help and said he never used them.

Thanks, Mike

[talbot]

Everyone who owns a DSII has to get the CB stuck at some point. It's like hazing at a fraternity. One of those rituals you just have to go through.

I have never gotten out of this one without dropping the board. Lift the boat, careen the boat--one way or another, get the board out of the hull. Then straighten out the cables, reinstall the board, and attach the bungee tensioner to keep the cable from dropping between the board and the trunk again. While the board is out of the trunk, check to make sure it is not delaminating. I also have a '73, and that was a period when O'Day installed some poorly-constructed CBs. Delaminating boards are swollen, making it more likely that the board will stick. I had to replace mine; hopefully, yours is in better shape. The procedures for doing all these things are discussed elsewhere in the forum and in "Roger's Book," available for download from the author.

For the mainsheet rigging, the best thing is to post a photo. There are so many variations that it's almost impossible to describe the setups verbally. But if you had a good day sailing, your running rigging is probably fine. Get the CB unstuck, and don't worry about the mainsheet.

I learned to sail on the Chesapeake. Edgewater and Annapolis. Great times.

[jeadstx]

I saw Swashbuckley's 73 DS II and the centerboard lines are a little different than my 76 DS II lines. On his boat, the downhaul line comes out of the centerboard trunk about halfway back, whereas mine is at the front of the trunk. The uphaul line was similar to mine. Swashbuckley modified (re-engineered) his to prevent jamming. Apparently they changed the line setup a few times as the years went along. And yes, Talbot is right, if you have a DS II eventually you will get a jam.

As for the centerboard, the 73 I saw had a centerboard that looked like it was originally for a Day Sailer I since it still had the square hole for the DS I lever.

Your boat being a 73 model, the mainsheet was originally setup as a Crosby rig rather than a mid boom setup. The Crosby setup used a block on the end of the boom and two blocks in the stern that the mid boom setup doesn't use. Those are probably 3 of the blocks you can't find a use for. I don't know about the 4th block. Pictures would be helpful. Your boat was converted to the mid boom system used on later DS II boats. My 76 DS II came with the mid boom setup. I have a 73 O'Day Mariner that came with the Crosby setup and has since been converted to mid boom setup.

As for the clam cleats on the coaming about mid cockpit, they might have been part of spinnaker rigging at one time.

John

[windwalker]

Thanks guys.

I'll get some pictures tonight.

[windwalker]

DH set up

[windwalker]

UH set up

[windwalker]

Blocks at stern

[windwalker]

Cleat mid cockpit

[TIM WEBB]

Wow, is that DH setup all bungee cord? Can't imagine how that even works? Definitely the earlier DH setup tho. Your UH looks pretty normal, with the exception of the bungee on the center block. Not really needed if you keep tension on both UH and DH when raising/lowering CB.

On your stern blocks, I'd say the outboard ones are for spinnaker and the inboard ones are for traveler.

Looks like a pretty standard midboom sheeting setup. If your cleat was part of the fiddle block assembly, and free to pivot/rotate above a spring-loaded joint, you would definitely want a "down to release" cleat, but in the fixed position that yours appears to be, "up to release" is better.

Oh, BTW, you win the big prize! Welcome to my 1000th post ... ;-P

[windwalker]

Yes the DH is all bungee. So that's not good? Here's a picture I got of the CB in action at full heel, seems like its down all the way?

[jeadstx]

On the blocks in the stern. The ones mounted on the rail are for the original Crosby system and are not needed for the mid-boom sheeting system. The outboard blocks are most likely for a spinnaker. I just set up spinnaker hardware on my boat and the set up is similar.

John

[talbot]

Having shock cord on the CB downhaul isn't necessarily a problem. The reason to do it is to allow the CB to rise up in the trunk if it hits something. The previous owner obviously put some thought into the system. It is unusual to have the whole system be elastic. But I would not worry about it until you get the board unstuck. Then hook it all back up to the cable and try it out.

You may have to get a Nicopress tool (readily available) because you may have to cut the cables to remove the board. The Nicopress tool us used to crimp the new cables into attachement loops. By the way, I like the CB downhaul setup you have. I had the more recent version (inside the cuddy) for a number of years, and the trunk-top version is preferable.

The one thing I might add to the main swive is a spring to keep the fiddle block standing upright. Common accessory. Looks like a really clean boat, although the old Schaefer fittings testify to its age.

[TIM WEBB]

Not saying the all-bungy DH arrangement is a bad thing, just wondering how/how well it works? Just fine apparently! ;-P

[windwalker]

Well that went much easier than I had expected. Left the boat on the trailer, put the trailer up on car ramps, with a flashlight I could see the pinched cable. Pulled the bolt and dropped the CB straight down in its horizontal position, cable released, inspected cable ends, and CD, all looked good, so I stuck it back up as my wife puled the UH and then she held a punch in the bolt hole while I searched for the hole with the CB, found it pretty quick and put the bolt back in, and added a bungee tension system on the UH and all seems well. She is once again ready for the water. Thanks for the advice guys.

[talbot]

Great. You have now joined the club. Freeing a stuck cable is the entrance exam. Trying to find the hole for the CB bolt is the secret handshake.