Project Hunter H26: Centerboard Saga

My philosophy on repair never ceases to prove correct.  With anything mechanical I always know that fixing one problem always uncovers other unforeseen problems. I also go by the rule of threes. Meaning if i think it will take 1-2 days to do a project it will actually take 3-6 days.  Its always 3 times as long as I expect.  This project was no exception.

When we were sailing the boat in Saratoga we noticed the up-haul line for the centerboard was fraying around the pulley that routes the line down into the compression post.  On our recent trip to Lake Eustis the outer casing of the line broke completely.  There was enough of the inner strands of the line to pull the centerboard back up into position but we knew we would not be able to let the board down again for fear of not being able to haul it back up.  That would be a mess to try to get it back on the trailer like that.  

Not only was the up-haul line an issue but there was a leak that was originating from somewhere in the area of the centerboard mounting spot and was causing water to pool up in the storage areas below the seats around the table.  So all that said we decided we had to fix everything before we could sail again.

The first issue was getting the boat lifted to get the board out.  We wrestled with this problem for a week weighing out the various options.  Everywhere that would lift the boat up for us, regaurdless if the just held it in the air for us to change the line or block it up to let us work on it, was going to cost about 200-250 dollars.  We really just don't have that much lying around to toss at the problem.  Plus I knew that if I got in there a discovered a bigger problem then we would be in for more money as we paid to keep the boat blocked or paid to have it lifted again another day.  Either way I wasn't confident that it was issues that could be fixed in one fell swoop.  

So I opted for the redneck engineering method which I am pretty proficient at.  After toying around with a few ideas I settled on "why not lift the bow with a floor jack, sticking boards in between the boat and trailer bunks as we go, until the boat is high enough for the centerboard to slide out the front." Dangerous? Probably. Stupid? You bet. Did it work? Sho nuff.  It was not by any means easy but we did get the board out despite it being very precarious having the boat teetering so far up on the floor jack

Once the board was freed from beneath the boat the real work began.  I had attached the new up-haul line (that Amber and I bought from the Marlow booth at the Annapolis Boat Show)  to the old one that way I could pull the new one through.  This of course did not work according to plan. The two lines separated when trying to pull them through because the new line came off the pulley that it rides on before dropping down through the compression post and got wedged.  I was pretty angry and went on to another stage of the project.

The centerboard was pretty dirty, especially the half that sits in the trunk.  I sanded off all the barnacles and build up.

The next step involved the board trunk.  The fiberglass on either side where the bracket sits was busted and open.  Come to find out the welds on the nut that is attached to the centerboard bracket had failed. It was allowing the bracket to move in the trunk and bang against the fiberglass. I patched the holes with some quality Duraglas and re-welded the the nut to the centerboard bracket.  These two issues more than anything would have caused a tremendous amount of headache (and money) had I paid someone to lift the boat for me.

Now the up-haul line.  With a bit of fishing line and a lead weight I plumbed down the compression post from on top of the boat hoping the weighted line would come out the bottom. No luck after countless tries.  From the bottom I could see some 5200 sealant inside the hole that the line goes through.  I grabbed a metal clothes hanger, straightened it, and bent a sharp crook in it. I fished it up into the hole with the hopes of grabbing the fishing line and pulling it through.  I ended up having to hook out all the excess sealant before I could finally grab the fishing line and get it through with the up-haul line attached.  This was about and hour process.

Now came the task of lifting the boat back up to precarious heights (it was lowered after removing the centerboard) and wrestle a 100 pound centerboard up into place.  I took the advice of Pat Adams from his article on a H26 centerboard line replacement and bought a 12" threaded rod to help line the centerboard bracket into place when feeding it up into the trunk.  Pop and I struggled for a good bit with this. It took over and hour to finally get the board in the trunk and into the right position.  

I lowered the boat down on the board and went to put the bolt in that holds the centerboard bracket when Murphy took over. The big, stainless, very important bolt that is the only thing attaching a swinging 100 pound board to the boat twisted in two at the head.  I almost couldn't believe what I was looking at.  The head had twisted off with almost no effort on my part.  I was devastated.

Now I had to make a decision.  I could try an ez-out bit and back the bolt back out the way it came or I could spend the next few hours re-raising the boat and wrestling the board out from the trunk.  I opted to buy an ease out.  I had to go buy another stainless bolt anyway which I ended up locating at a Fastenal store. 

Now came the fun part.  My Grandpa (Papa) and I spent 45 minutes drilling a hole in the remnants of the  stainless bolt shaft.  We had to keep alternating between a step bit and a regular metal bit just to get a hole about .75" deep.  Finally the ez-out had enough area to grab and we twisted the bolt back out the way it came. Success!!  I slapped the new stainless bolt in and the project was finished.

All of the events in this post are condensed of course because this project was actually spread across 4 days in the afternoons before I work.  If I had paid someone to lift the boat I would have probably been out about 500-750 dollars.  I love DIY!

The very last step in this project was purely aesthetic.  We had finally decided on a name.  I created the logo with a combination of Gimp (a free photoshop program) and Microsoft Publisher.  I then emailed it to Outer Image in Bushnell, FL and viola. She is now "Happy Day."  The story behind the name is it's a commonly used phrase by my friend Rick who we got the boat from.  He will ask "happy days?" Which means "is everything good?"  And with this boat everything is good.  We couldn't think of a more fitting name or a better homage to such an amazing opportunity.  Thank you, Rick!

Dirty girl!

I had three straps in total. Not that this would really stop 6000 lbs of boat from sliding backwards as I lifted the front....

Totally safe...

Guard chickens

She has a name!

I'm slightly concerned about the quality of the metal used but I guess it is 18 years old.

Ez-outs are a magical thing.  Note: the bronze looking bolt in this picture is not the one I used. It is grade 8, not a stainless.  I didn't realize when I bought it that it would not have the corrosion resistance like a stainless. I ended up going to my local Fastenal store and buying an actual stainless bolt.

Annapolis Sailboat Show

Annapolis boat show!  And we thought Strictly Sail Miami was cool.  This was the creme of the crop for sailing extravaganzas.  We were on sensory overload the entire time.

We flew up early Saturday morning and returned Sunday night.  This gave us pretty much two full show days.  Amber and I got to view just about every booth, vendor, and yachting company we wanted to see.  Some of the highlights included a Gemini 35 which was amazingly well laid out and probably our favorite boat of the show. We also really liked the Hunter boats, especially being that we are hunter owners now.   ;)    We also got to see Bob Bitchin who I think is awesome and was promoting Cruising Outpost Magazine.

The first night ended in an adrenaline, amazing food from O'Leary's, and painkiller fueled haze.  We fell asleep in our upper level hotel room with the door open to the balcony overlooking the show itself.  We were lulled to sleep by the sound of the water and slapping halyards on masts. It doesn't get any better.

The next day flew by even quicker as we dodged raindrops between boat brokers and vendors.  Then in a flash it was over and we were on the plane back to Florida.  Another amazing trip in the memory banks.

Geico gave out these glasses in exchange for a picture and a little harmless information...  That's all well and good except I already use Geico. Jokes on them! Gimme my (definitely paid for) glasses!

Can you beat this view?

It was an absolutely beautiful boat. Only 5.5 million.  I was a few bucks short so I didn't buy it this time.

See the top right balcony? Yep, that was ours!

The "maiden" voyage on Lake Eustis

I suppose this isn't technically the maiden voyage for our new baby. Not only did we sail twice on Saratoga Lake but the day after pulling the boat down from New York I took the kids out on Lake Harris. Except I did not even put the mast up.  We just motored across the lake, ate at J.B. Boondocks, and motored back.  We had a lot of fun but it wasn't the real.  This trip to Lake Eustis was the real deal.

With supplies already purchased the night before we got up early in the morning to take the boat out and spend the night on it.  Which after packing, driving, switching the boat trailer from my truck to Amber's Dad's 4wd dodge, stepping the mast, setting up everything, it turned out to be after noon before we were in the water.  We buzzed out to lake in the middle of Lake Eustis and set about making our boat home for the next 24 hours.  

Our friend from work Corey and his girlfriend Felecia (incorrect spelling i'm sure) met us at the lake with his turbo charged Honda jet ski. It was quite a ride at almost 60 mph. Especially when the sailboat maxes out at about 7 under full throttle.  We had some beer and chatted for a little while before we parted ways and Amber and I raised the main sail.

It was the first time raising the main our self so we took it easy so we could learn.  Later on we unfurled the jib. Of course this was after I re-hooked the gin pole and main sheet in order to turn the roller furling around from putting it on backwards during setup. Live and learn.

We got to play around with how she handles, how she points into the wind, sail trim, (insert other sailing lingo here).  It was a great learning experience. Especially when one of the uphaul lines for the rudder got caught in the propeller while reversing at the Eustis dock...  That was cool.  I thought the motor was done because it would start after freeing the line.  It turned out the brackets that hold  the throttle line and other cables had gotten bent. After bending everything back in shape it started up fine. It just grinds a little going into reverse now... Oh well, live and learn.

We ate the Crazy Gator in Eustis and came back to our boat covered (and i mean covered) with blind misquitos. It took until the next morning trying to rid the boat of these bothersome pests.

We motored to the north center of the lake and it was one of the most enjoyable experiences I have ever had.  We stayed up long into the night looking up at the stars and the twinkling lights dotting the shoreline.  It was that moment that I knew for sure this is something I wanted to pursue.

The next morning was surreal waking up to an absolutely glass smooth lake.  We enjoyed coffee while looking over the pristine newness of a beautiful day. We are not by nature (and by profession) morning people. So it is rare when we see the world at daybreak.

After caffeinating ourselves we traveled around the perimeter of the lake exploring it various eccentricities.  Noticing some sailboat masts peaking up from behind some trees we discovered the Lake Eustis Sailing Club.  We docked and toured the grounds, and let Hercules go potty, and discovered a thriving sailing community.  A vehicle pulled up during our tour which turned out to be some of the people that run the club.  They saw a strange boat at their dock and came to investigate.  They where very friendly and told us all about how the club works and what they do.  They had been keeping an eye on us the day before while we were on the water.  They make a habit of watching for sailboats in case any of them become stranded. Especially the ones without motors. It was actually a comforting thought and we would like to join them as help for one of their many regattas they hold throughout the year.

The rest of the day was spent cruising around, making breakfast, and relaxing.  All too soon it was time to go.  Amber's dad met us back at the ramp and we hauled out.  We were making plans for the next trip before we were even out of the water. Stay tuned!

All this work to protect us from the rain when we actually only got rained on for the first hour that it took us to set the boat up at the ramp. A little late now! (notice the towel drying on the lifeline)

Wiener on the bridge!

My love! So beautiful!

One of the rare moments that pictures barely do justice.  Oddly enough this picture is taken towards the east at sunset, not the west.

You can't leave your pillow unattended for a second!

If you look real close there is a bald eagle perched in the tree tops.  We were privileged to see him swoop for a fish not 40 feet from the boat later that morning.

Special thanks to Corey for snapping the picture above and below from his jet ski!