My '77 vintage M-17 spends the summer on Lake Calhoun in Minneapolis. I launched for the season last week (a bit late) and took my first sail yesterday. When I tried to drop the centerboard it didn't move. It is stuck in the up position. I've had the boat since 1999 and this is the first such problem. I did have a problem raising the board a couple of years ago, but that problem went away on its own after a couple of weeks. I've looked at the photos and diagram of the centerboard on a '78 model on the msog.org website, so I think I know what is inside the CB trunk that I can't see. I thought about pushing a rod of some kind through the pendant opening to try to push the board down, but the hole is not much bigger than the pendant. I also don't want to damage the pendant or its connection to the CB. Does anybody out there have an idea what might be binding the CB, and what I can do to dislodge it without breaking something? Rich Makela M-17 #233
rich: what you describe reads like classic rusted cast iron ... i hope. another possibility - when you put the boat away in the fall was the centerboard in the full up position? sometimes the pendent can get stuck along the side of the board if the centerboard wasn't all the way up and was pushed up when the boat was put on the trailer. did you try motoring the boat into big-ish waves or wakes? this has been known to knock the board loose. i recommend you take the M17 to a boatyard and have her lifted. you may be able to get the board down after lifting an some careful prying along the aft end of the board (between the board and the stop pin). MAKE SURE YOU STILL HAVE THE PENDENT WRAPPED ON THE WINCH AND CLEATED as you don't want the board to come crashing down. if this does not work some have used a very thin piece of metal and run this up and down the sides of the board to dislodge 'gunk'. be CAREFUL not to damage the fiberglass centerboard trunk). once the board is down ... and it will likely be rusty; it must be removed and then sandblasted and re-painted. even if it doesn't look 'bad' still refurbish the board. this procedure is well covered on msog.org and msogphotosite.com. don't put too much paint as you can make the board too thick. with the board out check the centerboard trunk for swelling. this is to see if the steel punchings are rusting (this is bad). if you see swelling major surgery to the keel is required. this repair is also well covered on msog.org and sean mulligan's person site - http://havasumontgomerys.piczo.com/?g=23004804&cr=1 my best guess the issue is a rusty centerboard that needs sandblasting and a new coating. :: Dave Scobie :: M17 #375 - SWEET PEA - www.m17-375.webs.com :: Sage Marine - www.sagemarine.com :: Reserve your SAGE 17 today! --- On Sun, 6/5/11, Rich Makela <richmak@makelaperformance.com> wrote:
My '77 vintage M-17 spends the summer on Lake Calhoun in Minneapolis. I launched for the season last week (a bit late) and took my first sail yesterday. When I tried to drop the centerboard it didn't move. It is stuck in the up position. I've had the boat since 1999 and this is the first such problem. I did have a problem raising the board a couple of years ago, but that problem went away on its own after a couple of weeks.
I've looked at the photos and diagram of the centerboard on a '78 model on the msog.org website, so I think I know what is inside the CB trunk that I can't see. I thought about pushing a rod of some kind through the pendant opening to try to push the board down, but the hole is not much bigger than the pendant. I also don't want to damage the pendant or its connection to the CB.
Does anybody out there have an idea what might be binding the CB, and what I can do to dislodge it without breaking something?
Rich Makela
M-17 #233
Closing out an old issue. I put up with the cb problem all summer, and took it to the boat yard after pulling it out for the season. The problem was exactly as Dave described. Fortunately there was no problem inside the trunk. The cast iron board was sandblasted, covered with several coats of epoxy finish, and should now outlast the skipper. Rich Makela M-17 #233 -----Original Message----- From: montgomery_boats-bounces@mailman.xmission.com [mailto:montgomery_boats-bounces@mailman.xmission.com] On Behalf Of W David Scobie Sent: Sunday, June 05, 2011 8:31 PM To: For and about Montgomery Sailboats Subject: Re: M_Boats: Stuck M-17 Centerboard rich: what you describe reads like classic rusted cast iron ... i hope. another possibility - when you put the boat away in the fall was the centerboard in the full up position? sometimes the pendent can get stuck along the side of the board if the centerboard wasn't all the way up and was pushed up when the boat was put on the trailer. did you try motoring the boat into big-ish waves or wakes? this has been known to knock the board loose. i recommend you take the M17 to a boatyard and have her lifted. you may be able to get the board down after lifting an some careful prying along the aft end of the board (between the board and the stop pin). MAKE SURE YOU STILL HAVE THE PENDENT WRAPPED ON THE WINCH AND CLEATED as you don't want the board to come crashing down. if this does not work some have used a very thin piece of metal and run this up and down the sides of the board to dislodge 'gunk'. be CAREFUL not to damage the fiberglass centerboard trunk). once the board is down ... and it will likely be rusty; it must be removed and then sandblasted and re-painted. even if it doesn't look 'bad' still refurbish the board. this procedure is well covered on msog.org and msogphotosite.com. don't put too much paint as you can make the board too thick. with the board out check the centerboard trunk for swelling. this is to see if the steel punchings are rusting (this is bad). if you see swelling major surgery to the keel is required. this repair is also well covered on msog.org and sean mulligan's person site - http://havasumontgomerys.piczo.com/?g=23004804&cr=1 my best guess the issue is a rusty centerboard that needs sandblasting and a new coating. :: Dave Scobie :: M17 #375 - SWEET PEA - www.m17-375.webs.com :: Sage Marine - www.sagemarine.com :: Reserve your SAGE 17 today! --- On Sun, 6/5/11, Rich Makela <richmak@makelaperformance.com> wrote:
My '77 vintage M-17 spends the summer on Lake Calhoun in Minneapolis. I launched for the season last week (a bit late) and took my first sail yesterday. When I tried to drop the centerboard it didn't move. It is stuck in the up position. I've had the boat since 1999 and this is the first such problem. I did have a problem raising the board a couple of years ago, but that problem went away on its own after a couple of weeks.
I've looked at the photos and diagram of the centerboard on a '78 model on the msog.org website, so I think I know what is inside the CB trunk that I can't see. I thought about pushing a rod of some kind through the pendant opening to try to push the board down, but the hole is not much bigger than the pendant. I also don't want to damage the pendant or its connection to the CB.
Does anybody out there have an idea what might be binding the CB, and what I can do to dislodge it without breaking something?
Rich Makela
M-17 #233
_______________________________________________ http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/montgomery_boats When posting, remember that there is no privacy on the Internet!
great news rich. happy sailing! :: Dave Scobie :: M17 #375 - SWEET PEA - www.m17-375.webs.com :: Sage Marine - www.sagemarine.com --- On Sun, 11/6/11, Rich Makela <richmak@makelaperformance.com> wrote:
Closing out an old issue. I put up with the cb problem all summer, and took it to the boat yard after pulling it out for the season. The problem was exactly as Dave described. Fortunately there was no problem inside the trunk. The cast iron board was sandblasted, covered with several coats of epoxy finish, and should now outlast the skipper.
Rich Makela M-17 #233
-----Original Message----- Sent: Sunday, June 05, 2011 8:31 PM rich:
what you describe reads like classic rusted cast iron ... i hope.
another possibility - when you put the boat away in the fall was the centerboard in the full up position? sometimes the pendent can get stuck along the side of the board if the centerboard wasn't all the way up and was pushed up when the boat was put on the trailer.
did you try motoring the boat into big-ish waves or wakes? this has been known to knock the board loose.
i recommend you take the M17 to a boatyard and have her lifted. you may be able to get the board down after lifting an some careful prying along the aft end of the board (between the board and the stop pin). MAKE SURE YOU STILL HAVE THE PENDENT WRAPPED ON THE WINCH AND CLEATED as you don't want the board to come crashing down.
if this does not work some have used a very thin piece of metal and run this up and down the sides of the board to dislodge 'gunk'. be CAREFUL not to damage the fiberglass centerboard trunk).
once the board is down ... and it will likely be rusty; it must be removed and then sandblasted and re-painted. even if it doesn't look 'bad' still refurbish the board. this procedure is well covered on msog.org and msogphotosite.com. don't put too much paint as you can make the board too thick.
with the board out check the centerboard trunk for swelling. this is to see if the steel punchings are rusting (this is bad). if you see swelling major surgery to the keel is required. this repair is also well covered on msog.org and sean mulligan's person site -
http://havasumontgomerys.piczo.com/?g=23004804&cr=1
my best guess the issue is a rusty centerboard that needs sandblasting and a new coating.
:: Dave Scobie :: M17 #375 - SWEET PEA - www.m17-375.webs.com :: Sage Marine - www.sagemarine.com :: Reserve your SAGE 17 today!
--- On Sun, 6/5/11, Rich Makela <richmak@makelaperformance.com> wrote:
My '77 vintage M-17 spends the summer on Lake Calhoun in Minneapolis. I launched for the season last week (a bit late) and
took my first sail
yesterday. When I tried to drop the centerboard it didn't move. It is stuck in the up position. I've had the boat since 1999 and this is the first such problem. I did have a problem raising the board a couple of years ago, but that problem went away on its own after a couple of weeks.
I've looked at the photos and diagram of the centerboard on a '78 model on the msog.org website, so I think I know what is inside the CB trunk that I can't see. I thought about pushing a rod of some kind through the pendant opening to try to push the board down, but the hole is not much bigger than the pendant. I also don't want to damage the pendant or its connection to the CB.
Does anybody out there have an idea what might be binding the CB, and what I can do to dislodge it without breaking something?
Rich Makela
M-17 #233
Rich, I would second what David said. My M-23 board would move but stuck solid from scale when I tried to remove it. The rusty scale made the center board too wide to fit in the slot. This tends to usually start with the board becoming kind of sticky though. If this came on suddenly it may be the pendant got jammed next to the board. I am trying to think of a way to get the board moving without cutting holes. Not sure how you could do that. You might try moving a hand saw along the sides (carefully) to see if you find that there is clearance around the board. All this would be much easier with the boat lifted. Robbin On 6/5/2011 5:32 PM, Rich Makela wrote:
My '77 vintage M-17 spends the summer on Lake Calhoun in Minneapolis. I launched for the season last week (a bit late) and took my first sail yesterday. When I tried to drop the centerboard it didn't move. It is stuck in the up position. I've had the boat since 1999 and this is the first such problem. I did have a problem raising the board a couple of years ago, but that problem went away on its own after a couple of weeks.
I've looked at the photos and diagram of the centerboard on a '78 model on the msog.org website, so I think I know what is inside the CB trunk that I can't see. I thought about pushing a rod of some kind through the pendant opening to try to push the board down, but the hole is not much bigger than the pendant. I also don't want to damage the pendant or its connection to the CB.
Does anybody out there have an idea what might be binding the CB, and what I can do to dislodge it without breaking something?
Rich Makela
M-17 #233
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When posting, remember that there is no privacy on the Internet!
Hello, I would like to know what is under the floor pan on my main bulkhead (specifically compression post part of the bulkhead) of my M-23. This may be a question that only the builder can answer but from what I have read the wood bulkhead should go all the way to the hull and be tabbed in with fiberglass strips with the compression post for the mast tying into the keel. Reason I ask is that my compression post and the corner of the tabernacle right above it are about 1/8" or 1/4" shoved down. I had noticed some damage to the floor pan over the winter and thought the center board may have shoved up on the floor, but as it turns out the floor around the compression post and one corner (only) of the mast tabernacle are lower than they started life. Not by a lot but clearly, lower. I cannot picture what caused the damage but I can clearly see stress cracks around each of these areas (tabernacle support on the cabin top and floor in the cabin) that indicate some damage. I cannot see below the floor pan without cutting the floor but I was hoping someone could tell me for certain or make a really educated guess about what I will find and how the compression post which is all wood (of what I can see of it) on the M-23 versus tubing on the M-17 could have moved down without something that should have been very structural at the base being crushed. I will repair the issue but will probably put it off until haul out. I may perform exploratory surgery to see what is under the floor pan soon. Very interested in any information folks may have! Thanks in advance. Cheers Robbin
On Jun 5, 2011, at 2:32 PM, Rich Makela wrote:
I thought about pushing a rod of some kind through the pendant opening to try to push the board down, but the hole is not much bigger than the pendant. I also don't want to damage the pendant or its connection to the CB.
I have found that inserting a small rod is necessary quite often to get my CB down. Of course, mine is a lot lighter, being an M-15, but I carry a pusher-rod in my cabin at all times. Jeff Thorsett M-15 #102 "Scamp"
participants (4)
-
Jeff Thorsett -
Rich Makela -
robbin roddewig -
W David Scobie