If Only

Since getting Gerty, lifting the centerboard had been a chore. The load on the lifting line was substantial, requiring the slower winch speed for adequate leverage. We were told by the factory that this was normal and for the last two years have been muscling through lifting the centerboard.

We have now found the hard way that out efforts were unwarranted.

The centerboard is raised with a line through a series of blocks to generate a four to one purchase. After the purchase blocks the lifting line (green in diagrams below) runs aft and then turns on a block to rise vertically through a pole in the salon. Once above the deck the line turns to port on another block. Finally, the line is turned aft by a sheaved deck organize to a clutch and secondary winch. It was this final turn around the sheave on the deck organizer that had been making our lifting difficult.

Because the problematic sheave was hidden beneath an access panel that was glued in place, we had never inspected the configuration. We were naive that the sheave was grossly inadequate for the loads involved. It was not until a piece of the sheave broke off and we noticed terrible chafing on the line that we knew we had a significant problem.

As soon as we saw the chafing, we stopped using the centerboard until we could diagnose the problem. This proved smart. If the line had broken, the board would have been stuck down limiting our maneuverability. Additionally, it would have been a real bear to trace a replacement line along the circuitous path.

Even without severing the line it proved to be a time-consuming repair. Once I removed the glued-on access panel, the solution became obvious. I had to replace the wimpy deck organizer with something substantial. The original small sheave had no bearings and had not spun under load. Unknowingly, for the last two years we had been wearing the plastic sheave until it broke in two.

I put a plan in place. Unbolt the old organizer and attach the new. Piece of cake. Or not!

I ordered a replacement Harken organizer with larger sheaves that spin on bearings and a new lifting line. Of course, the bolt holes of the heavier organizer were larger and did not match the original. To access the underside of the thru bolts, two thirds of the salon ceiling had to be dropped. The old holes needed to be epoxied and finished with gel-coat. Then, everything needed to be reassembled and the new line fed and terminated onto the centerboard with a splice. All this ended up taking the good portion of a day.

It is frustrating that the factory did not spend the extra $35 to install a heavier duty organizer. The repair cost about $75 for the new organizer and $30 for the line. Regardless, the days effort was a pain for something that would have been painless during the build.

Now that the repair is complete, I am thankful for a few things. One, there are many other blocks along the lifting line path that I have now inspected. These are much heavier duty Antal blocks with bearings. I am now confident that the overall lifting mechanism is robust and well-engineered. Two, it is now significantly easier to raise the centerboard. I can now raise the board in a fraction of the time and effort.