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Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

Catalina 250 Specific Forum

Access to centerboard pivot

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fredflemming
1st Mate

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USA
29 Posts

Initially Posted - 03/14/2005 : 17:36:43

This past weekend it finally warmed up enough here in Pennsylvania that I attacked some of my winter boat projects. After 10 years I've decided to inspect the centerboard pivot, although other than the usual clunking sound when the boat rocks, it has given no problem. I assume that the way to get to the pivot is by removing the small table top in the middle of the cabin. I know there has been discussion on this site about doing this but I couldn't find anything when I searched. Could any members who have done gone into their centerboard pivot please advise me how to proceed?

Of the two screws holding the table down, one came out with some persuasion. The other one's Phillips head slots rounded off so I'm going to have to drill it out. Anyway, with one screw out I tried to lift that end of the table. It was immovable! Is it glued and sealed in position with 5200? I decided to back off and check with the immense experience of the members of this forum.

Thanks in advance.

Fred Flemming
Pride of Macungie
C250, WB, 1995, Hull #92

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bear
Admiral

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USA
909 Posts

Response Posted - 03/14/2005 : 20:40:47

Fred, I attacked this project last fall. The pivot point access is under the boat. Four bolts to remove to allow the pivot pin and keel to drop. I jacked up the front of the boat about one foot to allow the keel to drop some. This gets to be a very tight process once you install shims and try to put the four bolts back in. I think I cut two shims out of bench stock and that was too much. I think I ended up with about one .010 shim. It would help if you had another set of hands also. Keel gets very heavy trying to hold it up restarting bolts. Also if you can get another bolt and cut the head off to use as an alignment tool, it helps. I wont know until this years splash how sucessful I was. This was also a good time to inspect the infamous cable that raises and lowers the keel. I found last year that with the keel all the way down at my slip that the centerboard didn't rock. "Bear" six weeks till splash in upstate N.Y.

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s3tbuell
1st Mate

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47 Posts

Response Posted - 03/16/2005 : 15:47:58

Fred here are some great pics of the assembly from the forum.
http://www.catalina25-250.org/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=6044&SearchTerms=Centerboard

Also Arlyn has some great stuff on his website...here a link from his site
http://www.stewartfam.net/arlyn/catalina1a.jpg

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Keith D.
Navigator

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USA
233 Posts

Response Posted - 03/16/2005 : 21:03:38

Fred here are some more pictures of the center board and trunk and the catalina diagrams. I will email you the diagrams because they are too small in the post to see them. I just used some car jacks and raised up the front of the boat about a foot to get the center board out.

This one is looking up the trunk from the bottom where the blocks bolt on to.

The center board is about 90 lbs. so be ready for it when you take it out. Hope these help.
Keith

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paulb
1st Mate

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USA
29 Posts

Response Posted - 03/18/2005 : 23:20:38

Hi Fred, Just completed yesterday that very project you are asking about and some more while I was there (under the centerboard).

The access to the pivot is under the boat, the four 9/16 bolts, two on each side of the board. I had one missing and the others were so corroded that I had to run a tap up each to clean and lots of wd40. I also replaced the bolts. They are 1-1/4" 3/8th stainless #24nf thread. Be sure to support that sucker when you take the bolts out it is heavy about 98lbs or so.

I was told that the cable could not be replaced while on the trailer but I wanted to put the new retro-fit line and blocks in place prior to sailing season and warming of the No. CA waters so I decided to give it a go. Well it can be done with a great deal of difficulty and if anyone is interested in step by step I will post it.

When I removed the centerboard (while on the trailer), I discovered that the pully that is amidships of the trunk was extremly corroded and held by only one screw and the brass turning ball was likewise corroded and locked. I finally got the broken screw out by unbelievable effort and contortions of my body. I got the brass ball cleaned up and lubed and working again. I installed the retrofit kit for cable replacement sent by Catalina, replaced and lubed everything then replaced the center board, again it was a bear!, but doable and by myself.

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Keith D.
Navigator

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USA
233 Posts

Response Posted - 03/19/2005 : 00:06:36

Paul the brass ball on my boat is also locked up. I have hit it with wd40 but have not been able to break it loose. How did you get it out to clean it up? Is it on a pin? Can you get it out of the tube?

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JohnMD
Navigator

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USA
207 Posts

Response Posted - 03/19/2005 : 20:10:57

Yes, please. I would love to have a step by step on how to replace the cable on the trailer. Did you replace it with the Vectra rope from Catalina? If looks too large to fit in the thru-hull area alotted for the original cable. Do you have to remove the keel to replace the cable? Thanks

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zebra50
Captain

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USA
408 Posts

Response Posted - 03/20/2005 : 09:52:16

Please email the pictures to me and also fax the step by step. I just received the upgrade cables and Harken block from Catalina. email is zebra50@rocketmail.com and fax is 314-991-3265. thanks in advance.

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528
Navigator

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USA
181 Posts

Response Posted - 03/20/2005 : 11:38:25

I have had my CB out a couple of times. Once to remove last years barnacles and last fall to paint. I blocked under the bow with a heavy duty rolling car jack on the trailer itself. You raise it 8" or so and the board will slide forward and out after pulling down on the front of the board. Ours is a 2001 and the four bolts and recess were filled with silicone. After pulling out the "plug" of silicone and removing the 4 bolts, everything looked like new. So I did the same after installing the bolts. I was able to send the new vectra line right down the tube when I upgraded the cable. Before you reinstall the CB, connect the raising point before pushing the CB too far back into the trunk. I also replaced the spacers with nylon ones. It was quite snug getting it all together, but worked great on the water (no more slip slap). As far as working with the CB out, I used sections of 3/4" PVC to roll it out from under the trailer, it is a handful trying to carry or pull. If you had an able helper pushing up on the board when reinstalling, your contortions will be minimized. Good luck, it's not as daunting as it would appear.

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JohnMD
Navigator

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USA
207 Posts

Response Posted - 03/21/2005 : 09:49:40

Will that Vectra line that Catalina sends as a cable replacement fit around the ball in that tiny slit? My Vectra line has the keel attachment permanently affixed, so, i presume it will have to go in the tube from the bottom up. Also, do I just put a floor jack under the bow and start jacking it up? thanks

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bear
Admiral

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USA
909 Posts

Response Posted - 03/21/2005 : 10:29:35

John, I asume your 250 is on a trail-rite trailer. What I did when jacking I laid a 1x8 piece of pressure treated wood under the bow, on the trailer, put my three ton floor jack on that piece of wood and then put another small piece of wood on the jack area where the jacking pad meets the boat. Be sure to take spare tire off if that is where it is stored. I slid jack back abot a good foot past the bow. If you are taking the centerboard out I took the bottom bunkboard off also. Be sure all attachments that are holding boat to trailer are loosened or removed also. I can't relate to the cable change out because my old one still appears to be still OK. "Bear" C250WB "089

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paulb
1st Mate

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USA
29 Posts

Response Posted - 03/22/2005 : 01:37:11

1. Used an ATV jack on the trailer frame Under bow w/pressure treated 2X10 under and on top (used old fenders as pads).
2. Raised boat off trailer about 8-10" this way, removed keel bunk board after breaking off rusted bolts & skinning knuckles.
3. Still not enough room to clear CB. Removed trailer cross member by taking off four galvanized 3/4" bolts & removed trailer cross member after breaking rusted front bolts on beam bunks.
4. Removed four bolts holding CB pivot pin and dropped front of CB (supported w/floor jack of course). Carefully let board fall to one side for later removal after removing cable attachment bolt, again having to cut the bolt due to corrosion and rust.
5. Found the bronze center raising block held in place by one screw, frozen and corroded. It was broken off flush and due to the narrow work area, I could not drill and Easy-out, or tap, Finally was able to grip by digging around edges and getting a bite with miniature vise-grip. Cleaned up block and replaced with new SS screws.
6. Brass turning block ball was frozen and corroded. Sprayed copiously with WD-40, then grasped ball (on boat) with long needle nosed pliers, working back and forth a fraction of an inch at a time. Finally got the ball to rotate freely by continued spraying from top and bottom and working back and forth. I cleaned it up by using a Dremmel attached wire brush.
I attached the Vectra line from Catalina to the end of the old cable with duct tape and pulled it through to the cabin, replaced the block with the one provided.
Hauled the CB back after cleaning it up, attached the Vectra line and pivot, jacked the CB back in place, put in new shims that I cut out, replaced the pivot pin, new bolts, replaced the trailer cross member, replaced bunk boards with new galvanized bolts, lowered trailer back down, cleaned up mess, celebrated with ice cold diet root beer.

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kinsale
Deckhand

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5 Posts

Response Posted - 05/01/2005 : 12:13:17

I could use some help on this topic. My problem is that the board came out of the boat last season, along with the pivot pin and bracket. The boat was on a mooring and during a storm banged around enough at low tide to loosen everything up. The board fell right out and the line snapped as well.
Has anyone been able to purchase these parts from Catalina? I'm trying to do the repair myself, I've removed the trailer bunk and can gain access to the centerboard trunk easily enough. The line, where it is snapped, cannot be pulled up unless I cut it (frayed steel). I'm worried that I will not be able to feed the new line down through the hull. IS this easy enough to do? The drawings in some of these posts seem helpful, but I could use more details if there are any.
Thanks in advance.

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