[Rhodes22-list] Centerboard won't drop

[Ric Stott]

HI tom 
I have a Continental also - 
Since my boat is moored in the shallows, when the tide gets extra low once in awhile, the keel sits on the bottom and sometimes gets a small stone wedged between the CB Trunk and the CenterBoard.
I have often wondered if the rod thru the retrieving line would work, but always ended up going overboard with mask and  a screw driver to scrape the offending stone out. 
It is possible to grab the aft most edge of the CB and give it a tug - but be careful, it can drop quickly. 
Once lose, make sure it can be raised and lowered again without issues. 
Good Luck 
Ric 
SV Dadventure 
HBNY 

Richard F. Stott, AIA, LEED AP 
ric at stottarchitecture.com
O -631-283-1777
C- 516-965-3164



> On Apr 16, 2024, at 3:38 PM, Tom Hyatt via Rhodes22-list <rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org> wrote:
> 
> I put my 1978 Rhodes Continental in the water today after working on her
> for much of the fall and winter. Everything went really well except for one
> thing. Once in the water, when I uncleated the line that holds the
> centerboard up, I expected that the board would drop into place through the
> keel. It didn't.
> 
> So I am seeking help in how to troubleshoot this.
> 
> Since the flexible pipe and fitting that extend down through the hull that
> the line feeds through are above the waterline (yes?), couldn't I just take
> off the clamp that secures the flexible tube and then push something (like
> an aluminum rod) down alongside the line to try to push and dislodge the
> centerboard?
> 
> I hadn't thought that this would be a problem but I didn't have a chance to
> test it with my boat on the trailer. The centerboard was pulled up into
> the keel and sat on one of the rollers on the trailer so there was no way
> to test whether it would drop as it should once in the water.
> 
> Any help that you can give would be most appreciated.
> 
> Tom Hyatt
> S/V Eliza Jane 1978
> Baltimore