MacGregorSailors.com

I have a 26 X and have noticed that while under way my centerboard will not go down or up. Only by coming to a complete stop can I get it to move. Does anyone ever use the winch to pull the board up while sailing?

When sailing, the lateral forces on the centerboard jam it in place. If you need to adjust the board while sailing, wait until tacking and when no load is on the board and it will move easily.

Could the issue be sideloading? If you head into the wind or directly downwind does it retract easily?

I just removed my centerboard this past weekend and noted that there is a good deal of "slop" or play on the pivot pin which would certainly allow this to happen.

The board may be riding agaist the hull on the windward side and if you have any "gunk" (like how I put quotes around the technical terms like slop and gunk...) on the board it may make the rubbing that much worse (i.e. higher coefficient of friction between gunk and hull v clean board and hull).

I'm sure the real answer will soon prevail, the guys on this board are increadibly knowledgable!

Greg

Never force the board. Using the winch might raise it, but you will be scraping it badly against the trunk, possibly damaging the gelcoat, or f'glass, and possibly tearing out or stretching the lifting line hole in the board. Unless you are grounded already on it.

why force it by winch? wait until it comes up easy then pull it up.

There is a good discussion over on the "Performance & Tuning" forum.

I just learned the X centerboard is purposely designed that way. It's a feature called a "gybing centerboard". Underway, it's supposed to jam the board against the sides of the trunk for support and strength, not depend on the one pivot bolt alone. More today in performance forum. See:
http://www.philsfoils.com/designTips.html#gybinghead

I had a great deal of difficulty with my centerboard at the end of one season. After pulling the boat out the problem was found to be a small piece of driftwood that had managed to find it's way into the centerboard trunk. Im glad it was at season's end as it surely would have driven me nuts!

I had a rock stuck in mine once which froze it solid until I put it on the trailer and removed it. But I think that is not the issue which GW is having. Its all about lateral forces. When these forces become zero, the board goes up and down very easily. If no currents are at play, then these forces are zero when you are headed straight upwind or straight downwind (ie, you are going through a tack or through a gybe). With experience, you will learn how to "preset" your board for the right conditions. Letting it down is quite easy, you just put some slack in your rope and the next time you go through the wind, it drops. Raising it up is a bit trickier since you have to pull it up at the exact time the lateral forces go down to zero.

Currents make it a bit more complicated if you are side slipping through them, but the same principles apply...get the boat moving in parallel with the current (either upstream or downstream) and the lateral loads will go away.