PocketShip.net

During my first sail in my new PocketShip I went to drop the centerboard but when I released the pendant nothing happened. With the problems some of the other have had this scared the crap out of me. I gave the tiller to my son and went down and opened the centerboard access port. I gave the centerboard a very slight jostle with my fingers and it dropped very quickly down (so fast it startled me). The same thing happened when I sailed it the second time yesterday.

I don't think this has anything to do with wood swelling since it happened right off the trailer on the first sail and didn't seem any worse on the second sail a week later. I think that maybe I got the centerboard's back edge a little close to the back of the trunk and that's where it's sticking. It never stuck during the tests I made with it on the cradle but then again there was no water there taking some of the weight.

I think for now I'll just live with it and see if anything changes unless someone has an idea.

regards,
Bill

Try heading up into the wind to remove the side pressure on the centerboard, it should then drop easily. I find that mine will not drop unless I do this. It makes sense to me. I've never really had any issues with mine.

With even a little bit of wind in the sails, all centerboards---ALL centerboards---will press against the side of the trunk and "stick." This is absolutely normal. To lower the board, just luff the sails to take the side loads off the board.

Well, I guess there are big yachts with hydraulic actuators, but when those fail, they REALLY fail...

I note the hand-wringing over the centerboard in the threads here, but really, everything's a tradeoff. PocketShip's installation is the most forgiving I've seen in boats of this type. Maybe I should revisit a fixed keel option for PocketShip...

But, gosh, that'd be harder to launch from the trailer.

I'm one of maybe two people who actually has had trouble with the centerboard, and I'm not worried about it at all. Indeed, I've been a little surprised at how much additional discussion/worry there has been about this. I do not believe that the PocketShip centerboard is any more prone to jamming than any other centerboard design out there. I AM quite positive that in the rush to finish my boat, I sanded through some epoxy somewhere (I even think I know where, but haven't had time to confirm my suspicions) and didn't re-seal it. Shame on me. My fault. Any reasonably caerful PocketShip builder shouldn't experience the problems I'm having. And anyone who is really concerned about having their centerboard jam should become a reasonably careful PocketShip builder.

I sure John is totally right. I did an experiment dropping the centerboard while at the dock. It went down easily (then up and down again about ten times). Amazing what a little bit of water pressure will do.

Bill

I'm not trying to make money for Jamestown Distributors, but they have a lift system that seems to me the best solution for getting to the underside of the boat. Not just for centerboard jams, but for repairs, repainting, inspections, etc., etc. It's not cheap, but a lot less expensive than the alternative.

Perhaps someone with more experience than me ought to take a look at it:

http://www.jamestowndistributors.com/userportal/show_product.do?pid=59042

I like the keel version. Clears up the cabin for all sorts of fun. Maybe just me, but looks a little 'paunchy' in front. If given the choice, I would've gone that route.

The keel version might be a good seller. Not for the likes of me, though. I sail in small lakes and reservoirs and need easy trailering and shallow launching. If I ever move near the ocean or a Great Lake I might want one though.

I like the centerboard as it is. As mentioned, shallow launching is a big plus.