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..............................................--- Cockpit Centerboard Uphaul ---
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There has been times that it sure would of been nice to of been able to raise the centerboard from the cockpit and not have to go below to do it. Also we would like to try sailing downwind with it part way up/down.
This was a quick mod and I went with the through the cabin route to keep things simple and visible. It is high enough that at home at least it doesn't seem in the way and it takes just a couple seconds for it to be completely out of the way.
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I'll start with the final product. The line comes out of the right side of the sink counter in almost the stock location (bottom left arrow). Normally you pull it out to raise the centerboard and cleat the line off on the cleat just below the tip of the arrow. Now it goes over a block there and straight up to the block near the ceiling that is held to an eye strap there with a carabiner.
The line then goes aft just below the ceiling and ends in a knot on another carabiner. That carabiner. snaps onto another block with a line through it. The line is attached to the cabin/cockpit bulkhead, goes through the block and then back to and through the cabin bulkhead and out into the cockpit. This last block gives you a 2 to 1 advantage in pulling the centerboard up. Ruth likes this as she has had a hard time pulling it up.
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Here you see the new block on the front of the counter. The cleat below is still retained and can still be used as you will see below.
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Here you can see how the top block attaches quickly and easily to the eye strap with a carabiner.
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The left arrow points to the carabiner on the end of the uphaul line and shows how it snaps onto the block. The top right arrow points to an eye bolt that the cockpit line attaches to and the lower right arrow points to where the line exits the cabin and .....
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....goes out into the cockpit and can be secured to the open clam cleat (left arrow) when you have the centerboard where you want it.
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You also have the option of tying the center board up still down in the cabin using the stock cleat that has been cut back a little on the top for clearance. Using it and getting the uphaul away from the ceiling is easy and fast.
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Unsnap the last carabiner (left arrow) and then....
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.... pull the cockpit line out of the way by pulling on it from the cockpit.
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Unsnap the line and block from above the counter from the .....
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.... eye strap there and
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.... cleat the line off in the stock location. This all takes maybe 20 seconds or so.
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It was hard to get to the back of the eye strap to mount it, so I....
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.... took a small piece of aluminum and drilled ant tapped it on the eye strap hole centers and...
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.... screwed two #10 screws into it and ....
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... after I had drilled two holes in the console I was able to reach across inside of the console and push the screws that were in the aluminum through the holes and bolt the eye strap to them since they wouldn't turn.
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I did something similar for the block on the counter front since it was also in an awkward position to mount.
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... another plate was made for the mounting screws for it also.
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I then drilled the counter front so that the plate and screws could come in from behind. The screw in the picture is just holing the block so I could drill the other three holes. When those holes drilled the screw was removed and the final hole drilled and then...
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.... the plate with the screws attached was pushed through from inside the sink area (right arrow). To make things like up better the stock block was spaced down with some oversized nuts which acted like spacers so that the uphaul line would align better with the new block on the counter front.
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The stainless eyebolt on the cabin/cockpit bulkhead goes out ....
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... into the cockpit next to the line and is held in place with a stainless washer and nut. It and the bushing for the line were bedded in with 3M 4200.
Note: After 3 1/2 weeks on the water in Florida, fall of 2010, we left the uphaul attached at all times in the cabin and Ruth never had a clearance problem with it. We both loved using it vs. having to go down into the cabin to control the center board. If I sat on that side I might want to use a fairlead to possibly raise the line, but I had no problems and didn't hit it with my head using the head. This has been a good mod.
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