Centerboard Maintenance ?

Ex Hobie Sailor · **Posted:** 06 Nov 2022 09:14

How much sideplay is normal between the board and centerboard trunk ? Is it supposed to be a sloppy fit or a tight fit ? I am noticing a slight clunking noise when the board is down at anchor. When pointing with the board down lateral pressure eliminates this. I have also used the board to steady the boat while on offshore trips just motoring. This spring while in the slings, I dropped the board to paint and when suspended, noticed there was what I would consider excessive side play, It seemed sloppy to me, but I'm not an expert. I have owned the 1984 T37 8 years and I think its time to replace the centerboard pin assembly. It has been replaced by a PO, but I have no idea when that was. I don't think the board is ready to fall out...but...

Funny, I have had a rock or shell up in the trunk all season and the board was stuck, didn't use it at all this year, had a great season.

Thanks in advance for any comments.

cseltzjr · **Joined:** 16 May 2009 08:06 **Posts:** 254

Mine has a fair amount of side-to-side play. It had the brackets replaced before I bought the boat (around 1998). I ASSUME it is normal!

Maineiac · **Posted:** 07 Nov 2022 08:24

You may have some slop in the board hinge hole. You may not.

viewtopic.php?f=4&t=2080

jfalsone · **Joined:** 06 Aug 2020 09:02 **Posts:** 142

I don't think Tartan was really concerned about a precise fit inside the trunk and there's likely some reasoning to purposefully not make it tight to prevent debris jamming it up. Having said that, I considered adding shims to the lower portion of the head of the board to remove much of the play. This would be relatively straightforward and I've done similar things to dinghies in the past. The shims would only need be strips, maybe 1" in width and running some length of the head, positioned low enough to be effective but remain inside the trunk. I would taper on each end to provide a smooth transition while sliding. I don't think the hydro pressure is enormous on these boards because we don't go that fast and the board are not large but accidental side loading might cause some compression issues. I doubt it would be a real problem because they heads of these boards are solid glass. Anyway, unless it's excessive I don't think you should worry about it. One additional benefit though is the shims would keep the board aligned better with the trunk and keep it from scraping along the insides.

Tartan37.com

Centerboard Maintenance ?

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