Phil, I also have a 1977 model, hull 265 (I think). I had the same problem except my board was stuck in the up position. First let me caution you! If the pendant should break, the board dropping could cause some damage, it is one heavy sucker, so be very careful. Obviously the boat will have to out of the water (unless you have scuba gear) and off the trailer so the keel can swing free. The bottom of the fixed keel will have to be about 24-28 inches above the ground. I built 2 big horses to support the boat while I did the work. A farmer friend helped me lift the boat (a front end loader and slings) , slide the trailer away and set her back on the horses. Once she was on the horses and cradled good, I worked the centerboard loose with a prybar while supporting the board with blocking (never work under the c-board without blocking, if it fell it could kill you). With help from my friend, I was able to drop the board a few inches at a time until it came down to where the hook on the c-board catches the pin at the aft end of the trunk. The pin (in my boat) is a 1/4" bolt which came out pretty easy but again, you must keep the c-board blocked to keep it from falling when the pin is removed. Once the pin was out the board came down all the way, exposing the connection. I my case, I found that the shackle had corroded and that the pendant was not even connected (the only thing holding the c-board was barnicles in the trunk ( a close call for sure). I had an additional problem in that the shackle connecting the hole in the c-board to the pendant was both to wide and too long as it caught in the trunk and hit the top before the c-board was full retracted. I would recommend you check both aspects. On my first try, I bought a new lanyard of 3/8" braid (with an eye) but found that it jammed in the trunk hole when the fat part of the eye splice tried to come thru. I ended up with 1/4" braid. Unfortunately I did not take any pictures of the whole process (wish I had) but am happy to share my experience. Kind regards and good luck, Arnold Sharpe, M-17,"LITTLE BREEZE" On Oct 10, 2007, at 6:47 PM, philbarilla@peoplepc.com wrote:
I have just purchased a 1977 Montgomery 17...boat number 250. The centerboard is lowered out of the shoal keel by a rope which protrudes up through the cockpit sole just in front of and outside of the companion way hatch and coils around a vertically mounted sheet winch. The rope is badly frayed just at the point where it exits the cockpit sole when the board is in the fully raised position. Has anyone had any experience replacing such a rope. I want to know what I can expect when I have the boat lifted. After lifting the boat and lowering the board, I understand there is a pin at the rear of the board which must be hammered out in order for the board to drop clear of the keel enough to unfasten the rope from the pennant attached to the board. Any information as to the exact procedure and what to expect will be greatly appreciated.
Phil Barilla _______________________________________________ http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/montgomery_boats