I once freed up a stuck centerboard by loosening the line that hauls it up, then driving (carefully) along a rough road while towing it. Good luck Wayne M17 #204 ----- Original Message ----- From: <thauser@att.net> To: "For and about Montgomery Sailboats" <montgomery_boats@mailman.xmission.com>; <montgomery_boats@mailman.xmission.com> Sent: Wednesday, November 02, 2005 9:43 AM Subject: Re: M_Boats: Centerboard treatment
Hello, Folks:
I don't know if my emails are getting to the interested parties. I recently purchased Kestrel, an M-15 #145 (circa 1981), in Monterey, CA. and brought her to Park City, UT. She has spent all her life in salt water and has been dry-docked for the past 5 years. Anyway, the keel won't drop. We sail in fresh water and I was hoping one or two days would flush the cavity out. I have tried pressure spray, WD-40, and selected nautical language, but it won't budge. It could be "cemented" into the cavity by the salt water and the pressue from sitting on the trailer roller for 5 years.
Can't find a sailboat repair shop locally to raise her up and off the trailer. If I can jack the boat a couple of inches off the trailer, I may be able to run a small cable up and over the top of the keel from underneath. I have looked at the photos on the Monty website.
I can't find out if the keel is fiberglass filled with lead shot or if it is some other material. I can see the pivot where the pin was once removed and replaced, then the hole was patched over.
Any suggestions would be appreciated, especially some way to free it without removing it completely from the keel cavity.
Thank you all.
Tom Hauser thauser@utah.gov or thauser@att.net _______________________________________________ http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/montgomery_boats