Trimaran - Especially Searunner - Owners

[blewett_john]

Originally Posted by Roy M

slowbat, having done just what you are asking, two months ago, here are my thoughts: After pulling the board, . . . .

I am nearly ready to pull my board also. John Marples says just loosen the rig, jack the mast forward, remove the pivot pin, then lift. That sounds easy but I am sure it is not. Do you have any tips on pulling the centerboard? Can I use the main halyard to lift it? Does it really weigh 300 pounds?

Thanks

[Roy M]

It COULD weigh that much if it was holding any water inside. Don't worry, your mainsail halyard can do it. I regularly use halyards to remove engines, batteries, whatever, including myself. Consider how much loading there is on your genoa or main in strong winds. What's holding it up?

My mast sits on a 1/2" stainless plate that bridges the trunk. The centerboard needs to be pulled aft to clear the bridge, then once it's past it, rises smoothly upward. It's a two-person job, though. One cranks, one guides it out of the trunk, up and over the cockpit seats, the cabinside, out across the deck, then over the side without hitting or scraping anything. Installing goes the same, but in reverse. And then you have to play "pin the axle in the centerboard hole".

[Boatguy30]

John,

Mate, now you tell us you're pulling the board. will stand by for your trunk rebuild pics.

I did one last year if you need any ideas.

cheers,
Jeff

[blewett_john]

Jeff,

If all goes well the trunk won't need a rebuild. It seems ok but I want that warm fuzzy feeling about it. I also want to clean and paint.

John B

[Mark Johnson]

Roy,
I have not yet had occasion to remove my CB, but with it glassed sooo heavily, I would W.A.G. that it is about 300 pounds, (100 pounds + buoyant in the water). I agree with you that a main halyard is easily up to the hoisting job.

My mast sits on a well glassed over, laminated, 2" thick teak plank, and this is what I understand that I must unbolt and jack forward a foot or so, (after slacking electrical wires and loosening the rig of coarse). Doing the above is to make room for sliding the board out. Oh yes... The trunk's caps & steering pedestal must also be removed first as well.

It sounds like a very big deal, on the 34 at least. Your previously describing how you remove your board for regular cleaning and painting, makes it clear to me that this procedure is WAY easier to do on the 40, (without moving the mast or sliding the base forward), than it is on my 34. Am I correct?

When I scale this 34's CB trunk drawing that John sent me, I see that IF the board was vertical, it "just might" slide between the back of the trunk and the mast base, AS IS, without moving the base. Thing is, would the aft tapered 6" of the board, squeeze past the port side cheek block, which would be beside the board? I doubt it, from looking at my above view photo.

The other challenge for the 34, would be how do we get the board to hang vertical? The control line's lifting pad eye is the only lifting point, and its location leaves the board dangling at quite an aft angle, requiring a longer open trunk space than the CB's width, to lift it out.

With the 34 being designed long after the Searunners 25, 31, 37, & 40... I suspect it has a centerboard setup that is very different from the others.

With my board being so rugged, and having a 5/8" dia silicon bronze axle pin, I see no reason to remove it, until the mast gets lifted off for its 25 year re-paint at least.

The CB removal procedure on your SR40, Roy, sounds down right civilized! Do you, (or any SR37 owners), have the CB & trunk drawings digitized, so that we can look at how they differ from the 34'er?

OTHERWISE:
John... You might want to ask John Marples to send you the CB drawings for the 37, so you "know" if it is more like Roy's 40, or my 34... Then post your findings. I'd be curious too.

Mark

P.S.
John,
IF you have CB caps on your trunk, like mine, (assuming you also have AMPLE aux drainage), then you only want or need bottom paint for about a foot up inside the trunk. The lack of light, circulation, or food, up any higher in the trunk, minimizes growth to slime & fuzz only. Also, imo... painting the blade and easily accessed portion of board itself (every other haul out), helps reduce growth in the trunk, due to proximity.

[Boatguy30]

John

You pic link does not seem to work anymore in your signature.

[Roy M]

On the 40, the trunk angles aft at the bottom about 15 degrees. I tie a bowline in the control line and pass the halyard through it, then take up tension. The board is supported by blocking where it exits aft, taking a bit of pressure off the axle pin so that it can be driven out with an old screwdriver. Then, the halyard is tightened while pressure is exerted as low as possible and as far aft as possible. I generally stand on the cabin sole and pull the halyard and control line aft to get the forward, lower end of the CB past the mast bridge. Yes, sorry, in the 40 one can pull the CB out the top with no significant effort. The pedestal is mounted on the starboard side of the cockpit sole, the wheel removed, and there are no restrictions to pulling it, once you clear the mast bridge. Replacement is basically the same, in reverse. My regrets for not fully appreciating the dilemma that the 31s have, and I haven't a clue regarding the situation with the 34s. Having the new CB weigh about 100 # dry is very nice, though I haven't yet trimmed down the head of it for reinstallation. Too many distractions at the moment.

[Jimske]

what are the dilemmas for removing the centerboard on the 31?

[Sea Otter Jim]

Pulling the board on the 31 is easy.pull in down position and pull the pin then pull board aft and up out the slot.Pulled mine on my 31 vent wing and it was a piece of cake.Here are a couple of photos of my hard top that Jim Brown built .It works great on the 37 and for our Hurricanes down here makes cockpit so nice.Most of the time just use front awning and if you raise it up a couple feet it acts as a wind scoop for the aft cabin.Jim and Jo came up with a great design for a hard top.It wont work if your over 5ft8 as Jim said that he couldnt have it any taller or it would wreck the lines of the boat.Jim could not stand up without hitting his head.Thank God I am the same hight as jo is

[Jimske]

Originally Posted by Sea Otter Jim

Pulling the board on the 31 is easy.pull in down position and pull the pin then pull board aft and up out the slot.Pulled mine on my 31 vent wing and it was a piece of cake.Here are a couple of photos of my hard top that Jim Brown built .It works great on the 37 and for our Hurricanes down here makes cockpit so nice.Most of the time just use front awning and if you raise it up a couple feet it acts as a wind scoop for the aft cabin.Jim and Jo came up with a great design for a hard top.It wont work if your over 5ft8 as Jim said that he couldnt have it any taller or it would wreck the lines of the boat.Jim could not stand up without hitting his head.Thank God I am the same hight as jo is

Thanks - I do love easy!

[Sea Otter Jim]

Jimske it also makes is easier to install board if you remove the trunk caps by the mast compression post.Then mark on each side of the trunk where the board is before you pull to the down position.Then when you install the board you will be able to adjust and install pin a lot easier.I pulled my board out in the water at a marina and installed like this.No big deal .I hope when I pull the board on my 37 it works the same dont see why not Take Care Jim

[Sea Otter Jim]

Also when you pull the board once it comes up the slot enough attach a line through the pin hole, then the board will come straight up and out.This should also work for you mark on your 34
Take Care Jim

[Sea Otter Jim]

Hey Roy I was reading one of your old posts and saw that you knew bob perkins.My 37 was the 1st searunner he built as I was told by a couple o different people.Did you build your boat at the same place?My boat is a little on the heavy side for sure.Lots of epoxy but strong.The original name was Tri Essence then Jo hudson bought her and she was Walking Bird and now she is Sea Otter. Take Care Jim

[Mark Johnson]

SEARUNNER CB REMOVAL:
The issue with removing the centerboard on the Searunner 37 may come down to whether it more resembles the CB trunk set up on the 34 or the 31. With the 34, the mast's base DOES have to move forward I'm afraid. You 31 owners... consider yourselves fortunate in this regard!

On the 34, after I look at the plans drawing more carefully, I see that even if the board WERE held vertically from the get go, (quite a feat), then the wide head of the centerboard would only go back so far before it hits the side mounted cheek block for our down haul control line. This is not moving the board quite far enough aft to clear the mast's base with the boards top/front corner when lifting the board further.

Also... Even held vertically, (with the masts base in place), you can't raise the board enough for the lower "tapered aft edge" of it to slide next to the block either, and even if this weren't so, the tapered part of the board will not quite fit next to the block, as best I can tell. Look at the photos and drawings carefully, and you'll see what I mean.

Once the mast's base IS pushed forward and the board is partially lifted out, I would indeed run a "new" line through the axle hole, and as Jim suggests above, lift it the rest of the way out with the assistance of this new line. In my case, it would be combined with the old one to make a bridle, (perhaps using a rolling hitch), with the apex centered over the top of the board. The now "vertical" removal, would minimize the risk of chipping the board's tapered aft lower edge with the trunk's cheekblock.

Again, you 37 owners about to pull your CB, need to either: Slide the mast's base forward first, as John Marples suggested, OR if you contemplate skipping this step, get the drawings first. Choreograph the removal of the board in your mind, and use a scale rule to measure the tight spots on the drawings. Then, all will be revealed! Or better yet...

I'd print up several copies of the CB/trunk sheet (if it was emailed to me). Then take one of the drawings, and on it white out just the CB. Use the other copy to actually cut out the board. Now... take your cutout of the board and lay it in position on the first sheet with the whited out CB. Hinge it up and down, then hang it as it would in reality. See what the conflicts are in the lifting process.

Doing your homework here, will pay great dividends!

Regards to all,
Mark

[Jimske]

Originally Posted by Sea Otter Jim

Also when you pull the board once it comes up the slot enough attach a line through the pin hole, then the board will come straight up and out.This should also work for you mark on your 34
Take Care Jim

Thanks for that info. Though I am pretty sure no problem yet but maybe given this info I will pull it out just on general maintenance principle since I am sure it has never been removed since launching in 1994.