Ron, I would guess the boatyard doesn't want to make the estimate because they are unfamiliar with the details. I don't know them myself, but the usual situation is that the new cable (and sometimes a high-tech fiber is better than
steel cable) has to be laid through and then possibly run past a sheeve and tied into the
centerboard. Without knowing EXACTLY how it runs and attaches, you can't guess the labor. They might have to drop the board (exposing them pushing out the hinge pin) or it might swing down far enough to
work without dropping the board from the pin. Dunno.
In either case I wouldn't expect that it HAD to be hauled, but rather that manhandcling the
centerboard will be simpler ashore than having a diver working under the
hull. Again, "it depends".
I would try to contact some
Irwin owners and ask them if they had the details of what was involved, if they had actually been hands-on, or even better if they had any line drawings showing exactly what has to be done.
Assuming the
boat IS in the
water and the board HAS been down, yes, hauling would be a good idea in any case so the centerboard trunk can be cleaned out and painted with antifouling
paint. If the board has been down for months, there may be so much growth in the trunk that the board couldn't be raised anyway.
I suppose the
water there is still too cold for a casual looksee...but it might be worth getting a diver or someone with an AquaCam to take a peek at it before the hauling, to see what's down there.
Then again, hauling and making CERTAIN of what's under a boat is always a good idea if you are
buying it.