MacGregorSailors.com

Hey guys,

Got a new problem I can't seem to figure out. The centerboard will not go all the way into the hull. It hangs about two foot out.

You cannot put any more force on the line. It will not go up. It comes to a hard stop and that's all it will go.

I jacked up the boat and removed the trailer. The rope / line was the wire-to-double-braid-rope style. I could see no places it was catchingor fraying.

There are no catches or sticky points in the centerboard to centerboard trunk. It goes all the way up by hand without any problems.

I replaced the line anyway with solid braid and then again with double braid. No change with either.

I propped the centerboard all the way up w a ratchet strap, tied off the rope, then removed ratchet strap. The centerboard still comes down about a foot. Here is a picture:



Please note, this picture was taken after propping up the centerboard by hand and supporting it, tightening the rope, and then removing the support. The centerboard touches the ground when only pulled up by hand.

Thoughts? Help?

Is something catching on the pulleys under the galley?

Hey Steven,

That was my first though. That's why I replaced the rope/line/pennant.

• Nothing catching.
• Pulley clean and working well.
• Took off the pasting tubing attached to the fiberglass hole/tube/lead where the rope passes thru the hull

I can see nothing catching. No signs of rubbing. No wear on the old rope/line/pennant.

Rope passes through hull? It's not steel cable passing through hull and riding on the pulleys?

Hey Steven,

Its my understanding that the original was a steel cable connected to a double braided rope. That's what this had. Everything looked great.

Still, I worried that the connections between the steel cable and the rope were catching on something. So I replaced it with all with straight rope. No change.

In this 26s, the path comes up thru a hole in the centerboard, thru a fiberglass tube in the hull, thru plastic tube/hose held on w a hose clamp, and then threw pullies to redirect. Its a 1:1 system and is very simple.

Hope that explains this system..

For some reason, the point where it is coming out of the center-board probably isn't matching the point where it enters the hull. It could be damage to the underside at the point of entry, or the attachment point on the center-board, or something wrong with the hinge.

I'm afraid you're next step is probably to dive on it and see what's going on. Unless you can jack it up high enough on the dry.

I wonder what happened to BWY.

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Edit. After some thought, maybe the cable sawed its way through part of the underside, perhaps even penetrating the ballast tank. Does the tank hold water?

Mine is a daggerboard, so I’m just spitballing. Is it possible that the cable is attached to the wrong place on the center board, so that as it comes up you start to pull at an excessive angle and no longer have a decent mechanical advantage?

Stevenhigbee wrote: ↑Wed Nov 05, 2025 1:11 pm For some reason, the point where it is coming out of the center-board probably isn't matching the point where it enters the hull. It could be damage to the underside at the point of entry, or the attachment point on the center-board, or something wrong with the hinge.

I'm afraid you're next step is probably to dive on it and see what's going on. Unless you can jack it up high enough on the dry.

I wonder what happened to BWY.

-------------
Edit. After some thought, maybe the cable sawed its way through part of the underside, perhaps even penetrating the ballast tank. Does the tank hold water?

Hey Steven,

I have the boat on blocks and the trailer removed. I've taken the centerboard all the way out. I can look from underneath and can see no wear or holes. The water ballast has held water for a month on the trailer (tested a month or two ago).

Maraquita wrote: ↑Wed Nov 05, 2025 4:43 pm Mine is a daggerboard, so I’m just spitballing. Is it possible that the cable is attached to the wrong place on the center board, so that as it comes up you start to pull at an excessive angle and no longer have a decent mechanical advantage?

Hey Maraquita,

Great question. I have contemplated this many times. I've had to check multiple times (its hard to see down that tube).

When the centerboard is pushed all the way up into the hull and supported by a ratchet strap, the rope is attached to the centerboard in the dead middle of the tube.

Question,

how much is this thing supposed to weigh?

JamesToBoot wrote: ↑Wed Nov 05, 2025 6:08 pm Question,

how much is this thing supposed to weigh?

50 pounds

Hi JamesToBoot!

This may seem like a dumb question but have you tried removing the lift line entirely and tried manually lifting the swing keel up into position?

(Note: I’d attach a skinny string to the end of the lift line before removing it so as to make replacing it later a bit easier….)

If you can get the swing keel up fully manually then there is something going on with the lift line or it’s routing.

If you can’t get the swing keel up fully manually then there is something amiss with the keel or trunk interior that needs to be looked at like something that has gotten wedged in there…

Just a suggestion…. I’ve had reeds foul the swing keel on our Mac26X swing keel when I’ve inadvertently left the keel down and the tide has flowed under from the aft.

Best Regards
Over Easy

Be Free wrote: ↑Thu Nov 06, 2025 8:23 am

JamesToBoot wrote: ↑Wed Nov 05, 2025 6:08 pm Question,

how much is this thing supposed to weigh?

50 pounds

Okey then... that's pretty close to what mine weighs.

That makes me feel better.

OverEasy wrote: ↑Thu Nov 06, 2025 12:56 pm Hi JamesToBoot!

This may seem like a dumb question but have you tried removing the lift line entirely and tried manually lifting the swing keel up into position?

(Note: I’d attach a skinny string to the end of the lift line before removing it so as to make replacing it later a bit easier….)

If you can get the swing keel up fully manually then there is something going on with the lift line or it’s routing.

If you can’t get the swing keel up fully manually then there is something amiss with the keel or trunk interior that needs to be looked at like something that has gotten wedged in there…

Just a suggestion…. I’ve had reeds foul the swing keel on our Mac26X swing keel when I’ve inadvertently left the keel down and the tide has flowed under from the aft.

Best Regards
Over Easy

Yes sir,

I am able to lift the keel up all the way into the hull by hand. Probably up and down more than 30 times, and completely offthe boat 4 times. I can see and lay hands on every part of the centerboard, trunk, cable/rope, pulley, etc.

I have never had any issue or had it get stuck or even had the least hiccup when pushing the centerboard up into the hull by hand.

The cable routing is simple. Its 1:1 ratio:

• It connects thru the trailing edge of the centerboard via a hole and a stopper knot inside the centerboard, so there is no chance its getting cocked to one side and jamming in the trunk.
• it then goes up thru the fiberglass tube and plastic hose
• then over a pulley about 90 degrees thru a hole in the fiberglass cabinet where the sink sits
• where you can cleat it off

No wear or issues I can see in the routing. No fray in the line I replaced or in the fiberglass.

This is all I can find in the manual is under 22) centerboard:
The centerboard is raised and lowered by pulley on a line coming out of the galley face.

Brochure:

Hi JamesToBoot!

That’s really strange…
You’ve verified that the swing keel does in fact swing up and into its trunk manually.
You’ve also checked the integrity of the pivot pin/hole/assembly of both the swing keel and the trunk interface.
You’ve also checked where the lift line interfaces with the swing keel.
I assume you can see the pulley and it is intact and where the lift line rests in it.
I also assume that you can see the tubing and it isn’t doing something silly like getting kinked.
I further assume that the fiberglass tube is intact and not able to move out of position.

Just wondering if when you’ve manually lifted the swing keel up into its trunk fully if the lift line can hold it up in position?

Otherwise it’s a bit of a mystery…..

When I was fussing with the swing keel on our Mac26X (which is different from you boat) I found that when the pivot pin bracket wasn’t adequately secured it would get pulled aftwards and the keel would jimmy…

I also found that with the 1:1 arrangement that was factory on our Mac26X it was difficult for the Admiral to adequately lift the swing keel to the fully retraced position. To solve that issue I added a force doubler pulley system that reduced the operators effort by half which made a world of difference to my Admiral. As it was mentioned that your swing keel is roughly 50 lbs maybe thi might give you the mechanical advantage needed?

Here is the link to the Mod I posted related to this:
https://macgregorsailors.com/mods/index ... em&id=2222

Best Regards,
Over Easy