Re: Leaking Centerboard Pivot Bolt Holes

Bill Blohm (bblohm@boi.hp.com)
Tue, 11 Aug 1998 10:12:57 -0600


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West Wight Potter Website at URL
http://www.lesbois.com/wwpotter/
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The following two notes reminded me of a conversation I had with
the previous owner of my P-19. I'd asked about water via the
keel box and he mentioned it only happened the one time he took
it to the San Juans. The fix he used was to take a rope, perhaps
a little thicher than paracord (you'd have to experiment to find
the right size rope for your centerboard) and tied that tightly
around the keel, then dropped it back into the trunk. Worked on
the same principle as the gasket for the O'Day below. Maybe you
can use something like this? Tied tightly around the pivot bolts?

Bill B.
P-19 #454

> Bill Zeitler wrote:
> >
> > Assuming one had a sailboat with a centerboard...and the pivot or pivot
> > bolt was _ above_ the water line.....what would be some comments as to what
> > one should do [ that is....a GOOD fix ] for water that leaks through the
> > centerboard well into the cabin via these center board pivot bolts.
> > Water seems to splash up into the well and get to these above-the-waterline
> > pivot bolts. I don't wish to just gob on some silicon or something and
> > let water eat away at the fiberglass laminate of the well - pivot hole [
> > unless this is not something to worry about ].
>
> Hi Bill,
>
> I used to own an O'Day Daysailer that had a centerboard with a pivot hole
> below (well maybe almost!) the waterline. It had a rubber gasket that kept
> water from leaking through the hole. It seemed to work very well. The
> gasket was more like an oversized garden hose washer than any other
> material that comes to mind.
>
> By the way, how is your new boat? I have long admired Bay Hens and been
> somewhat envious of their alleged ease of launching but had assumed
> sharpies were more suited for sailing in warm water locales...