Safety of larger centerboard boats

[labatt]

The HR53 hasn't fallen through at this time. I have a couple of things going on in my business right now (skeletons in the closet from a prior employee) that may delay the purchase to a point where someone else buys it first. I'm still poking through yachtworld.com (as difficult as it is now) to see if anything else jumps out at me. I'm curious about centerboard designs, but there was a Little Harbor 54 lost in May during a sub-tropical depression. I'm sure everyone remembers hearing about it (http://www.4sailors.com/may07.html). A couple of people have mentioned to me that there was a question about whether the centerboard may have played a part in the mystery surrounding its loss.

[sailingdog]

Labatt-

If IIRC this was the boat lost due to Andrea. I don't think that it would have mattered a whole lot if the boat was a full-keel, fin keel or keel-centerboard. An RTS is no place to be in a boat.

[JohnRPollard]

I well remember the loss of that LH. LH's have an outstanding reputation, and it's hard to conceive what might have happenned. This was not a case of the crew being lost, but the entire boat gone missing seemingly without a trace. Normally the only thing that can do that is a roll or knockdown with sudden catastrophic downflooding through the companionway(s) (two on this boat). They were in nasty conditions - god love 'em. Whether the CB had anything to do with it who can say for sure?

You're wise to keep researching until the HR53 deal goes through. It's a great boat, but there are others out there if this deal falls through (hey, Cam's boat is still out there, isn't it?). The good news is that the market for a boat like that is not very deep, so there's a better than fair chance the delay won't matter. Good luck to you.

[Valiente]

Originally Posted by ehmanta

The risk of something happening is real; although, the repair/breakage issue of centerboards would be minimized with annual inspections. In twelve years, I have not had an issue, I have replaced my pendant line every other year and inspect the fittings at haul-out.

Part of my admittedly theoretical concern would be the ease with which those annual inspections could be made. My impression is that some centerboard designs and trunks are significantly easier to access, either in or out of the water, than others. Also, not everyone either hauls out or has the opportunity to haul out every year, particularly if they have the sort of anti-fouling that will run two years with occasional scrubbing.

The fact that you are quite proactive in changing the pendant and looking directly (I assume) at the pin and the board is almost certainly the reason you've had a trouble-free experience. What I don't know is if this regimen is common or even possible for most CB-equipped cruisers.

CBs are yet another example of the "everything is a compromise" school of boat design...they are undeniably a good thing to have in many situation, but the reluctance to keep them deployed in heavy weather is interesting, to say the least.

[T34C]

My current boat is my second with a CB. Neither of them allowed for inspection of the pin. You know it has a problem when it doesn't work quite right. Current boat has all internal cables that are very easy to inspect by simply looking in the bilge. The T34C also has a continuous loop cable system that is self locking in whatever position you put it in.

I have no problem with the board full extended while sailing in heavy weather*. (*It isn't easy to adjust while undersail in heavy weather due to the added pressure against it.)