[Rhodes22-list] Centerboard Pendant Questions

[Christopher Knell]

     After a terrific sail yesterday, we found as we returned to our slip
that the outer braid of the centerboard pendant had separated at the point
where it is cleated in the cockpit. The thin core was intact so we were
able to hoist the centerboard up into the centerboard trunk. I have
attached (hopefully) a photo of what the pendant looks like currently. I am
obviously going to have to replace it. After spending a few hours on the
list researching the advice provided, I think I know what I have to do.
However I still have a couple of questions that I'm hoping y'all can help
me with. I have the old-style centerboard on a boat that was originally
built in 1986 (I think) and refurbished sometime around 2007.

1. Stan mentions in a post from 2001: "The new cb pennants are rugged lines
and really can last almost as long as the boat." Does anyone know what type
of rope should be used and where it can be purchased?

2. I think someone states in a post that the length of the pendant for the
original centerboard should be about 12 feet. Can anyone confirm this? I'd
like to have the material on-hand before pulling the boat out of the water.

3. Does the rope in the attached photo appear to be the same as that used
on newer Rhodes (the rugged lines Stan mentioned)?

4. The braided outer covering of my pendant failed. Would anyone be willing
to venture a guess as to how many more up/down cycles I might get with the
twisted core? I suspect bunching of the outer braid may present a problem
with the blocks before the core fails. Does anyone have experience with
this? I'm hoping that I can get a few more days of sailing in before
pulling the boat for the repair.

We managed to locate our Rhodes 22 Owner's Manual this afternoon. In it is
a paragraph titled "SERVICING THE CENTERBOARD". I could not find this text
on the Internet and so quote it here for posterity (from an undated copy of
the manual):

*SERVICING THE CENTERBOARD*
You will rarely, if ever, have to service your centerboard. On the latest
models if you ever do want to replace the control line, with the boat on a
crane or jacked above its trailer so the board can be partially lowered (or
on a beach on its side) simply drop the new line in from the cockpit and
fasten to the hole on the back edge of the diamondboard. Conventional
boards can be done on the trailer but the center plywood floor panel must
be unscrewed and the 50 or so cb bolts removed. Gently lift up the cap so
as not to damage the reusable neoprene gasket. Release the cb line from its
cockpit cam cleat and the cb can then be lifted from the cb trunk. On older
boards the line runs through two blocks on the cb and a turning bar in the
cap to provide a mechanical advantage. Therefore a new line must be
installed to follow the same path pattern. If you ever have to do this
chore, take advantage of the opportunity to put fresh anti-fouling paint on
the cb trunk walls as well as on the removed cb.

Many thanks in advance for answers to the questions,

Chris on LBI
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