Its time to replace the lines on the centerboard on my Sport Cruiser.

Is it possible to do the job from the topside? Any tricks avail to avoid pulling the whole board out, would be appreciated.

Thanks.

You have to lower the board down out of the well to replace the lines. The following tech piece is on the Hobie Cat Support pages. It is showing a spring replacement, but same idea for the lines:

Hobie 21 Centerboard springs and lines

- Untie or cut the knot in the handle. Remove the handle.
- Attach (stitch or tape) the old rope to the new one where the handle was. You may do without this step, but it will make your life easier.
- Heel the boat so that the hull you are working at lifts about 3 or 4 ft.
- Lower the CB until you can reach the lifting rope from the bottom. The spring will keep the CB from falling.
- Pull the old rope from the bottom, cut the stitch/tape and tie the new rope to the CB as before.

Repeat for the other side.

Two tips: make thin and neat tail finishes in the new rope before changing and use very low stretch line.

I never did it in the water, but I guess it is feasible in shallow water as well as in dry ground.

Thats great. Thanks.

I must say that the H21/H17 centerboard system is great to use, but a pain in the butt to maintain. Those damm boards gave me fits with my H17....

When its working, its great... don't have to worry about sandbars! Unfortunately, I could never keep the wells from leaking, or the boards from breaking.

...or the ropes to wear too fast.