Centerboard hoisting challenge: new owner

[SeanCallan]

Would anyone mind helping a new Viper owner with this? While solo sailing, just out learning this wonderful boat, I'm having a heck of a time hoisting my center board at the end of the day. The purchase seems more than appropriate. The board does get harder with a broad wind or current, of course, but it is all a strong able man can do to raise the board. Is this just how it is? Should it really be this hard? Tips or tricks?Thank you for any insight!!

[Peter Beardsley]

Depends a tiny bit on what vintage boat you have but mostly it depends on purchase, technique, and keel prep.  Should be easy enough to do singlehanded most of the time though.

1. Purchase: old boats came with a 4:1 purchase.  Newer boats come with a 6:1 purchase.  The 6:1 is of course a bit easier.

2. Keel prep: some folks have done work on their keels and keelboxes (hopefully within class rules) to have the keel be a more snug fit.  While that is a good thing for upwind performance, it can make getting the keel up and down a bit trickier.  In extreme situations, you may need to McLube or soap your keel daily in order to get the keel up and down so that it is more slippery in the cassette. 

3. Technique: I have a co-owner on my Viper and how to raise the keel is the thing we disagree about most.  I am a big believer in having the cleat for the purchase on top (i.e., closest to the ring/splice that attaches the purchase) so that I can basically "hang" on the line to pull the keel up.  He has the cleat on the bottom when he lifts the keel (i.e., with the cleat part of the purchase closest to the keel top plate) so that he is pulling the keel up.  The latter technique doesn't work well when it comes time to get the keel up the remaining 18 inches or so, although unless you're ramp launching, there's no need to jam the bulb all the way to the top - when you lift the boat out of the water, it'll sit back on the trailer. If you're ramp launching, then yes the keel should max up to make it easier to get the boat back on the trailer. 

On newer Vipers, I've found that it's slightly easier to pull the keel up if I am forward of the keel with my back to the mast.  That's slightly more awkward though.  The goal is to pull the keel slightly forward as you are pulling it up.  If you have a second person around, you can have that person at the back of the keel to rock it forward ever so slightly as you pull it up, which will usually eliminate all friction (other than the fact that you're pulling 275 lbs up). 

Also, check the blocks on your purchase.  I've worn through one before and had to replace that block - if the keel used to be easy to pull up but it's gotten way harder and nothing else has changed, it's often the block needing to be replaced.  It'd be obvious if this is the case - we had worn a hole in the block.  Took several years to do this and we sail our boat a lot. 

[SeanCallan]

Peter. Thank you so very much for the kind and thorough reply. I really want to learn this boat, yet the last two times out this keel hoisting to trailer has been really daunting. I'll check and try all of your points. I just figured it couldn't be this hard. Will go for 6:1 purchase as well. Again, thank you very much for helping me learn and appreciate the boat more!

[Peter Beardsley]

It definitely shouldn't be that hard.  Where are you located, and which boat did you buy?