centreplate up or down?

[andrewbodenham]

Next season I hope to keep my 18' clinker halfdecker on a swinging mooring on Windermere. The question is, whilst she's on the mooring should the centreplate (heavy s/steel) be raised or lowered?
What do you think?

 

[tritonofnor]

Raised. Cos when it jams, not if, you'll still be able to trailer her out.... /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

 

[pauls_SPT]

Yes, raised.

I don't know how your centre-plate is mounted, but in my girlfriend's Drascombe Lugger it has a bit of lateral movement in it and bangs about as the boat rocks - I'd imagine a whole season of that would do the mounting-points no good at all!

Also, I don't know if it's common practice to anti-foul your centre-plate (ours isn't) but it would gather weed if you left it down...although how well that applies to Windermere, I don't know...

There's a lot of "I don't know"'s in there, but hopefully that's some help /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif


Paul

 

[oldfrank]

Assume you don't have a tall bermudan mast - if you do, the boat could easily capsize on her moorings and would be best left ashore. OF

 

[Mirelle]

Another vote for "raised", for the reasons given above. My 18 foot half decker (kept on a drying mooring in an estuary, so not really a comparison) had a heavy steel plate and there was a pin which you put through when the plate was up to take the strain off the gear.

 

[ValleyForge]

40 odd years ago my brothers & I had a similar boat, gunter rigged, bought for £30 ! - we kept here on a Windermere mooring which I think cost £17 per year - always kept the plate up a) to keep it clean & b) to stop wear & tear on the pin. Interestingly when it was a bit breezy she would bob & twist about, but never looked uncomfortable.

 

[andrewbodenham]

Unfortunately the lake mooring fees have gone up a bit since then!
I like the idea of a locking pin to keep the board up - put that on the winter 'do' list.
Thanks everybody for your advice.

 

[Katouf]

Another vote for raised.

Like Mirelle, my own Thames Estuary One Design 18' clinker built rolled like anything (she would float in 12") when on the mooring but didn't get anywhere near capsize position because of the low centre of gravity.

Kept on a drying mooring, the hole in the very heavy plate (minimum of 2 people to move it) aligned with a hole in the case just the right size for a screwdriver shaft - the original pin went over the side during a bailing operation. It should have been tied on but we somehow never got round to doing it. /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif