435 Centreboard Cylinder Removal

The following is based on my experience with my 2001 OVNI 435 #6.  It may not reflect any changes to the 435 through the years.   Any input to improve this document is welcome.  

Specific tools required 

• Flare (helpful) and 14mm open ended wrenches
• Hammer and drift for 10mm pins
• small 90 degree pry bar to assist with removing covers.  

The centreboard cylinder is situated within the centreboard trunk, positioned horzontally above the  centreboard.   It is not necessary to remove the centreboard to remove the cylinder as there are access covers on top of the trunk for this purpose.   

In order to remove the centreboard cylinder, you will need to first gain access to, then remove the two pins that secure the cylinder.  The forward pin fastens the cylinder's piston rod to the centreboard.   It is the extension and retraction of the piston rod that raises and lowers the centreboard.   The aft pin anchors the cylinder base between reinforced areas on the opposite sides of the centreboard trunk.  Once both pins are removed, and you can disconnect the 2 hydraulic hoses and lift the cylinder through the access cover. 

In preparation, the centreboard must be safely supported in the fully-retracted position. Lower the board slightly to ensure the cylinder is no longer bearing the board's weight, and can be safely removed. 

Gaining Access

To access the hoses, first remove the plywood cover opposite the galley fridge.  This cover fills the triangle between the main bulkhead and the settee corner.   You will see the hoses and the acrylic  cover though which they pass into the trunk, via cable glands.  (which may have become brittle and broken with age)    

1. Remove the cable ties securing the cables to the bulkhead.   
2. Note the fore/aft orientation of the acrylic cover.
3.  Slack off the gland nuts and remove the cover screws.  
4. Gently pry the cover free and slide it up the cables.   It is through this opening that the cylinder will be withdrawn.  

The 10mm forward pin is accessed from the top and sides of the centreboard trunk in the forward cabin.

1. Remove the plywood trim covers from the top and starboard side of the CB trunk and lift the plywood berth board to gain access to the two upper aluminum covers on either side of the trunk, and the acrylic cover on top.  
2. The aluminmum covers are secured by M4 philips screws, and sealed with Sikaflex.  You will likely need to use a small pry bar to break the cover free of the sealant.   
3. With the covers removed, you will see the cylinder's piston rod end where it engages the CB via the 10mm pin, itself secured with two cotter pins.  If you do not have complete access to this, the board is not fully retracted.  

The 10mm aft pin is accessed by removing  two small aluminum covers located on either side of the centreboard trunk, roughly opposite the fridge.  The starboard side cover is concealed beneath a plywood trim panel, the portside cover is under the  forward end of the settee, most easily accessed by unscrewing the removing the plywood panel that forms the seat.  

1. Remove the plywood trim cover and unscrew and remove the plywood panel that forms the forward dinette seat. 
2. Remove the square aluminum covers. The 10mm pin will be seen seated in its close-fitting hole.  

Once all the covers are removed clean the area as much as possible. Remove any residual sealant.

Removing the Cylinder

Removing the forward pin first allows the piston rod to be fully retracted which is necessary for removal, but also eases the next steps and ensures that the more difficult-to-remove aft pin is not binding in the cylinder. 

1. The forward pin is secured by cotter pins. Remove one or both of the cotter pins and drift the pin out.   
2. The pin should yield to moderate taps with the hammer and punch.  If not, first use the hydraulic pump to ensure that the cylinder is not still loaded with the weight of the centreboard.  If badly corroded or bent it may be difficult to remove.   
3. Once the forwad pin us removed, using the hydraulic pump, select the position used to lower the board, and pump to fully retract the cylinder's piston rod.  
4. Carefully drift the aft pin out with a hammer and drift, from starboard to port.  This pin may be extremely difficult to remove due to corrosion, the amount of contact area, and the pin's the close fit in its holes.   Once this second pin is removed the cylinder will be lying loosely on top of the centreboard, connected only by the hoses. 
5. Disconnect the hoses using an open-end 14mm wrench for the nut and a second flare wrench to prevent the hose from turning while doing so.   Some fluid will be released as the fittings are loosened.   
6. When both hoses are disconected, tape the ends to prevent any debris from entering the system.

The cylinder can now be removed.

Reassembly

(If you are reading this you already know about sealants, and where and how Tefgel/Lanolin must be generously applied.)

Reassembly is generally the reverse of the above, with a few additonal hints.   

1. Before proceeding, ensure that the piston rod is fully retracted and that the holes in the cylinder base and the piston rod are in the same plane, by rotating the rod as required.  It'll probably be stiffer than you expect, and may require some leverage.  
2. Place the cylinder in the trunk in the correct orientation.   (base aft, fittings up)   
3. Switch the hydraulic pump to the "raise" position, and cycle it until it spurts fluid from the aft hose.  This helps ensure the hose is free of debris and excess air.    
4. Connect the aft hose only.   
5. Insert the rear pin to secure the cylinder base to the CB trunk.    
6. Use the hydraulic pump (still in the "raise" position) to slowly extend the piston rod.  Guide the rod end between the centreboard flanges and pin it in place.   Do this slowly and be careful not to overextend the cylinder.  (You will need two people to do this efficiently.)
7. Celebrate the fact that you've mostly purged the cylinder of air.
8. Switch the pump to the "lower" position, and as before cycle the pump to purge the forward hose. 
9. Reconnect the hose, and switch the pump back to the centre "locked" position.
10. The system will now be operational but must be fully purged of air.   
11. Once you are certain the system is functioning and connections are leak-free, replace and seal the aluminum covers and acrylic covers.  Do not reinstall the trim, tighten the glands or secure the cable ties.
12. After the boat is launched, fully cycle the hydraulic system.   With the board down, secure the hoses with new zip ties and tighten the cable glands.
13. After ensuring that there are no seawater leaks, replace the trim and cosmetic covers.

Misc photos and notes

The photos below show the flanges on the centreboard, between which the cylinder's piston rod is pinned.  If you are replacing the cylinder, ensure you order the correct part as it changed during the 435's production run.   

The photo below shows the two configurations of cylinder ram.   Note the different length of the flat section.   

The photo below shows the aft pin, and how it engages the cylinder base and the reinforced sides of the centreboard trunk   Note that I cut this access hole myself in order to saw off the pin as it could not be removed otherwise.   

The photo also shows the two nuts used to secure the hose to the 90 deg. male fitting on the cylinder.  The upper (in the photo) nut is held firm while the nut adjacent to the fitting is turned.

Battery Installation Details

Upgrading The Battery Bank

The 435 Battery box  measures 22.5" X 30.25"X 9.5" deep and is located below the cockpit.  It is made of welded aluminum and is bolted in place. It has an outward turning 2" flange around the top, with a seperate, single-piece plywood lid,     With the lid removed, the batteries are partially accessible from either aft cabin.  The electrical connections are made on the port side.    

The one-piece plywood cover is secured to the flange with machine screws and easily-dropped nuts, and it has a 2"X2"  (approx) cleat around its perimeter.   It is bulky and inconvenient in use, and access is more difficult than it needs to be. In this case Alubat did the minimum required to meet only the most basic requirement.  Thankfully it can easily be improved.

Cables enter the battery compartment through randomly-drilled holes on the port side.   There is no positive bus bar, and no fusing at the batteries,    Over time, accessories with a mishmash of fuse styles (or none) have been stacked on the various battery terminals. none labelled, most with no means of disconnect.  The cables intrude into the box, interfering with battery installation and removal.   

The house bank's 4 group 31 batteries were connected in parallel with heavy, well-made jumper links.  With the limited clearance to the conductive cockpit sole above, caution is required when working here, especially with top-terminal batteries.  

The starter battery was/is also in this box, furthest aft.  Access is particularly inconvenient.   

The photos below show:

• how access is restricted by the cockpit, 
• how the cabling was installed and intrudes into the box.
• The many live connections that must be made in an awkward, confined space.    

Below left you can see that batteries must be placed in the box or removed from it in a fore and aft orientation.  Below right shows a pair of terminals in the cockpit locker that were connected to the starter battery.    Presumably this was to provide for boosting or charging.  This DIY hack has been removed, and I will eventually relocate the starter battery to a more accessible location, probably in the port side cockpit locker. 

What to do?

  With the upgrade from 4 group 31 to 2 group 4d (ish) lithium batteries, it became a necessary to re-think the stowage of the batteries, and opportune to upgrade the installation with a bus bar, circuit protection, and a safer, more orderly layout.  There's plenty of opportunity for improvement.

Scope

1. determine battery orientation  ensuring:
1. optimal use of space, 
2. minimal wiring
3. tool-less method to install/secure/remove batteries. (small ratchet straps?)
4. must be easy to reconfigure with - at most - basic woodworking tools.    
5. Battteries must be well secured
6. Ideally, either house or start betteries could be removed while leaving the others in place.
2. design/install distribution and circuit protection for current uses and future expansion
1. Likely this means locating the bus bar and fusing outside of and adjacent to the battery box for better access, however it must then be protected from accidental contact.    
2. it should be easy and safe to disconnect each battery while leaving the other(s) in use.
3. a ATO/ATC "blade" fuse block may be required for some low-current accessory connections.   
3. Improve the cover
1. Cut the existing cover in a fore and aft direction. 
2. Incorporate a tool-less means of securing the cover so that either side can be quickly accessed. 
3. Ensure that terminal fuses can be inspected and replaced from the port side.   
4. Incorporate storage into any unused space if possible.
5. Insulate the interior sides of the battery box to reduce the risk of contact with a live conductor.
6. Provide clearly marked storage for spare fuses nearby.

The Physical part - Thinking inside the box.

Due to the size and shape of the batteries and the restricted access to the box, satisfying the above critieria is trickier than it first appears.  Particularly item 1.6, as the batteries must be placed in the box in a fore-and aft orientation  and then rotated atwhartships if that is the intent.  This creates a bit of an assembly puzzle.   I decided to create a mdf mock up of the box and batteries in the shop to experiment with different approaches.  

I ultimately decided to arrange the batteries as pictured, with a hold down system comprising several oak rails.   I firmly bolted two 2" wide rails 2" above the bottom, at either end of the box.  In the photo these can be seen at each end of the narrow ends of the box. Note that the postive terminals are at what will be the forward end of the box.   The 2" space around the perimeter creates a protected space for the cables and potentially terminal fuses. 

30" long, 2"X2"  movable rails, running the length of the box, are placed in the empty box,  under the raised. fixed rails, which then prevent them from lifting.  The batteries are placed between these.  A ratchet strap can be looped around these movable rails to secure the house batteries.   Wooden blocks can be used in the remaining space to further secure movable rails (and therefore the batteries) laterally.  No tools required.

Parts of Oak

The mdf protoype worked well, so a more refined version was committed to red oak.  Will post pics when the varnish dries.   You can see the short end rails with the M8 bolt holes, and the movable rails with the added refinement of a cleat to secure the hold down strap.  

The Electrical Part - Safe and Simple?

Circuit Protection at Battery box

https://marinehowto.com/battery-banks-over-current-protection/

Based on the info above and the cabling already in place, the following circuit protection should be incorporated. 

1. Battery 1 terminal fuses @150a
2. Battery 2 terminal fuses @150a
3. Inverter charger 1600w/70a (100A)
4. Small inverter.  (40A)
5. 70A Alternator via smart regulator (verify cable, regulator output)
6. House loads (125A per dwg, s/b fused already - where?)
7. Future water maker (100A circuit?)
8. 200W (450W future) PV (50a)
9. 200W Sailgen (50a) 
10. Wind (50a)  **  The wind generator may be retired.

That’s a lot….  Too much in fact.   It will be consolidated.

Bus bars, circuit protection and monitoring

After having purchased the necessary bus bars and breakers to upgrade the DC distribution, I struggled to design a safe and compact electrical layout that would work in the limited space available.  This brought me back to Victon, and their Lynx range.   I had previously ruled this out as being much too expensive, but...   it isn't.     While the lynx shunt wasn't absolutely necessary it provided the opportunity to further consolidate components.   The Lynx Power-In has been "hacked" to incorporate fuses.  (google it) 

The larger fuses and breakers are of a type and rating to protect in the event of a dead short.   This is a topic worth investigating.    So, I wet about building a sub assembly on a piece of scrap polycarbonate that could be fastened to the side of the battery box.   

This too tok some thought.  

 Below you can see the space around the perimeter of the batteries and the oval holes at either end for the battery cables.     The pairs of battery cables will fasten the bus bars (red and black covers in the photo.)  There is very little cable exposed.  

There are fuses on each battery terminal and a very fast fuse in the lynx shunt.  

All other cabling will enter at the bottom of the Lynx power in, where it connects to a fuse and the bus bar.  The shunt is correctly located between all grounds and the battery Hopefully I can simplify and remove some of the massive amount of cabling and trunking that runs beside the battery box!  

Notes

Fuses required 

CNN350DIN.   Fast fuse for dead short, in lynx shunt.

Mbrf for terminal fuse disconnect battery.  There is a problem here in that either end of the wire will remain live.  For disconnect it should be at the lynx shunt.  

Mega (50.8mm) fuses within the lynx shunt.  

Littelfuse makes mega/AMG fuses as low as 40a

 

Eclectic Energy Sail-Gen Repair and re-think

Sept 24 update   

A shout out - again - to the team at Eclectic Energy.   Thanks for the great after-sale support.  

With the help of Eclectic Energy, a heavy workbench and a long lever, the bent yoke is now back to its original shape.  It is much more malleable than I expected.  Next I will have the damage to the locking pin area welded, and redrill the locking pin hole.  Prime and paint at the boat.  

How to reduce the risk of damage?

I had assumed the Sail-Gen was damaged by contact with something in the water, however as I worked in the transom area, I realized that the location is quite vulnerable, and that the Sail-Gen was most likely hit or entangled while raised.    Because it had been hard-wired, it was permanently hung off the corner of the transom, exposed to both UV degradation and physical damage.  The Sail-Gen installation could be improved with some kind of detachable connector system so that it can be moved and stowed to a more protected location when not in use. (which is most of the time)  This is contrary to the instructions in the manual, which recommends it be hard-wired and left permanently in place.  .   

I also note that it is located so far off centre to port, it may only work well on a starboard tack.

Connecting the Sail-Gen

Is there an IEC 309 product available?  In the Euro market, the "blue plug" is commonly used for 250VAC.  While I could use a cheap, widely available blue plug (male) on the 14VDC sail gen, mating it with a 12VDC flanged receptacle (female) on the transom, that blue outlet on the transom would appear to most to be a 250VAC shore power connection.  While the  female-female gender-mismatch would most likely prevent an accidental AC shore power connection to the DC system, finding a more foolproof solution by using the correct (or at least different) configuration would be best.    Below is a screenshot from Wikipedia, showing the smaller IEC 60309 connector form factors.   The violet one is the corrct configuration.   It may only exist in the standards documentation.

As noted by Peter at Eclectic Energy, the 600V 10/2 round boat cable used is built to a CSA/UL standard.  (UL1426)  Even here in North America, is not widely available.   Fortunately, after after some searching,  I was able to order some. 

June 2024 update 

- I have ordered some Sail-Gen repair parts from Eclectic Energy, who were very helpful, responsive and professional.  The parts arrived promplty and the communication ws thoughtful and thorough.   Thanks Peter and Agnieszka!

I will disassemble the unit when I return to the boat and bring the housing and yoke home for repari/renewal, and will reassemble when I return next time.  

https://eclectic-energy.co.uk/products/sail-gen/

Sail-Gen

To the fine folks at Eclectic Energy in the UK, regarding the Sail-Gen:

Sakura was equipped with this rather cool power source when acquired.   It was noted in the survey that its 10/2 600v boat cable was too short, and required more slack.  I had intended to replace the cable to accomplish this.

However....the unit could not be removed, due to previously unnoticed collision damage that had broken a locking pin, leaving part of the pin trapped in a self-created void worn between two parts, fiendishly preventing their seperation. I did finally get it apart by further damaging a damaged bracket. 

At a minimum I need to replace or repair:

• The twisted yoke that holds the unit.
• The transom bracket
• The pin used to secure said yoke into said bracket.
• various nylon bushings, and other normal renewal parts.
• the cable

Will need to know the parts required, and their cost.   

Many thanks!

Dave

 

Hello Dave

 

Thank you for your message and the photographs.

 

This combination of D400 and Sail-Gen does work very well.  If you are aware of Jimmy Cornell, the sailing author.  He fitted this combination to his yacht Aventura 4 with which he completed a transit of the North West Passage.

 

There maybe nothing wrong with the D400.  You may wish to read the manual before unlashing the blades.  If the original manuals are missing they can be downloaded from the Eclectic website.

 

As you point out the yoke and c bracket assembly of the Sail-Gen have suffered damage.  It maybe possible to bend the yoke into better alignment as the alloy used is malleable.  In this case you would require a new c bracket assembly 90051 170.11 GBP.

 

If you choose to replace both c bracket and yoke this is part 90008 and the cost is 486.62 GBP

 

All prices are exclusive of shipping and any duties/taxes which may be payable.

 

If you wish to proceed, please provide a full delivery address and telephone number and we will provide a proforma invoice.

 

Note the output cable used for Sail-Gen is of an American manufacture and may not be easy to source.  Also, we would not recommend opening the alternator unless there is a compelling reason to do so.  This is to maintain the seal formed by the cable gland on the cable and the seal between the two parts of the housing.  Given this it would be better to extend the output cable using a waterproof connector or waterproof cable joining system.

 

I hope the above is helpful.

Best Regards

Peter Anderson

Director
Eclectic Energy Ltd
Tel: +44 1623 835400
Fax: +44 1623 860617

Registered in England: No. 3883495
Registered Office: Unit 22 Sherwood Network Centre,
Sherwood Energy Village, Ollerton, Notts. NG22 9FD, United Kingdom
VAT No: GB 738 1449 18
If you are not the intended recipient, please notify us and delete this e-mail.
www.eclectic-energy.co.uk www.duogen.co.uk

The unit, locked together by a piece of broken pin.

The void worn by the broken pin.
 

The broken pin itself, the hollow it wore into the bracket, and the broken press-fit threaded collar

The bent yoke.   One arm is quite distorted.  The unit still pivoted on its yoke.

Engraving

This post is of limited technical value, but it's a shout out to Orion Engrave in Willemstad.  I have been to Willemstadt many times now and am impressed every time with the calibre of businesses there, the ease of doing business, and the range of services available.   I live in Metropolitan Toronto, (3rd largest metropolis in North America) and I have been able to get many things done well and secure parts and materials with less effort, more quickly via the entrepreneurs in Willemstadt than here at home with the corporate suppliers that often dominate the landscape.  Masha danki Korsou!

Engraving

As Sakura is now a Canadian-flagged vessel, she has to comply with a few new and arcane rules.  Among these is having her "official number" and her "Net Registered Tonnage" in letters 4cm high, affixed to some visible internal place,and difficult to remove or obscure.   I took some liberties with the font size and had the required information engraved onto a brass tonnage plate, salvaged from another Canadian vessel that was scrapped. (The plate was easy to remove and the less than 4 cm high engraved numbers were easily sanded off. ) 

The new engraving was done by ‘Orion Engrave’ in Willemstadt.  Nice shop, with a capable but literal-minded owner.  The text is not centred and was done EXACTLY as laid out on my drawing.  My bad.... 

While the font size isn't quite compliant, it is deeply engraved and difficult to obscure.  I will  fasten this plate with Robertson screws, the seldom-used yellow-handled size that sometimes frustrates tradesmen.  This will be difficult for anyone outside of Canada to remove, and should therefore comply with Canadian regulations. ;-)  

Locks and keys, small detail, deep rabbit hole.

Quest for duplicate keys 

Sakura came with a pile of keys, none labelled, and only one for the main hatch.   I sorted out the lot, tagged them all, and decided I should have duplicates for each and a few extras for the main hatch.

 “In 33 years I have never seen that key”.   Thus spake the learned locksmith at Kennedy's locksmith in Willemstadt.  Not surprising and I'm sure he knows his stuff.    I will order blanks and have him cut them on my next visit.  (There's always something that has to wait till next time.)

Here's an enlightening exchange on the alubat FB group.   Thanks Mac!

The conversation continued.  My thanks to Alubat FB group members for providing assurance that this is a common key (and for cheap locks!) in Europe, and particularly to Anne-Marie, who photographed her recently-cut keys, their manufacturer and part number  Silca UL060.   

Which cross-references to JMA U-2D, a part number which seems to exist in North America, however is not commonly available as such.  
https://www.keyblankdepot.com/product_p/jma3355.htm
$7 for the keys, $75 to ship from Texas to Canada!

Bill F later indicated that an Ilco (a brand commonly available in Canada) 997B worked. 

So, following the next cross-reference trail from Ilco 997B, leads to yale 7D, and another online source.  https://www.clksupplies.com/products/997b-yale-key  I have emailed some local suppliers on this SKU.  

Apparently the following are equivalents:

ANIS A21
CANAS UVS2
CEA UN10
CHARLES BIRCH 5851
ERREBI U4PD
JMA U-2D
KEY-LINE UN4PD
KIS U20
LOTUS UV4
ORION UNL4P

Silca: UL060
Silca: ULO60
JMA: U-2D
JMA: U2D
KL: UN4PD
Orion: UNL4P
CEA: UN10
Anis: A21
Lotus: UV4
C Birch Hook: 585

Add (possibly) for North America
Ilco 997B
Yale 7D

NMEA 2000, instruments and autopilot

This network was completed and operational in Sept 2024.   The drawing was done in Maretron's N2K builder.  Not perfect but very cool!

Final refinement and troubleshooting was completed in August 2024, having been slowed by a defective 4-port splitter block and a still silent radar.   MMSI  numbers now entered except for the NAIS500 which requires $100 at a dealer to do the following:

I should note that all other data in the NAIS500 can be entered by the owner, they lock out only the MMSI and force you to the dealer….

June 9, 2024

The Zeus3 7" will go above the companionway in the now-vacant instrument housing, where there is just enough space to install it.   Probably a good thing as it's typically my favourite seat.  Made the replacement instrument panel, thinner than the original.  (It’s what the supplier had in stock.).  This will house the Zeus3 7” MFD.  It should just fit.   (it does!  Perfectly.) 

This small pod will be retained for a possible autopilot controller, or?

 

Jan 2024 post

Have purchased a DST810 sensor, WS230 wireless wind, and second Zeus3 display for the helm. (all N2K)    This will replace the existing autopilot controller as well as provide full info display at the helm.   (Later:  didn’t fit at the helm, and I didn’t like adding the massive pod required.  It’ll go over the companionway.  Probably didn’t need it but it does provide a good instrument display and autopilot control.  )

Now all that is needed is to resolve the autopilot and troubleshoot the radar.  Radar:   https://www.bandg.com/help--support/?stPage=contentListPage-1

may need an adaptor to eliminate the junction box - 000-0127-56

Nov 2023 Post

Sakura has some relatively current electronics (gps, radar, chartplotter/mfd, sonar, ais, vhf, satphone) but also retains the original Raytheon autopilot, depth/speed/wind instruments.   Wind data is currently not displaying, I would assume the sensor is malfunctioning.   The older instruments are otherwise functional but do not fully integrate with the new.   The autopilot technology in particular has improved significantly and is therefore on the upgrade list.

New(ish) - 

• Raymarine Ray53 VHF
• B&G zeus broadband 4G Radar
• B&G zeus3-9 worldmap MFD
• B&G NAIS-500 class b AIS transceiver
• B&G GPS-500 GPS antenna

Old - to upgrade

• Raytheon autopilot 
• ST60 Depth, speed, wind