I posted on the general message board last month that I struck my keel on a submerged object, cracked the trunk, and damaged the hull. This was in December. The boatyard still has the boat, trying to mate the keel with the trunk SNUGLY. I did write to S2 Sailboat Support and they responded, but said they had never had to facilitate a repair. They had no wisdom to impart.
I got two great suggestions when I posted last month, but the boatyard can't seem to implement either the long process of sanding the highspots or seating the keel with the fiberglass still wet. I am crazy for any other thoughts...three months in the boatyard and still not fixed!!!
Appreciate any nuggets of wisdom y'all have to share.
Louise in New Orleans
lulubado@bellsouth.net
Reseating keel after damage to trunk--HOW?
Moderators: Tim Bosma, Tom Elsen
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Jim
Three thoughts:
1) do it yourself. Neither the sanding or wet glass approach is particularly difficult -- just time consuming and messy. Usually getting the board out of the trunk is the hard part and certainly your yard can do that for you.
2) check the shims at the top of the board. Are they fitting snugly? How much does the board wobble if you sail with it partially raised? (Racers do that all the time in lighter winds to reduce wetted surface) Could you add more shims?
3) Somewhere I read that if you want to take a 7.9 into blue water, you should wedge the board down with a piece of 2X4. Would that fix your wobble?
Jim
S27.9 #8
Ambivalence
1) do it yourself. Neither the sanding or wet glass approach is particularly difficult -- just time consuming and messy. Usually getting the board out of the trunk is the hard part and certainly your yard can do that for you.
2) check the shims at the top of the board. Are they fitting snugly? How much does the board wobble if you sail with it partially raised? (Racers do that all the time in lighter winds to reduce wetted surface) Could you add more shims?
3) Somewhere I read that if you want to take a 7.9 into blue water, you should wedge the board down with a piece of 2X4. Would that fix your wobble?
Jim
S27.9 #8
Ambivalence
I find it odd that they can't do the fiberglass lay-up then put the centerboard in. Here's a trick I've used in the past on different and slightly smaller boats.
Cover your daggerboard in a super light coating of grease (or another cheap release "agent"). Then wrap the whole thing (top to bottom) in an extremely snug wrap of plastic-wrap. Reynolds wrap from the grocery store works fine. Put a couple layers on the seating area where it's going to really wedge into the trunk.
Have them lower the centerboard into the trunk immediately after layup, and slowly lower it to the correct height. If you're careful about it, you should be able to do this unless the trunk is so damaged that there isn't enough support to hold the dagger board up.
The plastic wrap will let you hoist your board out clean, and you should have a wonderfully smooth and flat surface inside your trunk.
Did they give you a reason why they couldn't do it wet?
Cover your daggerboard in a super light coating of grease (or another cheap release "agent"). Then wrap the whole thing (top to bottom) in an extremely snug wrap of plastic-wrap. Reynolds wrap from the grocery store works fine. Put a couple layers on the seating area where it's going to really wedge into the trunk.
Have them lower the centerboard into the trunk immediately after layup, and slowly lower it to the correct height. If you're careful about it, you should be able to do this unless the trunk is so damaged that there isn't enough support to hold the dagger board up.
The plastic wrap will let you hoist your board out clean, and you should have a wonderfully smooth and flat surface inside your trunk.
Did they give you a reason why they couldn't do it wet?
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Dave Grover
- Posts: 9
- Joined: Thu Jan 16, 2003 1:43 pm