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Carlita goes under the knife


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I have been considering all summer whether to increase the size of the centerboard or not. I have a window of opportunity and went with it.

 

The pre-op went well and yesterday the surgery got going in earnest. The picture shows that the aft end of the trunk has been removed and part of the cockpit sole was taken out to allow for working on the inside of the trunk extension and the slot has been extended. The top edge of the picture shows the beginning of the scarf cut into the trunk cap. The mizzen mast step is in the upper right of the picture. 

 

It is a good day for epoxy so I am heading to the shop to start building the trunk back.

 

Tomorrow I plan to lift the boat and remove the board so that  the ballast tip can be removed and a 12" piece be added and the tip put back on.

 

The cockpit sides and trunk were left in primer until I finish this job.

post-127-0-20774600-1482076766_thumb.jpg

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I haven't talked to Graham about it but will make a guess.  Carlita has considerably more sail area than the standard CS 17.  Unless the CB of Carlita was increased in area to balance the side force from the greater sail area, it may not be quite large enough in a blow.  Easiest way to do this while maintaining the same interior room is to make the CB longer.  Carlita may (likely) also have squeezed in more sail area than a standard CS17 MK3 for racing the EC.  Could possibly also have weight deeper for more righting moment.  Just speculation but will hear what Graham has to say.

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I am lengthening the board because the boat makes a bit more leeway than I like. I usually err on the larger end of the spectrum accepting a wetted surface penalty versus leeway but weighing up the pros and cons I went a bit too far the other way. She was well balanced and steered for about 70 miles to windward with the helm tied during this years EC. As the board goes vertical when down the extension should not make much different with balance. It will make some difference with the board half way up but I will have another EC to get to know how it worked out. 

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Chick, 

 

Anyone who knows me knows that I am against leeway. If I was the legislator in chief I would work both sides of the aisle pass a law against it. Until then I will do whatever I can to avoid it.

 

Kidding aside, during my summer and fall sails I was starting to think that it was not as bad as I thought and I might not bother to change it  but I got another race coming up which got me fired to make it as good as I can. It will now probably a downwind year.

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Chick, 

 

Anyone who knows me knows that I am against leeway. If I was the legislator in chief I would work both sides of the aisle pass a law against it. Until then I will do whatever I can to avoid it.

 

Kidding aside, during my summer and fall sails I was starting to think that it was not as bad as I thought and I might not bother to change it  but I got another race coming up which got me fired to make it as good as I can. It will now probably a downwind year.

Man, G, you are about the coolest guy ever.

By the by, I might have used a saw rather than a knife. ;)

Oh, you know I'm not going to wish you plenty of headwinds, right? How about a nice reach, so you can use the board, but don't need it?

Peace,

Robert

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Beacher asks "How would this apply to other cs boats?" 

Not at all. This was a design consideration in only the CS-!7 Mk-2. As Graham says: "I usually err on the larger end of the spectrum accepting a wetted surface penalty versus leeway but weighing up the pros and cons I went a bit too far the other way."

 

Summer Breeze has been a bit worried that I was gonna put her "under the knife" too. (OK, Tiger, under the saw...") She's been shivering and quaking every time I walk past her. I've assured her that she has no need to worry. I'm satisfied with her windward behavior. If ever we are in a tight spot where a little too much leeway is a problem, I'll just fire up Mr. Zuki. He's always willing to help out.

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Chick, so you're suggesting the outboard has distinct taxonomic attributes? I have to admit with some hesitance, I treat mine as hermaphroditic. The classic example being calling it a good girl, when she starts up on the first pull or crank, while also yelling "you sonofabitch" when it refuses to go into reverse (or similar).

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post-127-0-81485400-1482684052_thumb.jpgpost-127-0-43211900-1482684078_thumb.jpgProgress has been steady . I have been getting some work done between Christmas celebrations, I will get back at it tomorrow.

 

Carlita was lifted off of the trailer and set on her side on some blocking on the floor. I kept the cum-alongs in place and added a couple of props under the keel. This allowed easy removal of the centerboard and after adding the extension I was able to fine fit it to the trunk before gluing the ballast tip onto the extension.

 

I was impressed with how hard it was to remove the lead tip. I have had builders getting concerned that there were no bolts connecting the lead tip to the board. You can see the stub where I was able to peel back the layer of glass tape and the layer of glass sheathing with the heat gun and a blade. I must not have gotten enough heat into the lead because I broke wood fibers as it I broke it off.

 

There were couple of issues that came up, both caused by me. In my desperate rush to get her to the EC in time I did not seal the top end of the board. It looks like there was only one coat of epoxy and it looks quite porous. The first indication of an issue was that the board was a lot tighter in the trunk than it was. The end grain allowed moisture in and there was some swelling. The rest of the board except for a couple of dings from the trailer where I forgot to raise it before launching was as good as when built. I now have the time and will get it done right this time. The other issue was the keel did not even get a coat of epoxy and it is pretty nasty. It has started to be dressed up and will be well sealed and be capped with 3/4" hollow back Stainless steel. The other job that was not done was fairing the bottom, I will start on it soon.

 

I am off to a Christmas dinner. Merry Christmas to everyone.

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