Glassing the centerboard and rudder.

[Scott Dufour]

Funny part is that with all this thinkin' and figgerin', and graphitin' and leadin', my centerboard still looks like a 6 year old sculpted it. I bet after I sail the thing, I'll find that I chorded it too flat and it stalls at almost any angle of attack!

[Ken_Potts]

I bet once you get it sailing you will find that it moves along nicely. There hasn't been a lifting surface designed that I can't stall but most of you guys are probably better sailors than I am. The good news is when I stall a sail or a centerboard I'm blissfully ignorant of the fact so I still think I'm going like a bat out of... well, you know. The trick is to only race swimmers

Also, I stand corrected on the shot size thing. I was just thinking about the difference between 00 buck shot and #9 and going with my gut feeling that I'd buy the smaller shot. I guess the correct thing to do is buy the cheapest shot.

[swamprat]

Would lead added to the dagger board and rudder on a Spindrift 12 be beneficial? What about the epoxy roped leading edge and graphite? I have never sailed and would like all the help I can get in keeping the boat right side up I have the plans for hull #500 and I want to do it right.

Tom B

[Scott Dufour]

On the D5 pram that I just finished I plan hold the daggerboard down with a bungee cord, so I don't think the lead would help. Plus, a daggerboard needs to be dead-lifted, the lead is heavy, and I'm lazy. I do wish I had used the epoxy-graphite-rope trick, though. As a new sailor, I know I'm going to be banging that leading edge (and probably the trailing edge :shock: ) on the bottom alot.

Others who actually know what they're talking about may differ, though.

[Brent]

Scott, I think you got it right. Adding weight to a dinghy centerboard is going to make it difficult to raise that board. When racing or handling the boat in a tight spot, a nice feature is be able to quickly pull the board up while paying attention to other things as well, like the buoy rounding or the approaching beach. Having a board that floats is an asset in my book.

IMHO, I dont see the added weight to make the board a sinker as really helping to keep the boat upright. A nicely shapped foil will do more good than a few pounds of lead.

[Brent]

To clarify my earlier post:

On a Spindrift or other dagger board boat, having a heavy or eighted dagger board my not be a good idea.

On a CoreSount or similiar centerboard boat, a weighted centerboard might be a good thing. This is probably a matter of personal perference; do you want the boat to be a floater or a sinker. Either way the mechanical advantage of the centerboard rigging will facilitate raising or lowering the board.