alternative cs centerboard rigging

[JeffM]

CS builders:

I have begun installing hardware on CS20 #65 Beatrice Ann. I am considering simplifying the cb uphaul and downhaul, which I find is messy and would interfere with my bunk set-up. My most radical idea is to eliminate these entirely, and control the board position with a long stick that would hinge to the cb horn at the foreward end, and have a pin that engages a toothed rack at the aft end. The cb would be adjusted by moving the pin from tooth to tooth in the rack. A hinged extension to the stick would enable me to reach it from the tiller without having it intrude unnecessarily into the aft cockpit. The foreward-most tooth in the rack would leave about 6" of board down, but not prevent the cb from kicking up if it hit an obstruction.

Opinions? Alternatives?

[Gordy Hill]

I cut a 3" hole in the lower part of the centerboard and taped one side. Then I filled it with lead shot and epoxy. In light air it allows the board to ride with more exposure and it rides up easily when it contacts the bottom.

I think the heavier board worked well for me. I sail in really shallow water.

With more wind there's more lateral pressure on the board and it's resistance to movement becomes progressively stronger.

I think your stick will work fine except when you really need it.

[Guest]

So far this has been a great success for me. I have sailed the boat about 12 times and a real pleasure with the weights, around 14 lbs for my size board. I used very heavy biaxall glass to add back the strength of the removal of the wood.

http://www.messing-about.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=2665&start=125

[Charlie Jones]

I would think you'd have problems with the toothed notches getting broken out, particularly if you sailed someplace like around here with MUCHO sandbars, etc. I'd think having it more easily able to kick up would be better.

So why have we always sailed boats with DAGGERBOARDS or fixed keels????

[Brent]

Having bumped into a few things with my centerboard I have come to really value the shock cord feature on the downhaul. Just over the weekend I was in some waters new to me, and it helped my confidence to know that if I bumped into something while crossing the bank the chances of serious damage where minimal.

The rigid stick is clever. If you could integrate a shock cord or similiar flexible compenent into the design you could have the same confidence provided by the ropeworks. Give it a try. Worst case seems to be that if it doesn't turn out to be what you want you can always add a rope system later.

I kept the clearance between centerboard and truck very close to the specifications, and it worked out that there is enough friction there that under most conditions the centerboard stays put without tension on the lanyards.

[JeffM]

Update: After putting DAYS of putting headbanging effort into my custom-designed pin-and-tooth cb hardware, I put it into place on trunk and thwart to admire it and... was horrified at how big and clunky and ugly it looked. So I decided to delay a decision by putting in the minimum of hardware: the uphaul. (I'd figured the board would naturally go down about halfway, and need mainly to be hauled up.) It turns out that my doug fir cb floats completely retracted, so it's a downhaul I needed more. For a few trips I just put a bungee on the horn and brought it to the cam cleat, but it didn't work very well. Now I have a proper downhaul, but with bungee omitted, and the downhaul cleated to a releasing clamcleat from Duckworks. $21 but worth it: its an easy rig to manage, and at the lowest setting, the cleat released without fuss at a gentle touch with the bottom. At no time in an extended trip did it release without the cb making contact.