Centerboard of DOOM!

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Re: Centerboard of DOOM!

Postby DanaDCole on Wed Sep 09, 2015 3:21 pm

This is starting to worry me. I'm thinking I should remove the keel trough and replace it with two flat rollers like the one at the aft end of the trailer. This would accomplish three things, a little less wear on the keel when launching and recovering, better drainage, and access to the keel for inspection and repairs. I'm going to write Trailex about this and see if they think it's feasible and how much the rollers and their supposrt brackets would cost.
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Re: Centerboard of DOOM!

Postby DanaDCole on Wed Sep 09, 2015 4:03 pm

Following is a copy of an email I sent to Trailex and CC'd to John Harris:

Dear sirs:

I have purchased the trailer (model TX-916PS) that was custom designed for the Chesapeake Light Craft PocketShip. Recently I have read several posts on the PocketShip builders forum about wear and tear to the bottom of the keel that in some cases has worn away the fiberglass allowing water infiltration and damage to the keel and/or centerboard trunk. A tiny bit of this wear may be due to sliding in and out of the keel trough on the trailer, but I’m sure most of it is caused by underwater rocks and debris the boats encounter.

It seems to me there are problems caused by the keel trough. E.g., if there is extensive wear in the keel area it sits on wet carpet and can’t adequately drain. There is no way to inspect the keel after the boat is on the trailer and there is no way to get at it other than buying some kind of expensive lift system.

With all that in mind, a possible modification might be to replace the keel trough with two more flat rollers like the one at the aft end of the trailer, just behind the trough. The advantage of that modification is not only a solution to the above mentioned problems, but also the ability to roll the boat a few inches forward and aft to get total access and for repairs and re-painting. The t-bolts needed for this mod are already present, holding the brackets for the trough.

There is also the possibility, though, that the rollers may not provide adequate support all along the length of the keel as the trough does, and could create too much of a strain when bouncing along on roads. For this reason, I am also sending a copy of this message to John Harris, designer of the boat, for his evaluation.

In the meantime, I would like to solicit your opinion of this idea along with a quote of the cost of the two rollers and support brackets (they would be exactly the same as the one at the rear of the trailer).

Yours,
Dana Cole
(405) 410-5535
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Re: Centerboard of DOOM!

Postby JonLee on Thu Sep 10, 2015 9:34 am

The breach in the epoxy was just at the bottom of the keel, so water was getting lapped up via the "endgrain" edge of the plywood. The one "for sure" spot that I found was about at the midpoint of the centerboard slot lengthwise, and actually on the outboard edge of the keel. I have been known to be a flagrant violator of maxims such as "always keep your sander flat against the surface" and "don't use a power sander on edges," and in this case, I was roundly punished for my transgressions.

In addition to patching and resealing the one clearly obvious spot, I also overreacted and hit everything within 2" of the centerboard slot (around the keel, and yes, up into the slot) with several coats of epoxy. I don't expect any more problems. I hope.

Now I wish I had registered for the Wooden Boat Festival in Port Townsend...if only I knew I'd have an operational boat in time!
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Re: Centerboard of DOOM!

Postby mark48 on Mon Jan 04, 2016 12:30 pm

Greetings,

I've read this thread about centerboards and C/B trunks leaking, etc., and I'm as determined as I can be to avoid problems in this area. Famous last words!

The manual directs us to fiberglass the centerboard such that the glass "overhangs on all sides" (pg 55), and the plans show the glass wrapping around the leading bullet-nosed edge while it fuses into the thickened epoxy fill on the trailing CB edge (without wrapping around that edge).

My questions: What does one do with the fiberglass around the other CB edges (i.e., those which are not shaped but are square in cross section)? Do we relieve those edges with a quarter-round router bit so fiberglass can wrap around the curved edge? And how doe one wrap fiberglass around the leading edge in one application? Or do we glass each side, trim the overhang, sand the leading edges, and then apply a strip of fiberglass tape to the leading edge wrapping it around both sides? Any suggestions on successfully applying fiberglass to such an angled shape while covering it completely to seal out leaks would be much appreciated.

Many, many thanks,
Mark Nunlist
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Re: Centerboard of DOOM!

Postby ddemasie on Mon Jan 04, 2016 2:06 pm

I just finished my final centerboard installation a few weeks ago. Not sure this is 100% correct, but here is what I did:

I did 'round' the leading edge wiht a wwod flour/epoxy mix and sanded down to a smooth curve durigthe building of the centerboard, adn 'sharpened' teh trailing edge per the instuructions.

When was fiber glassing the centertboard, I did overlap both the rounded leading edge and the shapreped trailing edge with the glassd - just used a lot of small 'darts' in the process to get the glass to lay nicely over the rounded and curved edges. My main objective was to strengthen and protect the leading edge - since it is underwater, seems very exposed, and has the potetnial of taking very hard hits from the sea bed, sunken objects, beaching, etc. I am very content that I have done my best to make that leading edge hard and water tight with the epoxy/fiberglass, and multi coats of epoxy on top (all shaped and sanded to keep the leading edge curved, and trailing edge sharp.)

I believe I will want to frequently examine the centerboard for damage since it just seems so vulnerable to hitting anything you sail over.

For the remaining 'non-shaped' sections of the centerboard (the edges between the line that raises and lowers the centerboard, and the pivot pin) I do not see any reason to overlap that all with fiberglass. Just looking at the plans and how the centerboard assembly works, those surfaces are constantly under water, but always protected by the centerboard housing. Those edges are inside the cetnerboard housing whether the centertboard is lowered completely for sailing, or raised for running, trolling, etc. So I just didn't see any need for the super strength that the exposed edges needed.

I just rounded the very sharp edges with a sandpaper block, but then made sure those edges just got 3 or 4 coats of unthickened epoxy to be completely water tight.

i just don't see any big risk on these edges of an impact, I see no places where anything will be rubbing against it, and no need for teh strength of fiberglassing beyond the strength inherent in the plywood/epoxy combination.

Not saying it is 100% right, but that is what I did. ;)
Dennis DeMasie,
Aurora, IL
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Re: Centerboard of DOOM!

Postby DanaDCole on Mon Jan 04, 2016 2:25 pm

On the leading edge and bottom corner of the centerboard I also added some dynel cloth and graphite-impregnated epoxy. These items were left over from a rub strip kit I purchased for my kayak and my hope is they will help protect the leading edge and corner of the centerboard from abrasions.

While sailing last summer I got a little too close to the washboard surface of a ramp and heard the centerboard bouncing on it before I got it raised. Preliminary inspection showed very little damage but I plan to lower and inspect it more thoroughly before the boat hits the water again. If I don't see damage through to wood I will still add some epoxy, just in case.

These inspections and repairs are greatly facilitated by the removal of the bottom board of the keel trough and its replacement by two more rollers (see my post and thread, Modifications to Trailex Trailer). I have the boat set now so that the middle roller prevents the CB from dropping, but I can easily move the bow mount temporarily and roll the boat forward enough to drop it.
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