Hairline crack in centerboard, time to replace?

caprintx

Member
Hello sailors. I'm the proud third owner of mod 1 Capri 14.2 hull #880. The boat has been very well kept, but one thing I missed when inspecting the boat was a hairline crack in the centerboard (CB). After two outings, the crack has become much more pronounced.

Looking for advice on whether or not to replace the CB ($500 via Catalina Direct)? Or should I attempt to repair with epoxy and fiberglass cloth?

As is, I am imagining the boat capsizing someday and pulling on the CB to right the boat only to have the CB break completely off.

Thanks for any and all advice.
 

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Sure looks like the result of some rough capsize recovery operations. Based on the cost of a new replacement; repair seems like a viable option and probably a good opportunity to beef up that area with some carbon fiber cloth instead of fiber glass. The important thing is to not overload the cloth with the Epoxy.
Just my 2 cents worth. Cheers!
 
Sure looks like the result of some rough capsize recovery operations. Based on the cost of a new replacement; repair seems like a viable option and probably a good opportunity to beef up that area with some carbon fiber cloth instead of fiber glass. The important thing is to not overload the cloth with the Epoxy.
Just my 2 cents worth. Cheers!

Thanks for the advice. Is the centerboard removed by simply unscrewing the four screws on the stainless pivot plate? I'm guessing they're screwed into wood under the deck? Or are they machine screws with bolts? Should I expect to encounter marine adhesive holding the stainless plate in place?

Thanks again!
 
Should not encounter too much adhesive though you never know what people did over the years. Take the four out and the plates should come right off. Good news is no center board truck so it can come out into the boat instead of out the bottom.
Note the space on both side of the slot. You can't make repairs to the center board that make it wider. You must grind it down and repair ending up with the same thickness.
 
Should not encounter too much adhesive though you never know what people did over the years. Take the four out and the plates should come right off. Good news is no center board truck so it can come out into the boat instead of out the bottom.
Note the space on both side of the slot. You can't make repairs to the center board that make it wider. You must grind it down and repair ending up with the same thickness.
I have a good replacement center board with fittings for $200. Give me a yell if you're interested. My boat was smashed by a 70' pine tree! [email protected]
 
The center board comes off by unscrewing the 4 screws. They are machine screws on the Catalina Expo 14.2 with nuts welded onto a plate beneath (I would guess). I'd buy the used board from Al W above if it were me. This looks like a crack that is bound to continue failing unless the job is done right. I had a Hunter 240 with a rudder that was cracked along the trailing edge for almost the entire length. I suspect water got inside the rudder somehow and when it froze in the winter, the ice expanded cracking the rudder from the inside out. Rather than replace the rudder or have a body shop make an expensive repair, I widened the crack with a Dremil tool, and poured epoxy resin in the crack about 3 times until eventually filling it. I rounded off the last pour after it hardened and painted the whole rudder. Never got a chance to see if the repair worked, as I sold the boat before I could use it again, but I suspect the repair was good since I poured about a pint of resin inside the rudder strengthening everything inside.
 

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