Daggerboard Ideas

Over the years, my mahogany daggerboard has worn-away some of its trailing edge. I'm wondering what alternative materials can be used, as I'm no longer racing sail boats.

Marine plywood? Oak? Aluminum? Cast iron would be too heavy.

But while cast iron did occur to me sailing yesterday as a possibility, I was also wondering if using a waterlogged daggerboard was legal in Sunfish racing. (Always the racer).

Also, I recall that someone suggested that another four inches can be added to its length. While that sounds like a lot, it's pretty deep where I sail, and wouldn't mind the extra lift. Any thoughts?

Go to your local hardwood dealer and get a piece of mahogany to make a new board (about 1" x 10" x 48") the length you want since you are not racing. Make sure it is not too thick or it won't fit in the slot. Diagrams and demensions are in the rules. Also get enough wood to make your handles. Trace the old board onto the new material and cut to shape. After planing the edges smooth, I used a router to round over the edges. I left the leading edge round (long edge) and tapered the trailing edge to about 1/8" thick. I used 2 pieces of Walnut for my handles, glued and screwed on.

The plywood I have seen warp and delaminate, all the metal boards will sink, oak has large pores that will need filling when finishing. The waterlogged board may swell and get stuck in the slot and is on its way to rotting away.

cast iron? Somebody's been trying to lift a Flying Scot centerboard...LOL
I agree plywood and most woods are out. Warpage and swelling (we had to Dremmel one out) are too common.
But that old board can be saved. I've remade several good "fat" boards from old worn out daggerboards and some West System. Two years ago I made a pair of "new boards" from old ones. A couple of holes in the end, some threaded stainless rod for stiffener and again the West Sytem and presto boards with profiles identical in length and shape to the new plastic fantastic daggerboards. Nor legal for racing but there are a couple of kids that can keep up with the others now with newer boats.
I even made one that was 10 inches over the old stock length. A pain to get in and out, but any boat with it in it would out pinch & point anything else.
IIRC that makes the board the area that Oddy calculated would be optimum for the Sunfish rig. It just gets stuck in the bottom in depths you can launch from and stick up too far when running.

Someone on eBay is selling "home-made" polypropylene daggerboards & rudder blades , interesting , obviously non-race legal , but I've no idea if they're any good or not.

isleofwightlen said:

Someone on eBay is selling "home-made" polypropylene daggerboards & rudder blades , interesting , obviously non-race legal , but I've no idea if they're any good or not.

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That doesn't sound like a bad idea. Maybe not for racing, but it sounds like something that would last a long time. Don't have to worry about it splitting, warping, or sinking.

isleofwightlen said:

"...but I've no idea if they're any good or not..."

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Rudder blades, maybe.

Polypropylene isn't really a strong enough daggerboard material to put one's weight on when righting a Sunfish from capsize. While it's hard to break, it'll bend.

As suggested by somebody, the West System is excellent and is a very good recommendation. However, it is amazing what can be done with MarineTex. I had a Flying Dutchman with a wooden centerboard that had the trailing edge beat up -- three to four inche sections broken out. I put it on some waxed paper with it clamped down so that any MarineTex would solidify following the lines of the down side of the board. That means that most of the finish sanding only has to be done on one side. Also, keep in mind that there is a period of time when the MarineTex is no longer sticky or putty-like, but yet not hard as a rock either. During that period of time it is relatively easy to sand. (That's approximately an hour after the MarineTex was mixed.) (Another tip on MarineTex is to mix the whole thing. Don't try to mix partial quantities -- it's very easy to go wrong on that.) I often use a baster metal file for sanding. Yes, metal file. They work great, although you will wear them out rather quickly on MarineTex. But then they make a good finish file.

i agree marine tex is awsome stuff!