Daggerboard sticking in trunk

moogmania

New Member
I bought a 1984 Sunfish, and the wooden daggerboard gets stuck about 3/4 the way in. I started sanding it down, since the previous owner put some thick paint on, but then I measured the thickest parts, and it is all within the 27/32nds of an inch from the specs.

It looks like the top of the trunk has a lip that is not flush with the middle part. Perhaps the prev owner did some repairs and laid epoxy too thick? Should the daggerboard trunk be the same width throughout, or is the lip supposed to be there?

I'm guessing my next move is to either sand down the inside of the trunk, or plane the daggerboard down more to fit. Thanks for your advice.
 

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Yup.

The lip repair is made with "matt" fiberglass (straight strands) which I haven't found anywhere in factory Sunfish. Use a backing board with sandpaper and remove some of the older repair and check the fit—'til the board gets loose. :)
 
One of the handiest tools in my box is a farrier's hoof rasp, available at Tractor Supply. Not real cheap, but big and stiff, with very coarse side and a less aggressive side. For this issue, I would tape over the rasp side and use the file side on your too thick trunk epoxy & glass issue. the large size will provide easy grip and control, a long reach, and fast removal. pricy tool for one off, but I have found a thousand uses for those rasps. (gave up shoeing long ago - a young guys game.)
 
Update: I tried sanding blocks, sandpaper, and securing sandpaper to a stick, which all made for a lot of work with little progress. I bought this tiny drum sander attachment for my power drill, and it was done in 5 minutes. Daggerboard sticks no more!
 
(gave up shoeing long ago - a young guys game.)

I said the same thing about skateboarding... but only after I beat myself half to death at Show Low Skatepark while "reliving my youth." Truth be told, I DID get some frontside grinders in the park at double-nickel (age 55), but I also picked up a nasty hipper (painful raspberry which lasted a week), and I slammed my shoulder hard during another wipeout (that pain lasted a month). That concrete hasn't gotten any softer over the years, lemme tell ya. Donated the board to some wide-eyed kid before I wound up in traction at the hospital... that was a fast poolriding board I set up too, I hope that kid didn't break his neck on it. Anyway, a rasp is a good tool, I recommend one (or a set of rasps of different shape & size ) to anybody routinely doing boat work, it'll definitely come in handy. :cool:

We have farriers here in Cochise County, lots of "horse people" here... the farriers make a living, but the guys & gals who make those tooled leather saddles and whatnot, they're the ones who REALLY make bank. Some of those saddles go for $12K and up, and the leather tooling is amazing. Moi, I can't afford a horse, let alone a $12K saddle, but I enjoy seeing riders on the trails... last time I visited the Stronghold (West Side), I saw a whole file of riders cruising along a trail beneath the crags... reliving the Old West, no doubt. Looked like a scene from a Western flick... it was pretty cool. I was far enough away to not disturb the horses, just having a cold beer while leaning against the hood of my car and enjoying the magnificent overall view. :rolleyes:
 
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I just put my boat in for the first time this season. Last year I about a new dagger board from sunfish direct that worked great... (i had only had this Fish for a year before that, have had others). The new board would go in and out with great ease.
When i put it in this year... I had to "force" it down all the way just like OP. Getting it out... wow... I had to use a pry bar from the top and a rubber mallet from the bottom..... I know the hull has some water in... and probably did all off season... could the fiberglass trunk have swollen? Pretty familiar with fiberglass, etc... but not really with the inside of the sunfish, i thought it was all glass with some closed cell foam.. so not sure what could have swollen.... Could the board have swollen over time????
Thanks!
 
Could water have froze inside the boat? I had different brand of boat with a centerboard trunk and it had been sitting in a barn for years. I believe it had some trapped water and over time, pushed the centerboard walls, creating a similar problem. The centerboard stayed the same but the slot slightly decreased.
 
Could water have froze inside the boat? I had different brand of boat with a centerboard trunk and it had been sitting in a barn for years. I believe it had some trapped water and over time, pushed the centerboard walls, creating a similar problem. The centerboard stayed the same but the slot slightly decreased.


Wow very possible..... but i am in Atlanta, GA and we had a pretty middle winter, but definitely got below freezing some nights...

now what would the fix for that be??? seems like it is tighter fore and aft because that is where the "drag marks" are after removal....

Would hate to just pry it at it, but not ready to take the deck off in the middle of summer......

I have a different sunfish at my friends house I might try the board and and take his board and try in mine.
 

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