Humming Along in CT.

[markjojosh]

Hello Everyone,
I just love this site. I'm new to the sport and had a question on my boat. It's an 84 and has seen some hard miles. 2 owners ago there had been some repairs on the starboard side. It looks like it hit some rocks really hard. My question is when I get some speed going the boat starts to humm and gets a little vibration going. Is this normal? or is it due to it's ruff and tumbled history. It's still a fun and dry boat to learn on. Any answers will be greatly appreciated. Thanks Mark

 

[rjsailnsd]

Some of the boats centerboards hum when sailing along at a good speed. It happens because the centerboards shape is not as fair as it could be (symmetrical). The hum is no big deal, but the vibration of the board does effect the boat speed which is only an issue if you are racing the boat. If you take the board out of the boat , apply some 3m fairing compond and reshape the board, the hum will go away.

 

[Ed Jones]

Centerboard hum

Your board may hum only on a reach. If so, it's because there's no side load. You can stop the hum by raising the board somewhat. Only don't raise it in a strong wind as the boat will be less stable.