refinishing wood dagger and rudder

barnmom

Member
Hi all. It's been a wonderful summer (in a terrible year in our country) sailing on my 4 year old fish on the bay three or four times a week. My bay is very shallow at times and I have tarnished the wood boards a bit due to dragging them through the sand. Wondering if anyone can recommend a sanding and varnishing technique (for dummies please) that can keep me dreaming of next summer's sunfish joys. Thanks in advance.
 
If the daggerboard finish is otherwise in good shape I’d sand down the rough or crunched end with an 80 grit, shaping as necessary, then a mid grade and finishing (sanding the whole board) down to a 220 grit. Wipe with a tack cloth.
I recently refinished a couple of boards and I used an old bank card to fill the end and spread thickened epoxy (Flexpoxy) on the bottom 3” or so. The epoxy is hard and will help protect that vulnerable area. The boards were then varnished with 3 coats of Helmsman spar polyurethane (at your local hardware store). I used 2” foam brushes to apply, with a light sanding of 220 between coats. Good fall/winter maintenance project!
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If the daggerboard finish is otherwise in good shape I’d sand down the rough or crunched end with an 80 grit, shaping as necessary, then a mid grade and finishing (sanding the whole board) down to a 220 grit. Wipe with a tack cloth.
I recently refinished a couple of boards and I used an old bank card to fill the end and spread thickened epoxy (Flexpoxy) on the bottom 3” or so. The epoxy is hard and will help protect that vulnerable area. The boards were then varnished with 3 coats of Helmsman spar polyurethane (at your local hardware store). I used 2” foam brushes to apply, with a light sanding of 220 between coats. Good fall/winter maintenance project!
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Thanks so much. Exactly what I hoped to learn. Your daggerboard looks gorgeous!
 
Thanks so much. Exactly what I hoped to learn. Your daggerboard looks gorgeous!
One more question. My daggerboard is curved. Yours is straight. My boat is four years of. Did they change the daggerboard design for newer boats?
 
The daggerboard design has changed several times over the years. I’ve never owned a boat newer than mid eighties. Curved? I wonder if you have an older (spoon tip) board? Here’s a pic of the Spoon tip, Shadow, and Barrington boards (pic credit to Small Boats Restoration). I think most newer boats use a fiberglass board.
 

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When I bought the boat in 2016 from The Dingy Shop here on Long Island, they offered me a choice of mahogany or fiberglass. I opted for the wood for both the daggerboard and rudder assembly. Did I make a bad decision? I will say I have a lot of daggerboard popping up in windy conditions and when I turn. I tried the rubber stopper things but they always fell off.
 
I don’t think you made a bad decision. I prefer wood, others will prefer fiberglass. Your board will look good as new with a couple coats of varnish. Does the other side of your board have a metal retaining clip? That should help to keep the board down. Clip a bungee through the daggerboard hole, then around the bow handle. That should keep it from riding up.
 
No metal anywhere on board. I do tie bungee with reasonable tension to mast. Next year will study the appropriate tension better. Thanks for this discussion--maybe I will send you picture of the varnished board when we get to it!
 
That board apparently has the same profile as the fibreglass and foam ones. Is it class legal?

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Your board is not class legal, but no matter. And I don’t think it’s supposed to have the metal clip that older boards have. A small piece of Velcro or carpet glued in top forward section of trunk will also help to keep it snug if elastic cord doesn’t do it. Might just have to play with it a bit.
 
Um I don’t know what “class legal” means. Perhaps for racing?
Yes. In the Sunfish class, the foils have to be "builder supplied" (which in practice means dealer supplied). But according to the builder's promo video (at 0:24), both wood and fibreglass are options. As the actual class rules don't mention the material (only the shape), I assume that you can race with either. Class activists should know more :rolleyes:

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Hi, that board is 100 percent class legal. LP switched to only offering composite boards. But they had supply issues and at least for a while started offering wood boards in the same shape. And no, these boards never came with a spring. This board provides vastly better performance than the old wood boards. Not sure how to stop it from floating up a bit - that wood will have buoyancy!
 

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