The process of getting a centerboard set up just so is frankly a pain. Yesterday I took the new board and found that it was a little too thick for it to retract completely. So I sanded the wooden shims down - took about 7-8 trips back and forth between the boat and the power supply for the sander before it would retract properly, but then it had too much play in it when it was down. So I placed a little bit of glass on the lower forward part of the centerboard head, hoping that it would keep the board from wiggling. It mostly worked except that now the board won't retract again, but instead of binding at 45 degrees like it did the first time, it's now about 5-10 degrees. So I have a little more sanding to do.
I replaced a black rubber roller on the trailer with a wider, clear roller as well as the black bow support with a new gray one, so hopefully black scuff marks on the hull will now be a thing of the past. While I was playing games with the centerboard, Kathy cleaned and wet sanded the hull. If I can get the centerboard working tonight and sand the surface to a smooth, non-paint-flaking consistency, I think I can use it tomorrow... I hope the performance is better than the original board.
Posted by Bob at June 8, 2004 10:30 AM