snipe centerboard weight

[fercammo]

is the weight of the centerboard important on a snipe? i built a very light one from polycarbonate dont know if its going to work correctly. does any body know about this topic?

fernando

[CutOnce]

Originally Posted by fercammo

is the weight of the centerboard important on a snipe? i built a very light one from polycarbonate dont know if its going to work correctly. does any body know about this topic?

fernando

If you use a daggerboard that is not aluminum (new style) or steel (old style) your boat will not be a Snipe. The original design was with a steel plate (which weighed a lot) and it was amended to an aluminum plate (about half the weight). If you ever race your boat, it will not measure in without one of the two accepted metal blades. Serious racers have all abandoned the steel plates for aluminum. I have a steel plate for mine.

The class website has very specific rules regarding shape, weight, materials and allowed edge fairing of the plate metal used.

If you aren't racing your boat, your board may work fine. The daggerboard trunk is designed for 1/4 inch plate, therefore unless you have changed the trunk, a polycarbonate blade will not be strong enough in sheer strength at the same dimension. It will also be much easier to fracture and shatter on impact.

I think my steel plate weighs between 75 to 85 pounds (around 35 kilos).

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CutOnce

[gonzo]

A Snipe is not a Snipe unless it follows class rules. They are very strict and say that anything not expressly permited by the rules is not allowed. Polycarbonate is very flexible and will make a terrible centerboard.

[fercammo]

Originally Posted by CutOnce

If you use a daggerboard that is not aluminum (new style) or steel (old style) your boat will not be a Snipe. The original design was with a steel plate (which weighed a lot) and it was amended to an aluminum plate (about half the weight). If you ever race your boat, it will not measure in without one of the two accepted metal blades. Serious racers have all abandoned the steel plates for aluminum. I have a steel plate for mine.

The class website has very specific rules regarding shape, weight, materials and allowed edge fairing of the plate metal used.

If you aren't racing your boat, your board may work fine. The daggerboard trunk is designed for 1/4 inch plate, therefore unless you have changed the trunk, a polycarbonate blade will not be strong enough in sheer strength at the same dimension. It will also be much easier to fracture and shatter on impact.

I think my steel plate weighs between 75 to 85 pounds (around 35 kilos).

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CutOnce

thanks for your reply, i dont race my snipe, just fun sailing, my trunk was designed for a 3/8" inch plate. i also built a 1/4 " steel plate and added small 1/16" plates on both sides to prevent shaking. it works nice but is still very heavy.

[water addict]

I crewed on a snipe for a few years as a kid, from about 10-14 year old. That blade was a real bummer to pull up, especially in a breeze. I can understand the motivation to make a lighter one. But as others have said, it won't be one-design. A light blade should help performance as long as it is strong enough. I think the tough part would be making a blade that won't break that is not metal. If I remember right, the slot in the hull is really thin, so getting enough bending strength in a non metal blade could be a challenge.

[gonzo]

The slot in a Snipe is 3/8"

[messabout]

You can use a 3/8 aluminum plate which will be about 35% of the weight of the steel plate. The boat will sail just as well if you can hold it flat. The steel plate does add a little to the stability of the boat but not so much as to be a deal breaker. The aluminum plate will cost 3 times that of a steel plate and maybe more. Fortuneately it can be cut to shape with an ordinary band saw.