Centerboard sleeve for small sailboat

Discussion in 'Fiberglass and Composite Boat Building' started by mccdeuce, Aug 28, 2009.

  1. mccdeuce
    Joined: Aug 2008
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    Location: Annapolis, MD

    mccdeuce Junior Member

    I am building a ply/glass composite 14ft skiff.

    I have run into a problem with gluing the centerboard sleeve into the boat. As the epoxy is curing it is expanding, pinching the sleeve slightly which causes the centerboard to no longer fit into the sleeve. I have tried building the sleeve with different materials so that it is stiffer but I have yet to successfully install a working centerboard sleeve.

    Any advice would greatly be appreciated.
     
    mccdeuce, Aug 28, 2009
    #1
  2. Itchy&Scratchy
    Joined: Jul 2008
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    Location: Oxford & South Africa

    Itchy&Scratchy Senior Member

    Why not build the centreboard to fit the boat rather than the other way around.
    j
     
    Itchy&Scratchy, Aug 28, 2009
    #2
  3. PAR
    Joined: Nov 2003
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    Location: Eustis, FL

    PAR Yacht Designer/Builder

    What are you calling the centerboard sleeve? The case? the pivot pin? Do you have any photos? Epoxy doesn't expand as it cures, what type of epoxy are you using?
     
    PAR, Aug 28, 2009
    #3
  4. mccdeuce
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    mccdeuce Junior Member

    expanding may not be the right way to describe what I think is going on.

    I call the centerboard sleeve a case that is formed to the centerboard and then a box built around it. (Technically I guess this would be a daggerboard)

    epoxy is us composites medium cure
     

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    mccdeuce, Aug 28, 2009
    #4
  5. alan white
    Joined: Mar 2007
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    Location: maine

    alan white Senior Member

    Whether or not a sleeve as described is recommended, a dagger board needs some clearance (1/4" is good) to slip in and out easily.
    You think it's hard to slide now... wait until you get some marine growth on there.
    If you want it tight, think about a vertical ridge, something thin like HDPE strips set in dados. You want a good fit, but you don't need to contact the whole case with the board.
     
    alan white, Aug 28, 2009
    #5
  6. PAR
    Joined: Nov 2003
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    Location: Eustis, FL

    PAR Yacht Designer/Builder

    Yep, that's a daggerboard and the thing it slides into is a case.

    I'm not sure why you want to install a sleeve inside the case, but if you do, it should be as Alan suggested from a material that is fairly slippery, like Teflon or HDPE.

    I prefer less then a 1/4" clearance inside a case, but not much, say 1/8" to 3/16". At the low end of this scale, the board will probably jam frequently, at the high end, it will sing like a humming bird.

    What do the plans call for?
     
    PAR, Aug 28, 2009
    #6

  8. mccdeuce
    Joined: Aug 2008
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    mccdeuce Junior Member

    There are no plans. Its a javelin class boat. (Box rule racing skiff)

    I have gel coated the inside of the sleeve so that it is slippery. I wanted to build the sleeve so that it has a relatively tight fit and cannot bounce around.

    I think the bottom line is that I need to increase the clearances. 1/4" seems high for me, but 3/16" seems more reasonable.
     
    mccdeuce, Aug 28, 2009
    #7
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