Daggerboard construction

I have just bought a GRP dinghy with a steel daggerboard which is very heavy. Could I replace it with a marine ply version without any problems?

 

Unlikely. Your steel plate centerboard is likely quite thin... and the boat will have a narrow centerboard slot to match. Marine ply thin enough to fit won't have the necessary strength. Replacing the centerboard trunk to allow a thicker centerboard is probably more of a job than you want to get into.

Marine ply is also not the best material for centerboards - much of the grain is in the wrong direction. Better to laminate a blank from wood strips with the correct grain orientation, then shape it.

Phil

 

Thanks Phil

That was very helpful and could have saved a lot of time!