misaligned centerboard slot

[Pernicious Atavist]

we were given a small plywood skiff--hull only--needs finish work, topsides, etc.--built by a guy who had money and little real skill. this dude was IN LOVE with epoxy, but apparently not a chalk line, measuring tape, etc.
the boat is about 12 ft by 4, slight deadrise. now, my young friend wants to use it to knock-around in, not race or any of that tomfoolery. however, the measurement-impaired builder misaligned the c/b slot by about 1/2 inch over its length. the c/b is aluminum.
my question is: will the 1/2 inch make a detectable difference? is it worth cutting out and reinstalling?

[ishmael]

It will make a difference, probably detectable, but no, I'd leave it alone.

Given what you say, make sure the thwarts, transom etc are well connected before you turn it loose.

[shadow99]

Is there room inbetween the CB & the CB trunk, could you shim the aluminum CB over too straighten it? Lets say you've got a 7/8" width in the C/B trunk & the C/B is 3/8" thick, hardwood shims attached to the board could straighten it out. Or reduce the thickness of the C/B so you can have some adjustment without tearing out the old trunk. A cocked C/B can cause tacking & steering issues.

Rick

[Jamie Hascall]

Ahh There's nothing like a free boat ;) .
Give it a sail. If it's got major problems then look for a fix. If not, enjoy!

Jamie

[Nicholas Carey]

Most likely, seems like the worst case would be that it points higher on on tack than on the other. Learn to accept it and deal with it.

[CK 17]

"my question is: will the 1/2 inch make a detectable difference? is it worth cutting out and reinstalling?"

I guess now is a good time to confess a similar mistake on my riverside dinghy. I didn't notice any adverse handling issues because of this. smile.gif However, things did get a little "adverse" when the CB fell out of the bottom of the boat. :eek:

This I deserved redface.gif --I decided to try something a little different in its construction. Lucky for me we were able to grab the lanyard and save the CB. :D It should be reinstalled the correct way and sailing again this week.
Joe Schena

[Scott Rosen]

Originally posted by ed maurer:
my question is: will the 1/2 inch make a detectable difference? is it worth cutting out and reinstalling?Ed,

I would strongly suggest that before you spend any more time worrying about this, and certainly before you undertake any repairs, you should take the boat for a sail. It's almost impossible to predict how a boat will respond to this kind of thing just by reading about it. With any luck, you won't notice a problem and will avoid a lot of needless work and expense.

Good luck.

[NormMessinger]

Or, you could give the boat to me. I'm pretty sure I wouldn't notice.

[Harry Miller]

A long time ago when I raced a 470 I glued spacers inside the forward part of the cb trunk to make a gybing centreboard. I couldn't find any rules that prohibited it and most of my colleagues were skeptical that it would make any difference. I found that I could point significantly higher. You may only be able to shim one side but I think it would be worth it. Good luck.