Wednesday 30 October 2013

The centerboard and its case

I am working on preparing and building the frames moving aft ... next step is the centerboard and its case.
The case doublers, seat and deck supports are now glued and before I can build up the case it is wise to build and give the right shape to the centerboard.
The board is glued from strips or lamells of both hard and softwood. Hardwood (mahogany) is mostly for the leading edge and the pivot area, while softwood (pine) is used elsewhere. While I was at it I also included a couple of hardwood strips in the middle of the lamination to ensure stiffness.

Once glued together, one realises how heavy and thick the stock is!
The profile of the board is so important as it affects the sailing performance of the boat. Not easy therefore to embark on this shaping task given what's at stake.
John Welsford (aka the boat designers) provides a template for the board cross shape. It goes from a 10mm radius circle at the leading edge, to maximum thickness (60mm) at 175mm and then tapers to 5mm thickness at the trailing edge.

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