_________________ ............. THEN THERE'S PLAN B ______________________

 

When it was all done and dusted (see last post) the 'fix' only half worked. The saw cut/glue line Plan A did take some of the bend out of the dagger board but not nearly enough. So I hauled out Plan B. This plan (see photograph above) is pretty self explanatory. The insert (right) is a piece of Iroko timber which is very strong and upon which I staked my implacable non bending hopes.

I screwed blocks along one side of the Iroko insert and then taped the job up. I then screwed the dagger board down onto the blocks which removed any bend in the board.

This approach has removed more of the bend in the board, but by no means all of it. So I have had to let go of the idea of this board being a complete spare for the Zephyrs main dagger board.

I have now shortened the board considerably, rounding the forward leading edge and the bottom of the board. This has removed most of the twist and bend. The board can now be used as a very heavy weather board for the Zephyr or perhaps a main board for 'Scout' my clinker sailing dinghy.

The photo (above) shows the comparison in size between the two dagger boards. On the left of the photo is a cedar 'blank', in four laminations, that I have glued up which shows the correct way to make a dagger / center board. I have alternated ( 'end to ended') each lamination so that the grain of each piece can counter any tendency of its neighbour to bend or warp.

Given time shipmates I will complete that blank and have a dagger board whose straight as a die sight line will compare on equal terms with any world champion plump line and its plumb bob you might want to choose.