Daggerboard crunch!

[Russ]

We hope to take delivery of our new M in a few months. Just got to thinking, what would happen if we hit something hard (like a boulder) with the daggerboard down?
Where we will be using it has a lot of rocks and things submerged pretty deep such that you can't see them. Centerboard is more forgiving us these events.

I'm thinking the obvious, it would be bad. Just wondering if anyone has hit anything with the daggerboard and survived.

[Harrison]

Does running into the back of the trailer count?
Result: A chip on the DB.
Pride. . . completely destroyed.
Not one of my finest hours

---Harrison

[Paul S]

THe boat would just stop, or the DB would retract depending on the situation.

Have grounded many times with our 04M. It usually just retracts most of the time. Be quick to raise the DB up

A centerboard would only have a significant advantage if you hit something head on, if you drifted sideways into an object, it could damage the boat/CB or both.

The DB is pretty strong.. as well as the hull around the DB... stronger than most people give it credit for.

[dennisneal]

Thankfully, I have no personal experience with this problem.

I could imagine, (as a worst-case senario), that if you rammed a solid object at sailing speed of 7 mph that you'd put a dent in the dagger board and you'd have a very bad day. You could buy a new one.

You'd probably want to check the integrity of the dagger board slot inside the boat. My guess would be that it would be relatively unscathed.

The dagger board should be raised while motoring.

If you're really concerned, buy a depth sounder.

[baldbaby2000]

I've busted mine 3 times. I have 2 boards now and so have a spare. I've repaired them each time. The trailing edge is too weak. I've progressively tried to strengthen the weak area on my repairs. The trunk never suffered damage; it's very strong. I've been thinking of trying to get a more forward looking depth transducer; what I have now is on the transom and the lakes I sail on can have sudden changes in depth. The dealer told me a piece of plywood could be cut in a pinch to act as a daggerboard. It seems like you'd need to add some weight to get it to stay down.

see my old post

Daniel

[Richard O'Brien]

I think I've done them all: 'on the trailer",
rounding the mark , and subsequently hooking onto the cable . That one leaves a saw cut like little 1/2" shark bites. ..
Oh yea! drifting sideways on to a lee shore. Every time i lifted the board a little the wind just carried me further ashore... Then the hull scraping on the rocks finally stopped us.
full speed ahead with the spinnaker out and "How can we possibly be aground out in the middles of the lake??
Keep lots of Marine Tex on hand, and mylar film... to cast against.

I got the forward looking sonar, but haven't acquired the knack of watching it yet.

[baldbaby2000]

Keep lots of Marine Tex on hand, and mylar film... to cast against.

Richard,

Where do I get that mylar film? I've used stiff plastic painters pallets duct taped to the damaged section and then filled in the backside with fiberglass and resin. Minimizes the need for a lot of sanding afterwards. I even did it in Canada on the dock one night in Kenora on Lake of the Woods with stuff from Walmart.

I remember at Johnson Boat Works in White Bear Lake, Minnesota there was a sign in the shop during the wood to fiberglass transition: "If God had wanted boats to be made of fiberglass, he would have made fiberglass trees!" Au contraire: Fiberglass is one of God's greatest inventions!

Daniel

[ALX357]

Design idea; why not have the daggerboard in a slanted sleeve, slanted forward. That works for airplane wings, believe it or not, and should also be effective on a daggerboard. The sleeve's forward slant would allow the board to retract upwards upon hitting any solid object. Admittedly the sleeve would be a problematical design task, going thru the cabin at that angle.

[hvolkhart]

If you hit with a bolder with about 4 knots, you will come to an almost stop, gear will fall all over the place and screaming and shouting will take place.
After a split second your speed will accelerate to the previous 4 knots and the admiral eventually will stop screaming and jelling.
After a short evaluation of your boat you will continue with your journey just to find out that the boat is acting funny.
At your next anchoring spot you will get your scuba gear out just to make sure there is no damage to the bottom of the boat.
During your decent you remember that you left the dagger board down just as you see that there is no dagger board in the water.
With a closer evaluation of what was happened you find the remainders of your dagger board tangling from a rope.
Back on deck you pull your cell phone just to call Bill from Boats 4 Sail to tell him that you need to have a new board express mailed to you.
To my surprise there was no damage to the boat itself.
Once you get the new dagger board, the install takes about 5 min.
Your Admiral will fund some boat bucks for a second depth sounder what gets mounted on the bow of the boat and live will be good.

[Richard O'Brien]

Design idea; why not have the daggerboard in a slanted sleeve, slanted forward.

Funny Alex! (Hey! Why won't my emoticon thing work? Hmm/ maybe it's not funny enough.) Ha- Ha

Daniel
I get the mylar at Plasticare. I just press it against the underside of the damaged area, and sandwich it with a board and clamps. Inevitably, there's a little sanding to do, anyway.

[ALX357]

maybe as funny as having something expensive and important sticking out of the bottom of your boat that will break off if it hits a solid object, even if it is supposed to be retractable. Only thing, is it has to be retracted before you hit ....

[Richard O'Brien]

wasn't meant to be funny, but have a laugh if you think so ....

Oh! I thought you were talking about the X. I guess you meant a sleeve which is part of the daggerboard. Yea, that seems possible.

In truth, when you have a depth gauge, and are paying attention, or have it set for shallow alarm there is rarely a problem. In the fall our lake is drained for the city water supply, and that's when things get a bit dicey. Again, it's usually because remembered it being 10' deep, and find it's only 5' suddenly.

[baldbaby2000]

Your Admiral will fund some boat bucks for a second depth sounder what gets mounted on the bow of the boat and live will be good

Hvolkhart.

Have you done this?

Daniel

[Catigale]

No substitute for a depth sounder when sailing in under 20 feet of water imho. Remember these are guides and not gospel...just because you are sounding 15 feet of water you may well be approaching the Ford Edsel someone dumped in the water last Spring and ergo your safe depth under the hull can quickly disappear.

Sailing on the tidal Hudson Ive gotten stuck on the CB many times with minimal damage (5200 repairs only) - gotta love that pivot....

[hvolkhart]

Unfortunately that had happened to me.
The reason was that the GPS with depth sounder was damaged due to static electricity during a thunder storm. However the original transducer is mounted in the battery compartment.
The additional transducer for the second depth sounder is now mounted underneath the head. I bought one original designed for a PWC for about $100.