MacGregorSailors.com

I have a and run a line around the daggerboard and then back to the stanchion and use a trucking knot (not sure if there is a nautical equivalent) to hold the daggerboard hard against one side of the trunk. Reduces the knocking. I cannot sleep with the daggerboard up because of the rock and roll. Also, I put out rockerstoppers.

Before my M hit the water for the first time I put two 12" strips of 1/4" X 1" adhesive-backed neoprene foam vertically near the bottom of the daggerboard trunk. One on each side, near the centre, a bit up from the bottom.

No banging noise when sleeping, or any other time. Prior to that it rattled on the trailer while the dealer was giving us an introduction in the cabin at delivery.

I partly expected the pieces to fall off (they're saturated all season long) or be ripped off with the friction of the daggerboard moving up and down (it's got anti-foul coating, so not smoothe), but three years in it was still in place and functioning as intended. I think that sidewise pressure from the DB actually helps hold it in place and re-stick it.

If you want to do this it's all easily accessible within arm's length from underneath the trailer with the mast off and DB lifted up to clear. Clean the surface well in the area first to help adhesion.

- Brian.

Not a bad idea Brian and seeing you have gone to all the trouble of testing it for me I probably should do it
Someone mentioned back a bit about leaving the board down on the trailer and it probably was for an but would advise against it with an because the bar below has broken twice on mine and wouldn't think dragging on the road would improve performance.

I'll frequently leave just the rudders down but keep the keel up so that it does not bang around. The best thing for my sleep is to anchor/moor in an extremely well protected spot where there are no waves at all and that is typically a lot easier to do on a shallow draft boat like the Mac.

Here's photos of the fix I did. Worked a treat.
I used normal house plumbing compression fitting Teflon olives and a couple of M12 Galvanised washers (fit perfectly). Cost me nothing and about an hours work. No more banging thank god.
If the Teflon wears, I'll probably do the foam idea as well, sounds good Seahouse.
http://s817.photobucket.com/user/Linest ... ging%20fix

innervations wrote:I have a and run a line around the daggerboard and then back to the stanchion and use a trucking knot (not sure if there is a nautical equivalent) to hold the daggerboard hard against one side of the trunk. Reduces the knocking. I cannot sleep with the daggerboard up because of the rock and roll. Also, I put out rockerstoppers.

Odd. I've slept in my M (totally stock) dagger up in serious waves and even a substantial storm slamming against my docklines, without any daggerboard knocking while up. I wonder why mine does not knock when up?

mastreb wrote:

innervations wrote:I have a and run a line around the daggerboard and then back to the stanchion and use a trucking knot (not sure if there is a nautical equivalent) to hold the daggerboard hard against one side of the trunk. Reduces the knocking. I cannot sleep with the daggerboard up because of the rock and roll. Also, I put out rockerstoppers.

Odd. I've slept in my M (totally stock) dagger up in serious waves and even a substantial storm slamming against my docklines, without any daggerboard knocking while up. I wonder why mine does not knock when up?

No, it's the other way around. It knocks whilst not fully up and the boat rolls like crazy when the keel is fully raised (but no knock is evident when fully raised).

Daggerboard fully up and I have no knocking at all. It is when partially or fully lowered that any boat roll bangs the board sideways against the trunk.

I'll point out that the thread title is "swing keel", or centreboard, which the X has, but that the topic has been "swinging" from that to the daggerboard keel of the M as well. This accounts for some of the observed differences between the two. I did mention in my post above that the foam strip mod was done with an M. Might work on a centreboard too, though.

When you are in a slip - swing keel up.

Sailing Buff wrote:I'm a newbie and I just bought a Mac 25. I see in the forum not to keep the boat on the trailer with the keel up, but how about when it's in the water?