Broken Centerboard

[Zydeco]

We have a 1984 Pearson 385 with a centerboard. The centerboard cable broke and then the board broke. Boat was in the slip, board swung down into the mud, got stuck, and broke off. I'm thinking about just fiberglassing over the centerboard. Where we cruise it is very shallow (Florida Gulf Coast) and in the last 14 years we very rarely use the centerboard and even the few times we have used it offshore or wherever, we cannot tell any difference. The boat sails and points just fine with the board up.

Has anyone else done this? Can anyone think of any reason why not to?

[malbert73]

Unless you plan never to sell boat, don't glass over the trunk. Some time back I was in market for a Bristol 35 and was about to offer when it slipped that it's board had been glassed over.
My Tartan 40 sails fine without board down, but it turns into an upwind machine with board down- pointing at least 10 degrees higher, which is a big deal if your destination is upwind.
People who value any upwind sailing performance will want the board if they buy your boat.


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[sandy stone]

The guy who designed the boat (Bill Shaw, and he was really good) thought the centerboard was necessary, despite the added expense and complication. You don't?

[Zydeco]

Originally Posted by malbert73

Unless you plan never to sell boat, don't glass over the trunk. Some time back I was in market for a Bristol 35 and was about to offer when it slipped that it's board had been glassed over.
My Tartan 40 sails fine without board down, but it turns into an upwind machine with board down- pointing at least 10 degrees higher, which is a big deal if your destination is upwind.
People who value any upwind sailing performance will want the board if they buy your boat.


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Thanks for the example from your personal experience. The concern about resale is one reason we haven't already done it, but we have no plans to sell it anytime soon and these days I'm leaning towards taking the hit on resale if that day ever comes.

[Fiveslide]

If you leave the centerboard unrepaired but not glassed over, leaving open the option for repair by the next owner, is the boat sailable as-is?

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[Zydeco]

Originally Posted by Fiveslide

If you leave the centerboard unrepaired but not glassed over, leaving open the option for repair by the next owner, is the boat sailable as-is?

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Yes, the boat would be sail-able as is except that the cable that holds the centerboard retracted broke (which annoys me because we had it replaced less than two years ago). Our diver says it broke near the shackle so maybe it was rubbing on something. But yes, if the centerboard could be secured up into the keel in the retracted position then the boat would be just fine.

That's a good thought - why not just secure what's left of the centerboard in place fully retracted and if we ever sell it and the new owner wants to deal with the centerboard, then they can. Or I can have it fixed before we sell it. Although maybe fiberglassing over it is the easiest way to hold the centerboard in the retracted position. It wouldn't be that hard to remove the fiberglass later to repair the centerboard.

I suppose another option would be to remove the centerboard and just leave it at that. I can't think of why we would have to fiberglass over the opening.

[Fiveslide]

Originally Posted by Zydeco

I suppose another option would be to remove the centerboard and just leave it at that. I can't think of why we would have to fiberglass over the opening.

I can't either. I don't see any benefit in closing it up.


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