Endeavor 32 centerboard missing, Help!

[Jeff B.]

Interested in possibly purchasing a 1976 Endeavour 32. Current owner tells me it is the centerboard version that no longer has centerboard. It actually has been glassed over! I’d appreciate any input on how this boat will now perform. The current owner tells me she sails fine, I’m skeptical. Opinions please.

[tkeithlu]

Quote: "on how this boat will now perform."

Badly. Slide sideways upwind.

I think it's safe to say that you consider looking elsewhere for a boat. Replacing the centerboard would be a monster job, and without it you're going to replicate the performance of square riggers.

[Spot]

Interesting stuff from Googling:

https://www.endeavourowners.com/boats/e32/e32specs.html

The Endeavour 32 was originally built as keel/centerboarder with the same configuration as the Irwin 32 (3'6" board up, 7'10" board down), or with a fixed shoal keel with 4'2" draft. The original Irwin deeper keel was discontinued in 1979 in favor of the shoal keel version. Among the modifications were a different coach roof line and port configuration, cockpit coaming modification, additional interior storage and access, galley modification, integral companion way stairs, and a teak cabin sole.

https://sailboatdata.com/sailboat/irwin-32

[Greatest Lakes]

It's always a pity when someone's boat modification basically destroys it. I'm not a fan of daggerboard designs, but that side area and weight needs to have been made up somehow. Any way you can verify the current depth of the keel?

[Nicholson58]

Roxy, our Camper & Nicholson 58 has a board. We never use it. It’s weight is inconsequential to righting moment. We draw almost 7 feet up, 13 feet down. It’s pain to maintain, grows it’s own reef in the trunk. Glassing over is a viable option. More than one designer has stated that these things were a trendy, bad design. I agree. If you were super worried, add keel extension to equal the lost area but do it along the length of the entire keel.