11-20-2008, 04:30 PM
The pocket cruiser plans call for bilge board boxes. Iâve dutifully built them and plan to eventually make the cut outs in the bottom of the boat to allow for the boards to be inserted through the deck, into the boxes, and into the water beneath. However Iâm intrigued with some of the other options that Iâve seen discussed in the older forums, but it is unclear from the forums if any of these ideas were actually successful.
Seems that some have built a (more or less centered) centerboard from wood or metal. My understanding is that this has worked OK, but that it requires a centerboard box in the cabin. Iâm not crazy about this and would likely just stick with the bilge board boxes that are already in place.
If I understood correctly there is a discussion in the old forum about using a metal plate hinged with a bolt through the keel that would swing down from the keel to provide a larger / deeper control surface. This is essentially a swing keel (if my terminology is right) that was to be controlled (pulled up and let down) with a rope fed through a stainless steel pipe that extends from the cabin through the hull. This seems to be an interesting option. Should it work? Has someone tried this? What was the outcome?
If this was going to work how large would the surface need to be? I could imagine something like an aluminum plate 7 inches by 30 inches that would swing down from the keel or maybe an elongated U shape would fold down from the keel . Is this enough surface area to be effective? How should it best be placed along the length of the boat to be most effective?
Seems that some have built a (more or less centered) centerboard from wood or metal. My understanding is that this has worked OK, but that it requires a centerboard box in the cabin. Iâm not crazy about this and would likely just stick with the bilge board boxes that are already in place.
If I understood correctly there is a discussion in the old forum about using a metal plate hinged with a bolt through the keel that would swing down from the keel to provide a larger / deeper control surface. This is essentially a swing keel (if my terminology is right) that was to be controlled (pulled up and let down) with a rope fed through a stainless steel pipe that extends from the cabin through the hull. This seems to be an interesting option. Should it work? Has someone tried this? What was the outcome?
If this was going to work how large would the surface need to be? I could imagine something like an aluminum plate 7 inches by 30 inches that would swing down from the keel or maybe an elongated U shape would fold down from the keel . Is this enough surface area to be effective? How should it best be placed along the length of the boat to be most effective?