Bilge board pivots

[Old Forum]

Julian Swindell
Username: Julian_swindell

Registered: 03-2007
   
Posted on Friday, July 20, 2007 - 09:15 am:      
I've just grabbed a day and a half of semi-decent weather (good for this summer) to have a night out on Poole harbour. I tried Dave's trick of pulling a rope under the boat to pull the bilge boards tight and stop them rattling. Worked a treat, the quietest night I have had. One day I will forget to remove the rope...

On sailing with bilge boards up/down, I spent most time with both up and generally the boat sailed beautifully (strongish winds with a double reef most of the time) but there is a lot of leeway. Mind you, there is a lot whatever you do. I tried to tack against a strong wind and tide and the GPS depressingly showed me going backwards and forwards on the same line. I put the engine on eventiually.

[Old Forum]

Martin_cartwright
Username: Martin_cartwright

Registered: 04-2008
   
Posted on Thursday, May 08, 2008 - 07:09 am:      
Bilge boards:- I replaced the lifting ropes on mine this year (with slightly thinner rope) and now, from time to time they are getting stuck in the up position. Not quite sure why this is, (still investigating), but yesterday, in a strong wind and foul tide I had huge leeway problems without them, so I am convinced they are essential for upwind sailing in these conditions. Anyone else had problems with them getting stuck in the up position? How do you tie the rope to the board?

[Old Forum]

Julian Swindell
Username: Julian_swindell

Registered: 03-2007
   
Posted on Thursday, May 08, 2008 - 09:13 am:      
My port board always sticks up a bit if there is any sideways pressure on it. It eventually drops down when there is a lull. The starboard board always goes up and down happily, so I tend to just rely on that one. I don't know if it is due to gunk in the slot or wear on the pivots.

[Old Forum]

David Hackett
Username: David_hackett

Registered: 04-2008
   
Posted on Thursday, May 08, 2008 - 06:38 pm:      
I have a tool which resembles a long thin stainless steel skewer which is pushed down the rope hole. I couldn't operate the bilge boards without it. It came with the boat when i bought it. it's only when the board is completely retracted that it sticks. I have marked my ropes allowing about an inch of slack when i'm sailing. This works ok providing I remember not to yank them all the way up.
My ropes is passed through the board and a knot tied. There seems to be plenty of room at the end. I removed a lot of the anti fowling from the tops of the sides. This has helped a bit.

[Old Forum]

Martin_cartwright
Username: Martin_cartwright

Registered: 04-2008
   
Posted on Thursday, June 05, 2008 - 03:30 pm:      
I have discovered why my bilge boards were getting stuck up. Many/all of you may have discovered this already, but for those like me who found out the hard way, it is to do with the knot.
I couldn't understand why mine was tied to the rope with the following knot:-

Now I know! Where the end of the rope tucks through the braid, this forms an adjustable spacer, preventing the knot from being pulled up too tight into the rope hole at the top of the bilge board casing (and thereby getting stuck).I think the thickness of the rope is important too.7mm sticks but 9mm does not. I think this is because the above knot in the fatter rope does not stick in the rope tube.

[Old Forum]

James_parsons
Username: James_parsons

Registered: 04-2009
   
Posted on Saturday, May 23, 2009 - 08:28 pm:      
I have a different problem - My bilge boards were both jamming up (having at least one down makes a huge difference to leeway on my boat when close hauled). So, I took out both boards, religiously removed many coats of antifouling, and the rust flakes from the boot, repainted, and thinking what a good job I'd done, tried them out. Guess what - they STILL jam, even without the rope connected. I wonder if the casing tapers towards the top and past a critical point they just get squeezed in a vice like grip? Only thing I can think to do is to sand them down to a thinner profile, particularly at the hinge and along the edge that is drawn up into the casing. Any other ideas?

[Old Forum]

James_parsons
Username: James_parsons

Registered: 04-2009
   
Posted on Sunday, May 24, 2009 - 11:19 pm:      
I think I just solved my problem. Hooray! In desperation I squirted some marine PTFE lubricant up inside both sides of the bilge boards, and guess what - they don't stick at all, even if I haul them up hard against the stop. I think part of the problem is that they don't go straight down, so any friction at all on the keel side of the casing is sufficient to stop them going down. Sea trials next.... :-)

[Old Forum]

Martin_cartwright
Username: Martin_cartwright

Registered: 04-2008
   
Posted on Friday, May 07, 2010 - 04:34 pm:      
Has anyone tried lowering the boards beyond their 45 degree(?) point?
Do you think all our Winklebrigs have the same angle of board - or perhaps Eric played with it over time to optimise performance?
Out of idle curiosity I would be interested to know what length retaining rope others have.

[Old Forum]

Phil Shimmin
Username: Philshimmin

Registered: 11-2010
   
Posted on Monday, April 11, 2011 - 04:43 am:      
I own WB100 ( Adrians pivot pic above).My boards were sticking in the up position.I removed them for stripping and cleaning, and noticed they were both slightly warped, so I obtained new 18mm marine ply from Savoy in Preston, (they only charge for the part sheet)to replace them. We'll see if its worth the effort at the next launch.