Mooring and Centerboard

[mfeldman]

I'm mooring my '68 DS1 this summer and I'm wondering if the centerboard should be up or down while tied up. I've been keeping it down on the theory that there is less strain on the lever/pawl mechanism and that the board will tend to steady the boat during rough weather which will relieve stress on the standing rigging.

However, when I was at the mooring today in somewhat choppy weather, the boat was rocking back and forth and the CB was making an awful racket banging against the trunk. I could see the trunk and thwarts move slightly each time it banged and I'm wondering if I'm going to end up with a cracked CB trunk or worse.

Thanks for the help,

Mike

[mikemc2392]

I always leave my centerboard up on the theory that it allows the boat to swing more freely in windy or rough conditions thus reducing the chance of capsize on the mooring. I suppose its similar to why you might raise you centerboard a little while sailing to windward if you feel over powered. It reduces the healing moment by allowing the boat to slide a little more easily to leeward without tipping as much. I've never capsized on my morring even through many good storms. Many people at my lake also tip their rudder up for, I assume, the same reason. On the DS1 the rudder doesn't come up far enough to do much I suppose, although you could remove it every time. Not worth the trouble in my opinion. MikeMc

[amazingsailordudes]

For years I kept a Day Sailer I on a mooring in Marblehead. I always kept the centerboard up and removed the rudder when on the mooring. There is so much play in the centerboard trunk that I was always afraid that it would be torn apart by the centerboard's motion if I left it down. I also concur with the observation about raising your centerboard a little (maybe 1/4 to 1/5 up?) in heavy air. If sailing with a light weight crew in winds over 18 it reduces weather helm and also seems to make the boat less likely to trip over itself while tacking. The increase in leeway is negligible over the improvement in boathandling and speed.

[bruce cornell]

don't forget the posibility of your boat getting lose and grounding on shore, better to have keel up, than broken off flush with the bottom....