New boat owner

[znunemaker]

Hey guys

Just bought a '74 DS II for dirt cheap. The guy got it for free and didn't know anything about sailboats. Definitely should have done his homework. Anyway, I spent last weekend out on it and everything seem to work pretty good. I did get a lot of water in the bilge and thinking it may be the centerboard washers are worn or maybe the self bailer isn't working. I am currently keeping it at the lake so I haven't had a chance to careen it and check things out further. Also the cable that pulls the centerboard down rusted and snapped just wanted some thoughts on how easy that is to fix.

Thanks,
Zach

[ChrisB]

Zach,

Welcome. Here's hoping you get many years of enjoyment out of your new toy.

I too had centerboard problems with my DS II shortly after I bought the boat. In my case, the cable attachment point to the centerboard pulled out of the board itself. I found the easiest way to gain access was to launch the boat in my backyard with the mast up. Remove the nut from the CB bolt and then pull the main or jib halyard from the side and lay the boat over 90 degrees. Remove the CB bolt and slide the CB out of the trunk. All the replacement parts you need can be ordered from DR Marine (www.drmarine.com). They have been favorably recommended on this forum. I don't think the project is too complicated nor time consuming for someone with moderate DIY skills. Best of Luck.
Chris

[Moose]

You can get the S.S. bolts, washers and rubber washers at your local sears hardware. D&R charges something like $7/set for thier rubber washers but Sears will have them for about 1.50 ea.

Also, not to rack on D&R(they offer a lot of products in one place that you can get scattered elsewhere,sometimes for less. He can offer you experience and advice, which can be worth its weight in gold though) but Rudy has told my their bailers are really for the sunfish. Either way they dont fit the hull very well and will require hefty modification(lathe and dremel) to fit well or a lot of silicone.

[whitejw1967]

I just took the centerboard out of my '74 DS II because of both cables snapping (previous owner didn't do a good job of swaging). I actually used a car jack on the main spar of the trailer and jacked up the front of the boat while she was on the trailer (enough to get under and pull the centerboard). I'm installing new cables and doing the same in reverse. Doing it from the side (with the boat laid over) would certainly be an easier one-person job. I'm actually refinishing my centerboard, first by taking off four or five layers of paint, sanding it down and reinstalling it with new hardware.

Question for anyone out there: What is the benefit of painting the centerboard when a) the boat is trailered and not sitting in water and b) the centerboard tends to stick (seems that with just fiberglass there'd be slightly less resistance in the trunk)?

[Moose]

I have a document from O'day that sort of mentions this problem and says you can grind off a little glass in some area of the CB trunk. I'll take a look for that and see what it says in more detail. I would bet that taking off four or five layers of paint from the CB and whatever is inside the trunk will make a pretty big difference. If your trailering you could probably just remove the old paint, fair the hull and buff it out to give you a smooth, fast surface. or get an epoxy race type paint.

[whitejw1967]

Moose,

Thanks for looking for that info re the CB trunk. I appreciate it.

I will probably leave the CB paint free for now and maybe (maybe) paint it when I do the hull later this summer--if of course it isn't sticking so badly.

Cheers,

John

[Moose]

The document I have is from O'day and is titled "Daysailer II centerboard problems and fixes".

The parts that relate to the board jamming are as follows:

Check for warping

check to see if the centerboard has expanded (in the lower 2/3's area). If so, the board can be ground down somewhat (use care-thin glass in this area). board may have to be replaced.

Check to see it the Centerboard trunk sides have bulged in (around c/b head area), (solid glass in this area-can be ground a good deal) If this is the case, measure the distance between the sides by trying to pass a 1" dowel back and fourth,cutting it down until it passes and then measure the dowel. Grind point of contact only. try not to grind edges because this could allow rope,and/or wire to pass between c/b and trunk, causing a jam.

excessive paint, and/or grease have been known to keep the board from lowering.

That being said, I put my board in today and it seems to raise and lower well with three coats of micron extra on the board and two in the trunk.
O'day makes it sound like they made the trunk to fit the board so if you have some swelling or a different board you could have problems. you should also check to see if you have cables jamming which could be a problem.

[whitejw1967]

Thanks so much for looking up this information for me. That is really kind of you!

I will try to dowel this afternoon after work and see if the CB trunk is the issue. I wonder, when they say one can sand down the CB trunk, how can one get up in there to do it (at 1" wide)? Hmmm.

I took about four layers of thick paint off of the CB and sanded it down this weekend. That may help a bit. I'll add a light layer of paint (the boat isn't ever kept in the water and is sprayed down after a sail, so I am of the opinion that I don't need much protection on it).

Thanks again. I'll keep you posted on what I find.

[Moose]

You probably dont need any paint. a light wash and scrub after each sail should do the trick. Make sure your pivot bolt and spacer are all in good shape and lubed as well.

Let us know how you make out.

[whitejw1967]

Thanks for all of your help. I took the CB down to the fiberglass, epoxied a crack in the front (from a collision many years ago with a previous owner), used filler then epoxy for a couple of small pits, sanded again, and put a layer of thin paint on it. To get the CB back in, I ended up paying a local company nearby to hoist my boat with me in it. I found that it is definitely a two-man job (trying to get the bolt into the hole and matching the two from two different angles is not easy).

I'm taking her out this weekend so we'll see how she does. I've also added buoyancy (via noodles) in the bilge area and foam in the masthead (for that inevitable capsizing that I am fairly certain will happen--I buried the rails and 1/3 of the cockpit in a gust just a few weeks ago). When I dismasted earlier in the season (broken shroud) the masthead was incredibly heavy after just a few minutes in the water.

Cheers and happy sailing.

John

[rwreutti]

Anyone have an idea on how to get a manual from Roger?

[algonquin]

Anyone have an idea on how to get a manual from Roger?

Just a guess but try:
E-mail order inquiries and feedback to roger02@mts.net

Some DS II info:
http://forum.daysailer.org/tech_ds2man.php

[Roger]

As indicated under the sticky note at the head of the DS II forum,my manual can still be ordered directly from me. People can e-mail me at roger02@mts.net and I will send ordering instructions. I can accept cheques at the address that I will send by return e-mail or by paypal at the e-mail address provided in the line above.