Don't sand too much ...

Posted By: Gene Bragalone - #485/5.2
Date: 8/2/07 5:33a.m.

Report: outside forum guidelines

In Response To: sails (martin chapo)

You could actually make the problem worse. The centerboard on many Whalers is a very tight fit. On mine, before I refinished it, I had seen these wear marks on either side and just thought it was normal use. It had either been sanded or was dragging a lot. Of course I just added 5 coats of Verilux VC Epoxy and low and behold I couldn't get the board back into the centerboard trunk, without sanding most of it back off. But the problem is that the centerboards are wood wrapped in fiberglass and then gelcoated. If left in the water for long periods, and as the gelcoat wears and ages, sometime the boards absorb some water and swell ... making the problem worse. I really don't have great overal solution except the major one of redoing it from scratch ... sanding through the glass, letting the board dry out, resanding it and refinishing it. Sanding it a few mils in the right places, however can be successful. Just don't go through the finish and especially not through the glass. I went from "way too tight" to "this is fine" very quickly. There isn't much difference between those points ... so do it carefully, checking often.