All of the Bauteck ( Bauer, www.bauteck.com ) 8' - 12' sailing dinghies use Starboard rudders and centerboards, and although their rudders use a bungee configuration to stay deployed, I'm pretty sure their centerboard relies on gravity. ??? As for flex, Christoph Bauer, the designer of the Bauer dinghies and owner of Bauteck, said his centerboards do not flex . . . He wasn't sure whether a chunk of Starboard the size of the M17's centerboard would flex, saying it depended on whether the board-slot had room for a significant thickness. ----- Original Message ----- From: "Steve R." <stever@mail.saabnet.com> To: "For and about Montgomery Sailboats" <montgomery_boats@mailman.xmission.com> Sent: Sunday, February 22, 2004 7:58 AM Subject: centerboard Starboard floats. http://www.kingstarboard.com/newmain.htm A one inch thick sheet, 54 x 96 inches, weighs 180 pounds. I calculate this to be 3 cubic feet, therefore the density is 60 pounds per cubic foot. Steve R. M-15 #119 Lexington, KY ----- Original Message ----- From: <IDCLLC@aol.com> To: <montgomery_boats@mailman.xmission.com> Sent: Sunday, February 22, 2004 9:04 AM Subject: centerboard According to my calculations, Starboard has a density of about 60 lbs per cubic foot. This is almost twice as dense as wood, and almost but not quite as dense as water, so theoretically it would come close to neutral boyancy. A small amount of lead, or perhaps a strip of steel screwed to the leading edge to fend off inevitable collisions with terra firma, should keep it down. As to a CB application, I'd be concerned about flex. If the cost isn't prohibitive, the surest way to find out is to build one and try it. The results may surprise us all. Steve Tyree, P-15 #2098 "Amy Ann" --- "Honshells" <chonshell@ia4u.net> wrote: Please forgive me for reviving the centerboard discussion . . . I was interested to learn, when I attended the "Strictly Sail Chicago" boat show recently, that Bauteck marine ( http://www.bauteck.com/ ) uses Starboard for their 8' to 12' daysailors' centerboards AND kick-up rudders . . . I asked Christoph Bauer, designer and builder, if Starboard would be heavy enough and stiff enough for the Montgomery's centerboard . . . He thought is was possible . . . I would be very interested in pursuing the Starboard option . . . Would anyone out there have the mathematical savvy to plug the M17's centerboard dimensions into a formula calculating density and buoyancy of the particular thickness and size of a chunk of Starboard? I have a Liberal Arts degree, and am a math moron . . . ----- Original Message ----- From: "MC" <southisland2@earthlink.net> To: "Mark Escovedo" <m_escovedo@msn.com> Cc: "For and about Montgomery Sailboats" <montgomery_boats@mailman.xmission.com> Sent: Saturday, February 21, 2004 2:11 AM Subject: How you been? Hi Mark, yep I'm back in the mainland for a while and busy making saw dust. (getting the boat ready to sail again that is) Very sad story I have with the stainless centerboard, to cut the story short, I don't have it anymore, its now history. I went back to get a second one cut and this time got it cut from plate steel and them galvanized it, I think its called type 4 carbon steel, very hard stuff. I changed the cockpit drains to drain directly astern through one way rubber valves, Instead of going into the hull and then back out again. Finished installed permanent night running and cabin lights, a solar charge panel to charge the two small U-1 batteries. They are reverse diode split so one can be used for bilge pump and one for the radio and lights with out affecting the other. Installed chart racks above the forward berth so everything is in one place. And added book rack on each quarter for hold in nic-naks and other odds and ends. Built in a snap together sailing galley on to the lowest hatch board so I can get a cup of coffee on the sail, it has a built in pot holder so it does not spill except in the roughest weather. Bought the spray foam to seal between the aft berth and the galley cross section to prevent water from moving forward. I'm in process of installing a Vee shaped water tank from the potties potter forward, its a 47 gallon size and will be air filled to twenty pounds, calculating at 62.4 lbs of buoyancy per cu ft and a dead a weight of 1500 lbs. I will need to install 24 cu ft of space to stabilize so any emergency can be confidently dealt with, if no assistance is near by. You know that old saying about its hard to remember that your are draining the swamp when your ass is knee deep in alligators. The time to plan is before any problem or emergency arises. I now have two pumps with back presenter flapper valves to prevent back up thru a single stern 1-1/2 out let, one electric and one hand. I bought a small Guzzle from US Boat but it is too hard to operate after ten minutes or so, so I'm looking for an "easier on the arm" model. The next projects include installing a cockpit inspection hatch, and two cross section inflatable buoyancy bags either in the combings or under the stern cockpit flooring. The rigging is one project It does need to be replaced and I like the idea concept of Norseman Swageless because they claim they can be re-used. The wind vane is the old standard trim-tab design and its still in its infancy. It attaches to the rudder and steers directly with-in 5 or so degrees. I found it much quicker to set and forget or set change sails and reset with just a one locking pin so much faster than the surgical tubing to sail method. 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