The 3/4 inch polyester resin bearings on either side of the pivoting centerboards were broken off. They ride in channels on either side of the centerboard trunk and are used to position the centerboard and provide a pivot point.
We decided to make new bearings out of a 3/4 inch oak dowel. We cut the dowel just a little long and rounded the ends with a 3/4 inch roundover bit on a compact trim router. We held the work piece with vise grips to keep our fingers clear of the router bit.
The old bearings were held in with rusty nails, Skipper used an awl to chip away bits of the damaged fiberglass and start a new hole for the dowel.
Rounded out the dowel hole to just over 3/4 inch with a rat tail file and a rounded diamond grit tile file.
We made the hole just over 3/4 so we could bed the new oak bearing in TotalBoat THIXO thickened epoxy, that epoxy coating helped seal up the raw fiberglass.
Test fit.
Added a small strip of 4 oz fiberglass along the front edge of the board by the bearing, wet out with TotalBoat Low Viscosity THIXO. This will help protect the centerboard should it swing forward of vertical and strike the forward edge of the trunk.
We also used THIXO to build back a damaged area on the tip of the starboard centerboard.
Line for our Alcort Catfish SMEDLEY. On the left is some 5/32d Dyneema that we might use for a temporary side stay and also use for the centerboard uphauls. We also bought New England Rope StaSet, 3/16th for the halyard, bow line, downhaul and outhaul and 5/16th for the sheet. And picked up drain plugs for the transom.
Log of SMEDLEY.
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