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So, a beautiful day off of Valcour Island, Lake Champlain. Showing my daughter how Andaluz sails. Wind was picking up so I took in the sails and motored. An arresting crunch and rumble told me I had run aground! Oh! That's right I had forgotten to raise the daggerboard!!@%#&**# Immediately jumped on the raising rope, pulled as hard as I could. No joy! Went forward and pulled on the rope next to the mast. No joy! By now the breeze pushed us off and I motored over to where she and family camped. Anchored, put on diving mask and fins and dove under to find the DB was kicked back about 45 degrees. I attached a spare anchor line to the bottom and led it forward to the anchor roller. Her husband and myself pulled to no avail! Agh! looks like I'll need a travel lift to extricate it so I can trailer her home. Motoring back to my marina about 3 hours I'm thinking, its just geometry that's working against me. I tied up to the long restaurant dock and led about 100' of the rope forward, giving it a good yank was the fix! It came forward tho still would not raise. I gave it a push w/ a boathook and it fell out whereupon I was able to retrieve. inspecting it revealed unrepairable damage which I believe is good since it spared damage (or so I hope) to the DB sleeve (once I get her home I'll inspect more carefully). Good thing they are hollow! Fortunately I was able to order a new one from BWY. Just when you think you've got it down, you're still capable of @%#&ing things up. A lesson learned!

Ouch! Man, I hate that happened. Hopefully it didn't damage the slot.

Wow

My nephew had a bib that states ”Spit Happens.” At anytime, fate’s fickle finger can point at you.

You kept your head, and that’s of number one importance.

When my boys (41 & 40) were young, I used to tell them that the best thing they have going for them are those brains sitting atop their shoulder; don’t leave home without them.

Did U give ur daughter ear plugs so as u could vent ur Anger !
My daughters woulda said ok dad say it git it off ur shoulders F%*! It ! & Git Over It

J

Bobglas, I didn't know you were so close to us... we're up in Point Au Fer / Rouses Point.

Sorry about your damage, and I hope, as you note, that the boat isn't damaged and that you can simply slip in the DB.

Oddly enough, off Valcour you likely hit the same reef that was such a problem during the Revolutionary War. A great many ships were foundered near Valcour during that war... during the battle and also in the years before and after. That area is fraught with underwater dangers!

https://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/sto ... 3468230001

We should plan some sort of Lake Champlain Mac get together next summer... I know of several on the lake, and although I'm not sure they all are on this forum, between the FB crowd and here we could probably reach most of the folks, no?

Hi BobGlas

We’re glad to know you were at least able to get the DB out and avoid the cost/hassle of the travel lift!

Really hope there is no further damage.

Sorry that happened and cut short your time at Valcour Island. We had been looking forward to meeting up with you.

We are here on the lake till September 30 and hauling out on October 1st (to head to NH and then to SC). If interested maybe there might still be an opportunity to meet.

Best Regards!
Over Easy

Wow!

The X kick-up board certainly has an advantage over the sacrificial $$ daggerboard.

I caught an underwater cable a few weeks ago on my daggerboard coming into the marina. Water levels were super low and cables securing docks were close to the surface.
The boat came to a slow stop as we weren't moving fast. But I'm now afraid to pull the thing out to see what damage it did.

There is something that you need to be aware of if you plan to order a new dagger board. These are made to order. In other words they do not have rudders and daggerboards sitting in a warehouse ready to be shipped on demand. If you order one there is a six week lag time to manufacture the part.

I know this because I ordered a replacement rudder for my M on 8/16, and was told that it would not ship until 10/4 or later.

It is not just the $645 cost plus the expensive shipping. You might want to place your order ASAP to get the ball rolling.

http://shop.bwyachts.com/product-p/5401-1m0.htm

You might also want to check into the new high performance replacement dagger board from Rudder Craft.

https://store.ruddercraft.com/index.php ... uct_id=507

I damaged my daggerboard a few years back and was able to repair the damage. My son released the daggerboard line while on the trailer on the boat ramp. I did not notice and tried to back off the trailer. Fortunately, rather than give it full throttle I checked to see if I was caught on something and noticed the board was down. This left a little notch in the back of the board that I did not repair until the next year. I expect Russ will find something like this, but on the front of the board.

As for the rudder that I am replacing. The original rudder broke at the bolt hole. I got 16 years and hundreds of hours out of it so I am not complaining. The problem for me is I use the boat constantly so had to jury rig the broken rudder to keep sailing until the replacement finally arrives.

Last Saturday someone stepped on the FRONT, TOP, STARBOARD, WINDOW (that's what bwyachts.com calls it) and shattered it. Fortunately, they did not fall through into the head or get cut on the plexiglass shards.

http://shop.bwyachts.com/product-p/w102-1m0.htm

I ordered both the port and starboard replacement windows because I suspect that the windows weakened after 16 years of UV. Nobody was hurt so all good.

Stepping on the front windows of my boat will catch u a walk on a short plank never to b seen again ! , I know some people think nothing of it but even if it doe,s not break the flexing caused by it will eventually break the window seal that,s why I don,t do it anymore
I once pulled my boat by hand onto the trl & it stopped right at the dagger board by hitting the rear trl cross bar I had left the board down 2ft & forgot yep u geussed it a 4" wide gouge 2" deep into the d/b I,ve repaired mine 3 times now the 2 times was with hitting something floating a couple ft under water
The last time I also did the mod of re-enfocing the rear top 2ft of the D/B by adding the water hose glassed in
these 3 D/B episodes cost me about a boat buck $$$$ so If I ever see a D/B going on sale I,ll likely buy one not for sale , but on sale at a reduced price $$$
J

So the saga continues: Midway through the summer I decided to have new bearings on the trailer installed. 9 years of use fresh and salt water launchings, it seemed like a good idea. Trailer was at the marina so I hauled it up to where I bought the boat about 35 miles. Took a week or so, I picked up the trailer and towed it back to Willsboro marina, hey, no boat so 65-70 mph on the Northway. Dropped it off then went sailing. Well since the grounding and no daggerboard motoring around didn't appeal so yesterday I hauled the boat. 3 Macgregor bumps the boat was firmed up to the stopper thing. Started to pull away but heard a nasty grinding sound! Upon inspection the right trailer wheel had only 3 lugnuts, and they were loose!???????? I jacked up the trailer a bit and tightened the nuts (moving one to balance). Fortunately there was a garage about 3 miles away. He was able to only find one that fit (lugnuts are not standard???). He impact drivered them all allowing me to get back to Champlain Boatworks in Valcour to get the motor winterized (and a missing lugnut). Could have been a second greater catastrophe than the grounding! Agh, an early end to a beautiful summer of sailing.

Kevin, definatley have to rendezvous next summer. There is a Safe Harbor marina up there where I would get some free days, also I want to check out Fort Mistake. Will message.

We are doing the canals in Canada, Lake Champlain and Erie canal in the summer of 2022. So let us know the date and if it is near or in sept we would enjoy a meet up. We could reverse our trip and meet up in early June.
Richard

Bobglas wrote: ↑Tue Sep 21, 2021 2:33 pm Kevin, definatley have to rendezvous next summer. There is a Safe Harbor marina up there where I would get some free days, also I want to check out Fort Mistake. Will message.

Superb. Actually, we’ll be up there this coming week, Monday-Friday. PM me if you’ll be around!

As to the lug nuts, replace the studs. The reason the nuts are coming off is because the studs were over-torqued at some point and they can now no longer hold torque (think stretched out slinky). If the studs are too difficult to remove you can buy replacement hubs with studs and bearings already installed. In future, buy an inexpensive torque wrench from Harbor Freight and use it religiously. Bolts should torqued to 80 lb/ft, and then checked every 50-100 miles for the first 500 miles.

Ditto!
Check torque yourself regularly.
Not hard to do but a great headache saver… learned from when I first got a license and has saved several snafus (from the tire dealers no less) from becoming fubars….