DRAGONFLY Trimarans User Forum

Can anyone tell me the correct position for the 920 keel. when fully down against the stop knot my keel is not vertical, nor is it against the forward end of the keel slot, is this correct

Thanks for any responses asap please as I am out of the water for a few days only

I don't have a 920, but on the 1000 the easiest way to find out how long your rope is, just take the table top off the centerboard slot. If the boat is out of the water, see how far you can extend it. Note the position, and tie the knot. It helps to have a cordless drill to take apart the table top.
Might as well replace the control lines when you have it exposed also.
Hope that helps.
Ted

Hi Ted

Thanks for your responce.

Should the keel go down until it stops against the hull OR should the stop knot hold the keel from bottoming ?
If the keel should 'bottom' what is the porpose of the stop knot

Thanks again

Roger

The center-board should go fully down and not be stopped by the knot. It is not a stopping knot!
The knot is only there to indicate that the center-board is fully down.
The knot should therefore be just in front of the cleat and not even touching the cleat.
It is not unknown to find the knot is slightly in the wrong place (even on new boats). Make sure you place it correctly.

THanks Bo , just what I needed to know, my keel is held by the knot and the keel , from the very bottom will go about 12 inches forward to the forward end of the keel slot.
I will try and undo the knot?????

Thanks again

roger

I was told the knot is essential, because if the centerboard is lowered to far
down, the board gets too much free play in its case.....

Ipe Piccardt Brouwer wrote:I was told the knot is essential, because if the centerboard is lowered to far
down, the board gets too much free play in its case.....

I was under the impression that the knot is to keep the centerboard from jamming up against the forward edge of the slot, in event the centerboard is stuck in the bottom (in shallow water) and the boat is being pushed backward by wind/current. Damage to the leading edge of the trunk/centerboard can result. [/i]

OK I THINK I may have the answer to this, I have just had my 920 out of the water and untied the stopper knot in the keel uphaul line, My keel front edge was about 30 degs from the vertical.
When fully down in the keel slot the rear top of the keel exposess the uphaul line and knot and the top of the keep is exposed which would give bad turbulence, the answer seems to me on my 2000 920 was to just hold the keel back a little, just about vertical but not fully forward into the slot, about 1/2 inch of slot forward of the keel.