Making a dagger board into a drawing board

Does anyone near Poole have a dagger board going cheap or is surplus to requirements?

My daughter Port, and her friend got the mast stuck in Poole’s mud on the last very windy day of Parkstone youth week. Two 13 year old girls jumping up and down on a 25 year old bit of ply for 15 minutes eventually snapped the board cleanly in two. The upside is that Port now has a new drawing board. The down side is that we need a dagger board.

I actually blame those horrible Topper things. My daughter has defected to sailing one of these soulless washing up bowls, and has now lost the sense of mechanical sympathy needed for an old Mirror. She was only in the Mirror boat because Starboard my son had decided he didn’t want sail and Port was his sub...

I thought about a buying a new one but couldn’t quite believe the £100 price tag. Yes, that’s right, a ton for a bit of sanded ply - not even GRP sheathed or even fancy stripy wood. That’s probably a quarter of what the boats worth.

On the basis that the old girl is only really used to poodle about, I thought any old bit of ply would do. So off down to B&Q. OK, so the bendy old bits of ply they sell are no good – I think cutting one out of a sheet of the grot they sell would cause the boat to sail in circles, if not turn it into a foiling Mirror (there’s a thought) . Looking online, a half sheet of 12mm 7 ply marine stuff is about £60 delivered. After adding labour and varnish £100 doesn’t seem too much, given the price of the raw material. But still out of range of our economy version of sailing.

I spotted a rather sad looking Mirror parked by the side of the road on a visit to mother-in-law in Gloucester. I couldn’t contact the owner but a quick look inside showed a good crop of weeds and mice, but no board anyway.

Ebay I here you say! Well I missed out on a new board – someone was just more determined than me. I’m now thinking of buying the cheapest Mirror I can find – just for parts you understand.

Ho Hum

Cush (still too fat for a Mirror)

£100 - almost makes Milanes seem like good value.

Pinnel and Bax advertise one for £75 but there may be carriage on top.

Have you asked Winder boats?

dan

I broke a board a few weeks ago, and got a new stripey laminated one made by Duffin Marine in Belfast for £90 - I still need to varnish it, but it's still £250 cheaper than a Milanes board. He did offer to make a ply one for about £40, but having broken a ply one, I wanted something more solid.

Thanks for your replies.


I have managed to borrow one in the short term, someone has offred me a decent used one for £40, and I shall give Duffins a call on Monday. Poor a old Port is going to be without pocket money for a while :lol:

Thanks again for your suggestions - as always this forum comes to the rescue.

Cush