Any Bombardier 4.8 owners out there?

[PotomacDaysailer]

Hi, I am new to the forum. I am the proud owner of a very used Bombardier 4.8. I have a few questions which I have been having difficulty finding answers to.

First, I am all at sea (pun intended) as to how the centerboard is supposed to be rigged. The owner's manual I have is no help; it may possibly have made sense if the brand-new boat with all its original equipment was sitting there in front of you, but alas, such is not the case. The board has a hole in it which is, I assume, for an uphaul/downhaul line; but if I put a line through it, then I can't lower the board past about a 45 degree angle, whereas it should swing all the way down perpendicular to the waterline.

Secondly, I don't know how to rig the roller furling on the jib. There are no fairleads or cleats for the controlling line. It seems like a block and cleat arrangement of some sort must be missing.

Finally, I would like to find technical specifications for the boat and its hardware. Especially, I want to find the specs for the centerboard and rudder. The blade of the rudder that came with the boat - which was not the original - broke off and floated away last time I went out (the wood under the fiberglass coating rotted out) ... I based my new one on guesstimated dimensions from the remains of the old rudder head and a profile drawing I found, but I'd like to know the actual design dimensions.

 

[Dean_Wilson]

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/bombardiersailboatowners/

the above group has 4.8 users , like myself. Some with various sources of information , including original manuals , which are available for download from the user group common area.

Dean

 

[Dean_Wilson]

[4.8 pics

 

[PotomacDaysailer]

Thanks for the resources!

Dean,

So there are other 4.8ers - maybe I'm not such a rara avis after all. Much obliged for the info and pictures - I paid a brief visit to the linked forum just now, and will head over there again shortly, but I wanted to post an acknowledgement here first.

The centerboard picture is quite enlightening. The hole in mine must have been the attachment point for the metal extension, which I surmise should be flush against the top of the centerboard slot with the board all the way down? But how is it raised and lowered under way?

I have already discovered that I have built my new rudder from the wrong material (plywood, and not even marine plywood, though of a pretty good grade of standard plywood) - but it will serve until I can make another, better, one. Good practice, and I have acquired some tools which will prove useful next time.

 

[PotomacDaysailer]

Centerboard woes

Well, the group owner for the Yahoo group for Bombardier sailboat owners (Dean's link, above) hasn't processed me yet. Maybe someone here can help out.

I have attached photos of the centerboard I have, which is obviously in very sad shape indeed. The cross section of the board makes a teardrop shape, thinnest at the long edge, so I am assuming that the long edge is the aft (trailing) edge. Dean's ceterboard photo shows a metal piece attached where the hole in my board is - I am guessing that the metal piece slides into the forward end of the centerboard slot in the hull, providing a pivot point, and that the line attached to the other corner runs to a hook at deck level at the after edge of the centerboard slot, to hold the board down in position while under way, and which can be released to swing the board up while running or when beaching or putting the boat back on the trailer.

So, question #1 - am I correct as to how the centerboard should be rigged, if I had the missing piece per Dean's photo?

Question #2 - how can I jury rig the centerboard I have, until I can replace it? My thought is to attach an eye bolt to the top edge above the hole and attach a line to it, then at the dock slide the bord straight down, like a daggerbord, and run the line to a block attached to something convenient near the forward end of the centerboard slot, thence cleated off: thus preventing the board from swinging up and back while under way.

Question #3: How can I replace the board I have? Based on my experience with the rudder blade, I think I'll have to make a new one - these boats have not been made in 20 years or more, and apparently were not very numerous even then, so spare parts are not to be had for love or money, it seems. I've been looking for "Centerboards for Dummies" articles but everything I've found assumes a level of skill and previous experience for beyond mine. Can anyone steer me to one for a novice such as me?

Thanks very much for any help!

 

[PotomacDaysailer]

New rudder

Here are the new rudder and tiller I made --

 

[PotomacDaysailer]

Centerboard questions answered

Hello,

I am updating this thread in case anyone with a similar question happens along...

Thanks to Dean_Wilson and Victor the Cleaner, over on the bombardiersailboatowners group on Yahoo (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/bombardiersailboatowners/), I was able to diagnose and am now on my way to rectifying my centerboard situation.

On the Bombardier 4.8, the centerboard pivots around an axle that slides into the forward end of the centerboard slot and is secured there with 6 screws. On my boat, the board had been removed and the axle piece reinstalled. Apparently someone tried to patch some dings and never did reattach the centerboard - maybe the boat was sold in the interim and the new owner didn't understand the centerboard system, as I didn't when I acquired it.

Having found the axle piece, I removed it from the boat and will insert the axle through the hole in the centerboard and reinstall the whole thing.