will begin working on my new/old 1994 Sunfish Daysailer soon and need to know how the centerboard works. On trailer now but the lever that controls centerboard moves about two inches forward and back but does not seem to allow any further movement. Anyone have a diagram or photos of how this thing is assembled or built or operated?
Daysailer Centerboard assembly
- Thread starter ddodgen
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I have a Day Sailer II, which is different than a Day Sailer I with the lever. The lever works better than what the DS2's use. From what I understand about the DS1 lever is that the lever handle fits into a square hole in the centerboard and deploys the centerboard by pulling the handle. I don't know how much travel the handle is suppose to make. You might want to check with some of the DS1 sailors on the Day Sailer Assoc. forum at http://www.daysailer.org/ You don't need to belong to the DS Assoc. to register on the forum and post. The SLI Day Sailer is a DS1. There was recently a discussion about the SLI Day Sailers.
John
John
Thanks John
Strange as it may seem if the DS1 is the first generation and it had the lever, when the Sunfish Daysailer was built they used the same exact lever even in 1994. Looking at photos of the parts it appears to be the same exact pieces. I am guessing that the lever will turn more than I am getting but I think the trailer is interfering with the centerboard movement. I guess I am going to have to wait until I get the boat on its side to remove the lever and see what and how it works. I think you must be right but my curiosity outweighs my motivation so far. If we keep up this 50-60 degree weather I will probably lay the boat over next week. Thanks
Be aware that when you remove the lever, the CB will usually fall out of the boat!! The shaft on the lever holds the CB in place.
The diagram below is actually from the Widgeon Manual that I created, but the CB on the DS I is basically the same (although, as I mentioned in my private message, the SLI and CCSB Day Sailers use a slightly different, but not too different setup).
The diagram below is actually from the Widgeon Manual that I created, but the CB on the DS I is basically the same (although, as I mentioned in my private message, the SLI and CCSB Day Sailers use a slightly different, but not too different setup).
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Trying To Make It Too Hard
I guess I am trying to make this thing way to complicated. Looks simple if you understand that the centerboard has a square hole or something that allows the lever to lower and raise the CB.
I guess I am trying to make this thing way to complicated. Looks simple if you understand that the centerboard has a square hole or something that allows the lever to lower and raise the CB.
The lever is a tried and true method. They still use it on the current production Day Sailers. Currently Day Sailers are made by Cape Cod Shipbuilding. If you are not aware of it, D&R Marine http://www.drmarine.com/categories.asp?cat=64 have most the parts for the Day Sailer. Of course Cape Cod Shipbuilding sells parts also. Since the DS is a one design boat, parts from the various manufactures are pretty much the same.
I have a small catboat that uses that same lever mechanism, it was built in 1952.
John
I have a small catboat that uses that same lever mechanism, it was built in 1952.
John
Looking at D&R's website convinced me that the same gear matched my boat. Based on just a quick look and a couple of parts it seems that the boats are the same. The only diff I can see is that my mast is two part; one part goes through the cabin from above and mounts to the keel and sticks up about 3'. The balance carries the rigging. I think I will find that the piece that goes through the cuddy is also two pieces because I want to lay the boat on its top for painting and cleaning and the mast is in the way
My Day Sailer II has the hinged mast. I think it was mostly the DS1's that where built by O'Day that had the one piece masts. I'm not sure about the DS1's that the DS Assoc. had built by various manufacturers after O'Day went out of business had one piece or hinged masts.
John
John
this might help
going to try and post a photo showing the two pc mast on my Sunfish. The two ends of the mast have a hinge. Got the lower unit out today. It nests into a cast fixture mounted on the keel. It would seem to make raising the mast a little easier since the movable mast is about 4 ft shorter than most. The photo shows the lower mast in place. The upper mast is just tied to it for transit.
going to try and post a photo showing the two pc mast on my Sunfish. The two ends of the mast have a hinge. Got the lower unit out today. It nests into a cast fixture mounted on the keel. It would seem to make raising the mast a little easier since the movable mast is about 4 ft shorter than most. The photo shows the lower mast in place. The upper mast is just tied to it for transit.
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I've only seen one other Day Sailer with a hinge that high. That is not the standard hinge placement. It looks like it was hinged there to allow dropping the mast without having to remove the boom for going under low bridges. The lower part looks normal for a DS1. I've seen similar hinges on catboats to allow going under bridges. The standard mast hinge is much closer to the cuddy cabin top. Attached is a picture of my boats cuddy cabin top showing the mast hinge (boom is sitting on it for trailering). The other picture of my cabin top shows the mast up, the hinge is covered by a boot to keep the jib sheets from snagging on it.
John
John
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very different
I guess that this is one of the differences between the ODAY Daysailer version and the Sunfish version. There are very few but this is definitely different.
That setup of your mast hinge is not stock for the SLI Day Sailers. I actually thought the SLI built boats had a standard hinged mast, with the hinge bolted to the deck and a short strut or mast section below deck to connect to the step inside the cuddy, but maybe they offered the one-piece mast as original to the O'DAY built boats on their "racing" version of the boat. Your setup appears to be an attempt to copy the "Masttendr" setup on the Compac brand catboats, and is not a standard DS I setup.
As to the DS II ,the DS II had the one piece mast (stepped through the cuddy top) as standard until around the 1981 model year, with the hinge as shown below as an option. Starting with the 1981 or 82 models (I'll have to check my research) the hinge became standard although the mast still was 2-piece (ie: through deck like the one-piece). For the 1984 model year the hinge was bolted to the deck with no opening in hte cuddy top (see pic below of DS_tabernacle), I think they used a piece of mast below deck to support the hinge, but the mast did not actually penatrate the cuddy top. This continued to be the standard as O'DAY transitioned to the DS III during the 1985 model year and was standard on that model until production stopped in 1989 when O'DAY went bankrupt. PEARSON Yachts-Small boat division became the builder in 1990 and I think built a few more DS IIIs before that company became SLI (SUNFISH-LASER) and they utinmately switched to the DS IV (aka: SLI DS I, now built by CCSB).
My 1979 DS II still has the original one-piece mast, I may eventually add a hinge as it makes stepping/unstepping the mast a lot easier.
As to the DS II ,the DS II had the one piece mast (stepped through the cuddy top) as standard until around the 1981 model year, with the hinge as shown below as an option. Starting with the 1981 or 82 models (I'll have to check my research) the hinge became standard although the mast still was 2-piece (ie: through deck like the one-piece). For the 1984 model year the hinge was bolted to the deck with no opening in hte cuddy top (see pic below of DS_tabernacle), I think they used a piece of mast below deck to support the hinge, but the mast did not actually penatrate the cuddy top. This continued to be the standard as O'DAY transitioned to the DS III during the 1985 model year and was standard on that model until production stopped in 1989 when O'DAY went bankrupt. PEARSON Yachts-Small boat division became the builder in 1990 and I think built a few more DS IIIs before that company became SLI (SUNFISH-LASER) and they utinmately switched to the DS IV (aka: SLI DS I, now built by CCSB).
My 1979 DS II still has the original one-piece mast, I may eventually add a hinge as it makes stepping/unstepping the mast a lot easier.
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My DS II is a 1976 model. I'm not sure mine originally had the hinge when manufactured, but I suspect that it did due to how the mast is below the cuddy floor. The picture was taken before I added new flotation. My mast is off a 1958 DS I according to the previous owner when I bought the boat. I like the flush hinge, would prevent catching the jib sheets on the hinge.
John
John
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That is what my boat looks like under the cuddy "floor", my maststep is on top of that "floor" and I did have to rebuild the location of the pipe underneath due to the fact that it was installed forward of the maststep.....OOPS! Deck inside the cuddy (what I referred to as the "floor" above, even though not technically the correct term) had actually cracked and allowed the mast step to drop several inches. I now have a 1/4" aluminum plate (about 12" x 9") on top of the cuddy floor with the maststep on that and I replaced the 3/4" plywood underneath that had rotted out.
So, anyway.... on the DS II that pipe is standard whether you have the hinged mast or not. Hinged mast was not standard until early 1980's. Factory option prior to that with the hinge being "spliced" into the mast about 1" above the cuddy top. Parts to do this mod were also available from O'DAY dealers and are still available from D&R Marine or DWYER Masts. In a way I almost wish that my had that option installed, I like the solidness of the one-piece mast, but when a bird sits on and breaks my windvane partway through the summer, it is just too combersome to unstep the mast to fix it. If I kept my boat on a trailer, there is no question that I would DEFINITELY add the hinge!!
So, anyway.... on the DS II that pipe is standard whether you have the hinged mast or not. Hinged mast was not standard until early 1980's. Factory option prior to that with the hinge being "spliced" into the mast about 1" above the cuddy top. Parts to do this mod were also available from O'DAY dealers and are still available from D&R Marine or DWYER Masts. In a way I almost wish that my had that option installed, I like the solidness of the one-piece mast, but when a bird sits on and breaks my windvane partway through the summer, it is just too combersome to unstep the mast to fix it. If I kept my boat on a trailer, there is no question that I would DEFINITELY add the hinge!!
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