Add centerboard to Starboard Go?

jfeehan · Joined: 27 Jul 1998 Posts: 156

I have an old Starboard Go - not the first model year, but not long afterwards.

I bought it for one of my daughters to learn on, and she used it a bit, but not a lot, and moved on. It's been sitting unused for 5 years.

Now, my younger daughter is showing signs of real interest. In Cabarete this year, she was out sailing in the light air nearly every morning.

She sailed a JP Funster - and it worked _very_ well for her - no problem staying upwind. The Funster has a centerboard, but my Go does not - it has the side fins, and maybe a big center fin, but they never worked, and staying upwind was always a problem for the kids - they typically use pretty small sails, and sail in light wind.

I am convinced that I need a board with a centerboard.

Ideally, I'd buy a Funster, or a Starboard Rio, but I don't want to spend the money for a new one, and I don't see any used available locally.

Also, I doubt I can sell the Go, and I really don't want another board hanging around.

So, how hard would it be to put a centerboard in a Go?

Can I even get a centerboard cassette that would work?

I have reasonable fiberglass skills, having repaired boards and dinghies over many years.

Does anyone know of a Rio for sale?

dhmark · Joined: 04 Sep 2007 Posts: 376

Some years back, I downloaded some information about a home made removable centerboard someone figured out how to make, using a plastic cutting board, and some of those suction cups that you use some kind of lever to stick to a surface (I think used for carrying glass). It looked pretty well worked out. It's only an on or off kind of thing. You attach a cord to the fin in case the suction cups lose their grip. Put it slightly off center if the board has a lot of Vee. I considered it because I wanted a wide board for me that was good for teaching kids, but did not want weight of daggerboard. I settled on Bic Nova, which has Techno 160 shape, padded deck, a-base center fin, not outrageously heavy. Maybe you can find these instructions or figure it out. I think it was called "super sucker center board." can't find anything googling that term, though. dhmark

bred2shred · Joined: 02 May 2000 Posts: 989 Location: Jersey Shore

Mount a second fin box (E-Box) in the bottom of the board approximately where you would want the centerboard. Then use a pointer or freeride fin in the forward slot. Better performance than those little side skegs and a heck of a lot easier to install and lighter than a centerboard case. Plus you can pick and choose what fin you use in there. Once she gets good enough, just take the fin out and you've still got a lightweight planing board.

sm

outcast · Joined: 04 May 2004 Posts: 2724

But the for jfeehan is that the Go was made with side skegs

There should be some screw holes on the side rails, that you can add to.

I made some plywood side skegs for my kids.

Nothing will make that board go upwind short of a BIG fin, Big wind and big sail.....don't think that a centerbard will add much in light wind....it's not like an old one-design, superlight or pan-am...it's a door with pads on it.....that's it's beauty

outcast · Joined: 04 May 2004 Posts: 2724

should say "The point for jfeehan..."

jfeehan · Joined: 27 Jul 1998 Posts: 156

thanks for the replies.

i have the side fins - they don't work, and i'm hesitant to make bigger side fins, because the screw holes aren't designed for any real load - running them aground, for example.

we don't really need to be able to _go_ upwind..., much..., - just to stay upwind.

the JP Funster stays upwind fine with a 3.5 sail, and the (rather small) stock fin. the centerboard makes all the difference.

i agree that a fin box mounted in the middle would be much easier to accomplish, than a new centerboard. i'd probably use a tuttle or power box, because i have dozens of those fins. my u.s. box fins are really small, and i'm not sure they'd help at all...

what i'm worried about with the fin box, is that the fin will need to be long enough (~15 in.?), that it'll run aground a lot, and possibly damage the board.

still, the fin box would be relatively simple...

where would I put it?

I guess, behind the mast track..., but how far?

if anybody wants to sell a rio, i'm interested...

bred2shred · Joined: 02 May 2000 Posts: 989 Location: Jersey Shore

The advantage of a US box is that it's the easiest to install. Plus you don't have fin screws right where your kids feet are going to be. I would think 15" would be about the max you'll need. You're just trying to give them a little resistance to stay upwind and give them a point to rotate the board around. You're not trying to crank upwind like a raceboard. Take the time to install the box so it's strong and they shouldn't hurt the board with the occasional scrape on the bottom.

For location, I would reference the location of the centerboard on a longboard or hybrid. Otherwise, use your best judgement. Probably around 12" behind the mast track. Yet another advantage of the US box- you have the ability to move the fin fore & aft.

I know of at least one instance where my shop did this on an old shortboard for a guy's kid (I'm sure there were more) and it worked out fine.

sm

dhmark · Joined: 04 Sep 2007 Posts: 376

found it.
http://www.windsurfingmag.com/article/Bonus-Coverage/Do-it-Yourself---Super-Suck-Center-Board

dhmark

coachg · Joined: 10 Sep 2000 Posts: 3550

jfeehan,
Where are you located? Try posting in the want adds for a Rio on Iwindsurf.

As for where to put the fin box, I have and older Start. I bought it because it didn't have the centerboard, but a center Tuttle fin box. The board came with two fins, a 40 cm and a round 22 cm fin. Both are interchangeable. You start off with the 22 in the back and the 40 in the middle. As they get better you switch the 40 to the back and put the 22 in the middle. Starboard even provided a fin box cover that screws into the box when you don't need to use a center fin. The fin doesn't even need to be in the middle of the board. If you look at the picture of my Start you will see a black box just below and to the right of the mast track. That is where I screw in the fin or fin box cover. It also opperates as a carrying handle. That is a possible location for you to place a tuttle fin box system if you want to go to that much work.

Coachg

Aranel · Joined: 10 Aug 2005 Posts: 78

Wow, this brings me back. I was to the Go was the way to “go” for a beginner board. Boy do I regret getting one. It's fine for certain conditions but the upwind ability was awful. Yes, I tried all the tricks like sinking the rail and all that. The bottom line is that unless you want to go back and forth with minimal upwind ability, it's not great. In certain narrow conditions I loved sailing it, but that was that. The side fins were okay, but if the wind picked up they'd generate a huge amount of lift.

I eventually got my Kona One to replace the Go. (Wow, this is what it's like to go upwind!) I still would like a nice wideboard but now it must have a daggerboard. My friend has a Rio, which sails nicely. I want something like that in my quiver.

Check out:

http://hudsonwindsurfer.blogspot.com/2008/09/board-trade.html

http://hudsonwindsurfer.blogspot.com/2008/10/stupid-stupid-stupid.html

-Ian