Date: 12/21/2006
Name: Stephen, Fleet 1, Seattle
email: Charmedjuan@comcast.net
subject:Keel Gaskets, One design specifications, etc.
I think I'll stand up on my soap box one more time.As to the keel gasket and fairing. The cost of the fairing is about $35.00, and the metal gasket is around $125. (These were the prices I paid a couple of years ago). The Mylar gaskets are about $27.00 (current price from Port Gardner sailboats price list). To be competitive, these should be changed every year or so, more so if you want to think you are going faster. The fairing/metal gasket will pay for itself in 5 years.
There is no real difference in speed between a faired/metal gasket boat and a good Mylar gasket. New sails will make a much bigger difference. The big difference is maintenance. Who doesn’t want a maintenance free keel gasket? Having the fairing only makes replacing the Mylar gasket much easier since you don’t have to work around the front of the keel. We talked about allowing only one set of sails a year to reduce the cost and leveling the playing field, Do we want to talk about allowing the keel gasket to be changed only once a year to?
I have a very bad bottom on my boat. It is in desprite need of sanding and smoothing. But I don't have any access to a lift so I will have to build one this winter to clean up my bottom. Is this unfair? I am going to spend several hundred dollars on a lift and stands to work on the bottom of my boat. Most SJ 21 owners don't have access to a lift to clean and fair their boats, yet it is one of the most important go fast items, the other being new sails. Both of these are allowed.
There was a question about whether you need to keep the existing mylar keel retainer strips on, Yes you do from the aft end of the keel fairing, all the way back and across the end aft of the slot.
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