soft bottom

quote:[i]Originally posted by briess[/i]
[br]My 909 has had a soft bottom since I purchased 3 years ago. Recently I saw another scot with a soft bottom that the owner fixed by placing a 2×6 across the inside seating area width and screwed down to the centerboard trunk. Additionally he screwed from under the seats through the 2×6. He swears that it has made the bottom stiffer and prevented the centerboard from moving. Has anyone ever heard of this being done? He told me Flying Scot approved this and it is legal to sail in competition?

Yeah, as a stop-gap fix it offers the needed stiffness that was lost due to the delamination that seems like a continuing problem with these boats. I think that a cause of it is partly due to improper trailering – too much pressure on the aft end of the cockpit. It seems that trailers should have a much broader support there rather than a carpeted 2×4. I think that a flat piece of wood – 2×8? 2×10? or even some plywood would be better. I read that according to the manufacturer, practically all the weight of the boat should rest on the keel and the runners in the trailer are just to keep it stable (and not bear load). I also think that a good way to avoid this unnecessary pressure would be to make sure the supports extend past the transom – meaning that the trailer be is just a bit longer than the boat itself so the aft weight is supported at the transom rather than in the cockpit area, IMHO.