'Bilge keels' on a Mirror dinghy

[RockyKoast]

Has anyone done this or know of any links?
My boat has sprung a leak around the centreboard case somewhere. I'm toying with simply dispensing with the centreboard and fitting a pair of long, shallow bilge keels. I've seen this kind of set up once...think it was shown ever so briefly on an Australian dinghy cruising youtube post..
Any comments, advice welcome.

 

[Keith 66]

The bottom on a mirror is very thin & you walk on it, to strengthen it enough to carry bilge keels you might as well build another boat.

 

[RockyKoast]

Good point. Strengthening the hull wouldn't be a bad thing!

 

[dunedin]

Good point. Strengthening the hull wouldn't be a bad thing!

Fixing the leak round the dagger board case might be simpler - and certainly better.
And unless find and close the leak, wood will rot.

 

[Wansworth]

Or maybe a fixed centreline keel say4inches deep

 

[RockyKoast]

Fixing the leak round the dagger board case might be simpler - and certainly better.
And unless find and close the leak, wood will rot.

True...I'm keeping that option open, but never been a fan of having holes in the hull of a boat...

 

[RockyKoast]

Or maybe a fixed centreline keel say4inches deep

I've been considering that option too...but a bit tricker as an add-on with the curved 'V' of the boat...
Another problem that comes to mind is righting the boat in the event of capsizing without the centreboard to heave on (though I've experienced the centre board breaking off while trying to right the boat in the past..)

 

[dunedin]

True...I'm keeping that option open, but never been a fan of having holes in the hull of a boat...

I suspect the designer knew what he was doing when designing the boat, with a dagger board case.
As did the designers of the hundreds/ thousands of designs of other dinghies with dagger board or centreboard slots.
These millions of dinghies work well, without sinking. What do you know that these expert designers didn’t ?

And, as noted previously, a Mirror hull is very thin and fragile shell, to keep the weight down. A daggerboard slot is hardly a material concern when the rest of the hull is so easily pierced.

 

[srm]

but never been a fan of having holes in the hull of a boat

The centre board case is not a hole in the boat, like a self bailer. It is as much a part of the hull as the transom or keel is and is part of the structure.
However, it is your boat so there is nothing to stop you altering the design concept and simplifying the construction to suit your own ideas. You will then have a different boat that will behave and handle differently to a Mirror dinghy.

 

[Gsailor]

I would compromise... fit stubby short bilge keels just for taking the ground on a nice sunny beach and fix the leak.

I started in a mirror and bilge keels never occurred to me; good on you sir/madam !

 

[Rockyk]

I would compromise... fit stubby short bilge keels just for taking the ground on a nice sunny beach and fix the leak.

I started in a mirror and bilge keels never occurred to me; good on you sir/madam !

I like that idea. It could be tried without removing the centre board casing first, testing the sailing, board up and board down ?