No doubt I am not the first to damage a daggerboard.  I am new to dingy ownership (and thus maintenance) and have taken a chunk out of the bottom of daggerboard on my RS Vareo.  The core is now visable and clearly in need of attention.  Which capable of doing the job I am unfamiliar with either technique nor products.  ANy advice gratefully Received.

Pat  

I'm a big fan of plastic padding, I use it to fix bits on my centerboard all the time. The white stuff looks just the business too, although it's harder to get. I think it's called "Plastic Padding Marine Filler". The more standard stuff is green/grey & is made as car body filler & can be picked up in most hardware store. It is the same stuff - it just doesn't look as cool as white.

It should fix most minor centerboard & rudder problems. Although if it is a bigger chunk, around 3cm or bigger I wouldn't really know what to use!

Hope this helps.

Thanks for the tip on Plastic Padding.  However comment from Tim and Stuart make me inclined to post a photograph.  I'll try and do that tonight.  I think that there is about a 1x6cm exposure of the core.

Many Thanks.

 Its not a great phot but you get the idea.  Garry, many thanks I will see if I can find the Laser advice.

Pat

Oops, seems I underestimated the damage! I don't think that one is for plastic padding.

I hope you get it sorted ok & that you're back on the water soon!

Owning one laser is bad enough...

That's exactly the colour scheme I saw in a house we visited last year! I didn't know you lived in Brighton, redback!

Oooops sorry, that was a blonde moment...

Seriously, what's hit you? Do you still sail at WeirWood? Have you finally run out of water?

Ive chipped the trailing corner of my laser daggerboard, these not much damage but its scratching my boat when i lift it out, i was thinking that all i need to do is sand it smooth but is there a way i could rebuilt the shape,   im not sure filler would work because its not a hole and could just come straight off.

not my daggerboard just showing where the damage is

I repaired a similar ding for a friend not so long ago but it was more like a bite out of the trailing edge and I had the pieced that came out. I drilled a couple of holes and epoxied in some stainless screws which I had removed the heads and filed smooth (in case the repair fell out leaving the screws behind).

I then bonded the new bit back on and filled in any gaps with epoxy, Coloidal silica and glass bubbles, sanded it smooth and put a really thing layer of gelcoat over the top to get a nice finish.

If you don't have the bit that's missing tape some plastic sheet to one side and build up the shape with epoxy, coloidal silica + glass bubbles. Let it set, remove the sheet and fill any holes etc with gelcoat filler. You could just use just gelcoat filler if the area is small and this will give you a 'sacrificial' tip which will fail before the daggerboard case if you hit something. You will have to replace it often though if you throw your board into the boat every time you come ashore.

See below for suggestions as to why this is the wrong thing to do and the correct way to do it any time now