I needed better leeboards and bracket....

Ed Maurer, Publisher, Cape Carteret, North Carolina

Having fought with leeboards that were too small for the purpose, I finally broke down and decided to make a new set. The old ones didn’t provide enough lateral resistance to allow me to sail close to the wind, or as close as could be expected by an open, “Canadian” canoe, and they were overpowered by higher winds. To add to the need, the old boards had been beat to death by running into shoals and had finally cracked. 

It was time.

As with any project, careful consideration of what one wants, and what one needs, must be taken into account. This one was no different, but it came with its own requirements that others may not consider or recognize. The reader may be well aware of my opinion that two boards are generally better than one (see “An Argument for Twin, Fixed Leeboards ”) because twin boards provide a wider range of control and flexibility under more conditions. Thus, this would be a twin-leeboard project.

Moving away from that, I had the regular expectations of leeboards, and a couple “wants” as well.

-Leeboards significantly contribute to a boat’s lateral resistance, the force that counters the lateral force sails apply to the boat. By balancing resistance against force, the boat will make way, or go in the direction intended by the helmsman (or -woman.) Boards that are too small don’t get the job done, too big and they add unneeded drag.

-The boards must be easily managed. The skipper must be able to raise and lower them with the least amount of hassle, and they must not become a problem when striking an impediment like the odd log or manatee (both of which I’ve struck while at top speed.)

-I wanted a folding leeboard bracket that would make it easier to carry the boards and stow them in my truck. Some old styles were designed to have the bracket separate in two, and an other type actually folded up into a very compact package. Others, like my old set, remained in one, ungainly piece.

-Since a great deal of my sailing is in water less than three feet, and often less than one, I needed boards that would provide maximum control with minimum wetted area. They also had to be free-swinging to accommodate running into shoals and other…impediments.