Desperate Newport 17 owner

priceless9192 · #1 (**permalink**) 10-29-2011

i recently purchased a 1976 Lockley Newport 17. i am struggling to find out any information on the Lockley Name or anything about the boat. its even harder to find other owners like myself. is there anyone else out there with a newport 17 or anyone who knows anything about this boat??

CalebD · #2 (**permalink**) 10-29-2011

NEWPORT 17 sailboat on sailboatdata.com
Newport 17 - Boat Design Forums

There must be some other info out there somewhere...

davidpm · #3 (**permalink**) 10-29-2011

Anything specifically you are trying to find out?

priceless9192 · #4 (**permalink**) 10-29-2011

well the steel centerboard is in horrible shape, its a long shot but im wondering if anyone has a extra?

CalebD · #5 (**permalink**) 10-29-2011

Well, that is a long shot. I would not count on finding a drop in replacement but you never know.

It should not be too difficult to fabricate a new center board though.
I'd start by dropping or removing the old center board as it should be useful for figuring out what shape and dimensions you need. Next, find a metal fabricating shop that can make you a replacement.
It might be a good idea to make a prototype center board out of plywood first, if the dimensions are sketchy.
G'luck.

priceless9192 · #6 (**permalink**) 10-29-2011

thanks calebd, from what i have researched on fabricating shops making replacement centerboards for people it looks like its going to be over $300. thats more than half the cost of the boat but oh well

simpsoned · #7 (**permalink**) 10-29-2011

You must have some expensive fabricating shops in your neck of the woods...I have a Rhodes Bantam...the centerboard is about 3/4 the size of yours...steel cost about 75 including cutting it out, and I had it powder coated for another 50...
Ed Simpson

CalebD · #8 (**permalink**) 10-30-2011

Priceless,
Maybe you have not found the right metal working shop yet. The shop I'd want to use for this might not have a web page but definitely has an old, one eyed dog out front.
Keep in mind that your replacement center baord is not going to be a fine work of art but rather a piece cut out of some thickness sheet metal (SS or aluminum). It does not have to be pretty but it does have to work and hopefully will last for a while.
Before you can do anything (even get a quote) you need the pattern of the center board.

priceless9192 · #9 (**permalink**) 10-30-2011

i haven't visited or actually know of any local metal shops but from online plate steel wholesalers, a 1 foot by 4 foot 3/4 inch piece is around 280 shipped, and that isn't the end of it, i still need to have it cut right, plus its probably longer than 4 feet -__- anyway is there any other material i could look into that is cheaper than plate steel that would give me the same weight? i plan on coating it with some kind of rust protectant anyway.

CalebD · #10 (**permalink**) 10-30-2011

For starters, if I was in your position, I would not assume that I needed to buy a sheet of metal myself from a plate steel wholesaler. Many metal shops have plate metals in stock that they bought some time ago that could be used.
I'll also point out that steel (stainless or otherwise) is a fairly poor choice of material for an underwater application as even stainless steel will rust in the absence of air. I'm not a metal worker but perhaps an anodized aluminum sheet would be fine if covered in fiber glass.
Yes, you want your new center board to be close to or equal the weight of the old one. That does not mean you need to make up the weight by using 3/4" thick metal plate. I'd think that you could use a thinner metal, say 3/8" or 1/2" that you would surround with epoxy (or polyester) resin and glass sheet. This method would allow you to sand fair the outside and hide any imperfections in the cut sheet metal. The bottom of the center board could also be extended with FRP/GRP (fiberglass) construction as this is the spot that would likely hit the bottom when you run aground. This would also allow your piece of sheet metal to be slightly undersized as you would build it up with laminates - which could be done indoors over the winter.

I've never used this stuff (G10) but you might consider using it for the stock for your replacement center board. Not sure if the weight would be in the right neighborhood though.
G10 Fiberglass Board