In answer my own question about replacing the restraining or control line of the dagger board.
Before you start, do you have the patience of Job, the dexterity of a seamstress, long thin fingers and a pair of long nosed pliers? If so please continue.
So, you collapse the mast and slide it back on its gantry to clear the dagger board housing slot.
You will see a hinge through which two ropes are threaded and knotted. This is visible even with the mast up but not accessible.
For the sake of clarity, one rope is the control line with which you haul up and lower the dagger board. The other is a restraining rope to stop the dagger board falling down through the slot and dropping out altogether.
Very high technology here in that both ropes are secured with granny knots. Untie them but keep hold of one rope at least to stop the dagger board from sliding down too far but having untied them you can haul up the dagger board. A friend and a pair of gloves are useful at this stage but not absolutely necessary.
At this point I have to tell you that I am not impressed at all with the design of this dagger board.
Access to the two ropes is by removing a plug in the side of the dagger board which reveals a hole about the size of my thumb. Is this the best that Old MacGregor can come up with in this modern world?
Choose a rope and try pushing it into the dagger board; you will probably need to push, twist, tease and push again and again and keep at it until you can see a bit of it through the hole in the side of the dagger board, then grab it with the long nosed pliers and gently extract it. Not easy because of the second granny knot with secures it within the dagger board.
Attach a thin length of strong line to it before fully extracting it which you can then attach to the replacement rope and pull that through and down into the space within the dagger board.
Having removed one rope back to twisting, pushing and teasing again to force the remaining rope into the open so you can insert the long nose pliers again into the side hole and withdraw the rope. Again tie a length of thin line to this before fully extracting .
I used 1.5m of 8mm rope as a replacement to the restraining line, the control line still being sound. and it was just as difficult to get it and its knot back inside the dagger board as it was to get it out. Yes, that is two granny knots you have to finagle in and out.
With hindsight I should have used 6mm rope.
Tie one end of the thin line to the new rope and pull and push and twist and tease it until you can grab it through the side hole, then tie the granny knot and ram it back into the hole, pop the plug back in and then lower the board back down the slot, feed lines through the hinge and knot as appropriate.
Just to add that the gel coat is quite badly peeling away from my dagger board. Can this be repaired or does it need re-placing.
Simon Armitage
Sowenna (26M)