F2 PARTS

Question
QUESTION: I NEED AT LEAST 2 FOOTSTRAPS FOR A F2 STRATO. IF NOT AVAILABLE, DO YOU HAVE ANY SUGGESTIONS ON HOW TO ADD NON-STOCK ONES WITHOUT CAUSING THE DECK TO LEAK?  IT NEEDS  A CENTERBOARD GASKET ALSO.WILL NEW ONES MADE FOR OTHER BRANDS WORK?

ANSWER: Hey Tony,

If there are already holes in your board for footstraps, then any new footstrap will work. Although, some straps come with single holes and some with double holes. Depending upon what your board has, you can always melt new holes in the straps to make them work on your board. Use a small tip soldering iron or use a torch to heat up a small phillips screwdriver (or similar tool) to melt new holes.

If you are wanting to add footstraps to a board that has no footstrap screw inserts, it is not an easy task and should only be done as a last effort. You have to know exactly what the core of the board is made of in order to get the proper epoxy to hold the inserts in the board. If you use the wrong epoxy, it can start eating the core of the board and literally make your board useless, other than a bench in your garden.

As for gaskets, you would have to measure yours for length and width at the mounting areas and then talk to the folks with gaskets to see if they are the same. If the width is the same or close, you should be able to trim the length to fit. The screw holes may not match either so be sure to drill the gasket and not the board for proper screw alignment.

For a few different gaskets, check out www.oceanairsports.com under windsurfing/parts/Mistral. You will have to call them direct to get measurements.

Hope this helps.
Keep on sailing,
Windlover

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: THANKS FOR THE ADVICE.  I DO'NT WANT TO SCREW DIRECTLY INTO THE BOARE.  IT IS EPOXY CARBON.  THE OLD FOOTSTRAPS SNAPPED INTO A 11/4"W X 5/8" DEEP INDENTATION AT EACH END OF THE STRAP.  HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT FILLING THESE WITH A MARINE EPOXY (MAYBE AN EPOXY REPAIR STICK), THEN SCREWING INTO THAT TO HOLD NEW STRAPS? I NEVER THOUGHT ABOUT MATERIAL COMPATABILITY UNTIL YOU MENTIONED IT, SO I DO'NT KNOW IF THEY WILL BOND OR MELT THE EXISTING BOARD SURFACE.ELEXD

Answer
Hey Tony,

I don't know if just filling in the void with epoxy and then screwing into the epoxy would be the best fix. I would suggest that you purchase some footstrap inserts (available at www.chinooksailing.com under 'board building parts'). You can also get a variety of repair products at Chinook under 'components'. The 'Ding Stick' is usually compatible with most epoxy type boards. It is a two part epoxy in a putty form. Just slice off the estimated amount you need, kneed it until uniform color, shape it around an insert and place into the void. Be sure to make enough to have a little pushing out around the edges. Scrape the excess and let it cure.

Not sure how deep your voids are so you may have to trim the foot strap inserts to make them flush with your board. Mix up the amount of epoxy you need to fill around the inserts. Smooth it out, let it dry, sand flush if needed, let cure. If you use Ding Stick, it hardens up fairly quickly so be ready to work fast. It is sandable in a fairly short time but I would give it at least overnight if not a couple of days to fully cure all around the insert before attaching footstraps and sailing. If you get a good bond to insert and board shell and then have a bad fall that might cause enough pressure to remove a screw, it will just strip the screw from the insert instead of ripping out the epoxy plug. There are kits for repairing insert thread that are much cheaper and easier than repairing the shell of the board.

Hope this helps.
Keep on sailing,
Windlover