Hi all, after a bit of help and if I can seek some opinions and/or thoughts.
Context: 40cm Carbon fin (sorry, don't know the brand) off a 2000-2003 Mistral Panam Raceboard, Rig NP RSX 9.5, Centreboard Mistral Panam Carbon.
Issue: Fin took an accidental drop when the board was being worked on today and added to the other chips and stress fractures (hopefully the pictures are clear enough).
Questions:
1. Can the fin be repaired? and any suggestions for a repairer in Sydney? (the centreboard also has a chip on the trailing edge that I should get repaired at he same time, if possible).
If not repairable, then for replacement:
2. Is the sailors weight critical to the fin size?
3. What size fin would be optimal with this board?
4. Is a carbon fin that superior to a G10 glass fin, as not to consider a glass fin? and what brands and sizes?
5. Do Raceboarders' have more than one fin, say a light wind one and a strong wind one? what size do they/you use?
Thanks heaps in advance for the help.
Carbon is a lot stiffer than G10, so yeah once you get past a certain length making a G10 fin is not worth it really.
Now I'd call that not even damaged really. The cracks are only in the outer resin gelcoat it appears. You get that just from flex in normal use.
Fill with a metal filled epoxy like JB Weld or Devcon plastic steel (use the 24hr cure versions not 5min) which you should be able to find at auto stores.
Then next day sand back with a 100 grade and then 240 and 400 wet n dry (wet sanding) and all done.
Thanks Mark.
I've not repaired or worked with carbon before, so a little apprehensive, may still seek a local repairer, say a shipwright or surfboard repairer?
Any thoughts from yourself or anyone else on whether 40cm is optimum for the board, sail, sailors weight combination? or do racers use two fins?
Does it matter which raceboard you have i.e Phantom 377L, Phantom 380, Mistral Panam, Equipe etc.. for what size fin?
Phew that fin looks fine ...you should see some of mine ...light sand is all thats needed.
I use to do a bit of long boarding ...mistral equipe and mistral escape 11.3 foot by memory ...used a 38 , 40 ,42 ,
yes I think the fin is a good size if you use your centre board correctly .
to big a fin is hard to drive down wind .remember long boards have a lot of rail in the water .
hard to say 100 % unless I sail it ....but I think it's a good one .to start .
i always say if a fin is not scratched or scuffed, it has NOT been used....
some wear n tear is quite acceptable and yours is pretty close
as Mark suggests - epoxy does the job
i don't get quite as fancy as he does though - MarineTex or Marine Epoxy
also sand and often put some primer on for looks and to see where it needs more
here is a sample: more could be done on the one spot, but it is good to go 
my Mistral Equipe One is a Euro/US type box and I would not put more than 12"/30 cm fin
the TWO version comes with a power box and the fin is a G10 for the CHS board and carbon for the XR model
the length of those fins is 38 cm and they are slalom fins - here is the G10
short wider boards use giant fins - over 50 cm to 70 cm - with giant sails > 8 m²
large freerides use fins in the 40s with large sails 7 - 8+
longboards ironically do NOT use long fins with big sails > 7 m²
perhaps it is as tardy says - with the centreboard and rails more is NOT needed
this summer I plan to do some fin tests on the Mistral Equipe II/two
have other power box fins and will even try a Makani weed fin ...
Select to expand quoteParked said..
Hi all, after a bit of help and if I can seek some opinions and/or thoughts.
Context: 40cm Carbon fin (sorry, don't know the brand) off a 2000-2003 Mistral Panam Raceboard, Rig NP RSX 9.5, Centreboard Mistral Panam Carbon.
Issue: Fin took an accidental drop when the board was being worked on today and added to the other chips and stress fractures (hopefully the pictures are clear enough).
Questions:
1. Can the fin be repaired? and any suggestions for a repairer in Sydney? (the centreboard also has a chip on the trailing edge that I should get repaired at he same time, if possible).
If not repairable, then for replacement:
2. Is the sailors weight critical to the fin size?
3. What size fin would be optimal with this board?
4. Is a carbon fin that superior to a G10 glass fin, as not to consider a glass fin? and what brands and sizes?
5. Do Raceboarders' have more than one fin, say a light wind one and a strong wind one? what size do they/you use?
Thanks heaps in advance for the help.
Dear Friend,
Your board's volume is 258 Lt. Best fin size is 42 cm. Sailors weight is not critical for fin size. Fin size is important for board's volume. However you can use 40 cm fin. No problem. Carbon fins are best fins. In my opinion, a board with this volume (258 Lt) fin size is not much important. I left using long boards 20 years ago. Why don't you use fun board? Mr. mark is qualified person in this job. You can repair your fin with epoxy. Bye....
Hi Melih,
One of the reasons I asked about what fins people use is, from the 2010 Worlds in Latvia. There were 9 out of 42 starters on the Mistral Panam. With the fin size ranging from first fin at 54cm down to 40cm with a 9.5m sail. Then 42cm down to 35cm with a 7.5m sail. With most sailors registering a larger and a smaller fin.
Interesting, has thinking and behaviours moved on in the last six years? Do people only use one fin?
www.internationalwindsurfing.com/userfiles/documents/RB_Worlds_2010_Latvia_Equipment_List.pdf
Hey Parked:
now THAT is interesting
the 54 goes with a 9.5 on a large freeride and 42 with a 7.5 on a large freeride
so, someone is using the same logic on longboards ??
up until now i have only used one fin on my longboards
they were typically Euro/US fin boxes and more than 30 cm is difficult to find and supposedly hard on the box
you have tuttle and i now have power box
as i "said", this will be the first time I change out my fins
maybe I will even try the BIG fins based on this discussion
yesterday finally got my MEQ 2 out in better winds and pushed it in overpowering conditions (with the 38 cm slalom fin)
man, is was so good !!
gotta love them old longboards ...
Dear Parked,
I am not experienced person in long board races. But many of Turkish surfers are using different size of fins in races. I am talking about fun boards. Two things are important for the fin size. 1. boards volume 2. power of the wind. You are completely right about this paradox. I am not a racer but I have got three different size of fins. (36-38-42 cm). Eventually nobody use one fin. Bye Melih...
Thanks to everyone for the suggestions on the DIY repairs. Because the Centreboard and Fin have damage, I've decided to go for a local repairer as the Centreboard alone is no longer in production and have no interest in messing it up. Will post pics soon, hopefully.
Select to expand quoteParked said..
Thanks to everyone for the suggestions on the DIY repairs. Because the Centreboard and Fin have damage, I've decided to go for a local repairer as the Centreboard alone is no longer in production and have no interest in messing it up. Will post pics soon, hopefully.
Hi Parked,
have a look in the buy & sell accessories, choose Mistral in Make/Brands on the left. A few centre boards there that may or may not be of help
Dave
Hi, where did you get your PanAm from?
ive been looking for years & years......
always use use epoxy resin, not polyester resin on carbon, poly won't stick!
carbon is as easy as glass to use, West epoxy is very reliable.
