from my experience I would just put a shim in under the fin, probably a filed down piece of an old fin or something similar.

NR said...

has anyone found that some fins need a tab/extra area of material that sticks out on the base pointing towards the bottom of the fin for them to sit nicely in the box ? Without them, in some fin boxes, if you continue to tighten the screw the front of the fin actually sinks into the fin box.

MFC for example has this tab and it sits nicely in the chinook fin box. other brand boxes don't always need this tab, and other fins fit perfectly in those. All called US fin boxes.

Anyway, if anyone has seen this, what do they do to a fin that hasn't got this extra tab on the bottom, but needs one.

Yes same problem. Never really bothered me at all though. Does it make any difference. You can always sand or add more to fins aswell.

Bubs

555 said...

>>>>>>>

Mmmm... stainless...

YEP!!!!!! the leading edge insert in my weedy has really fixed my wear problems, now everybody else's fins develop serrated edges, mine just gets polished by our super abrasive weed.

Back to topic. I think there are 2 standard US boxes, the original developed for surfboards, and a deeper one for sailboards, most sailboards use the later, but you can still get fins that fit shallower boxes.

I think there are 2 standard US boxes, the original developed for surfboards, and a deeper one for sailboards, most sailboards use the later, but you can still get fins that fit shallower boxes.

As I understand it there is a US box and an almost identical Euro box. The E box is slightly deeper.

I can verify that one.

Two week ago i was having a fun wave sail at avalon and i had to delay my bottom turn as a pesky kiter was in the way(instead of sailing out wide over the shoulder like one should) as i layed my rail over to bottom turn my fin hit the reef(24cm select weed wave with brass nut).

I felt a bump and though the worst. The bottom turn turned int a gybe.

As i was able to get on the plane and in the straps i thought all was good.

On getting out the back i flipped the board over and the fin was rocked back only being held in with the pin on the back edge. The bolt and brass plate were gone. there was no damage (to fin or board) and i was able to sail in with no real problems.