Our Old Boat -
Rudders We have recently discussed leaks on the boat, the damage they can cause, several ways to combat them, and in some cases resorted to canvas covers in an effort to stop the water. However, there is one other piece of equipment to be covered in dealing with this subject and that is the rudder. Many a good rudder has been lost due to the degradation of the inner core by water entering either the top, where the manufacturing seam has opened or the through holes where the tiller attaches. A good way to keep the seam clear of any water is to use a tiller cover that extends to the aft edge of the tiller. The through holes should be addressed in the same fashion as we discussed with other through deck mounted hardware; over drill the size of the hole, fill with epoxy and redrill and attach the tiller. Now that we have opened the topic on rudders, this is a good time to talk about the different styles, advantages, and disadvantages. There are three distinct rudder styles; the kickup, the straight blade or knife as some call it, and the new model that is sometimes referred to as an elliptical or blunt edge blade. The kickup rudder is much preferred by sailors that are interested in being able to reach those very shallow anchorage's, or those that sail in waters that are notorious for underway obstructions. Of course the name should point to the most significant advantages of this rudder and the origin of it's design. One of the disadvantages is that the kickup rudder has a propensity to do exactly that at the most inopportune times, well not fully kickup but slip just enough out of the full down position to cause you great amounts of confusion trying to figure out why the boat can not be kept in the groove. This problem can be rectified by drilling a hole in the rudder and the metal housing to accommodate a sheer pin, (of course do the same oversize hole and epoxy trick as previously mentioned). This will keep the rudder in the full down position, but allow it to kickup if it should encountered an obstacle. The straight blade rudder is in our opinion the faster, lighter, and more responsive of the three with less drag, and a keen leading edge. One of the down sides is that is does take a finer touch on the tiller to hold it in the groove. This is the original model built for boats up till the 1988 models. Weight is a big issue when deciding on which rudder version is your personal preference and even then the weights vary in the same style. In restoring the original "Cattitude" boat, we found that the straight blade rudder weighed eighteen pounds. However, the next summer when we worked on a friend's straight blade we found it weighed almost thirty-seven pounds. We were suspicious and drilled holes in the top and bottom and sure enough it was full of water, and weeped for weeks before completely drying out, (it still weighed in at around twenty-eight pounds)! The new model rudder on boats from 1988 forward is a much thicker and heavier version of the straight blade with a very blunt and wide leading edge. The design of this model would make it much easier to hold in the groove and more forgiving to a heavy hand on the tiller. It would also be less prone to stalling out, but would produce more drag. The newer model does come with the upgraded pintles and gudgeons; the sturdier l/2" version compared to the 3/8" version on the older boats. Regardless of the rudder you currently are sailing with the sturdier gudgeons is an item you should consider upgrading if you have not already made the change. The newer gudgeons are reinforced in the ninety degree bend with the addition of two welded stainless steel gussetts, and the hole of the gudgeon has a sleeve welded in to afford a 5/8" bearing surface. Note the mounting holes do not match so be prepared to use a little epoxy and filler! We understand that the preferred rudder is a very personal thing, and this article represents our opinions only and is probably only worth as much as what you paid for it!! ;-) |