by Roger » Wed Feb 25, 2004 7:34 pm
Like the others mentioned here, I have a kickup, that is can be tightened with a wing nut on the pivot. It is loose enough to kick up if it hits an underwater object, but snug enough to stay down underway. My problem is keeping it up while I am trailing it on or launching, as I like to mount the rudder in a stable environment such as the trailer, rather than risk loosing it overboard at the dock, when the boat is rocking and it is difficult to match pintle to gudgeon. So, what I have done is drilled a hole near the rear top of the blade, and run a 3/16" line up to a cleat on the rudderhead. I yank (haul) on the line and snug it in the small cleat and it stays up while I am launching (slowly) and backing up from the dock in shallow water under iron wind, as I turn around, and head to deeper water, I can lower the blade, and the cb for increased steerage. I usually, head up into the wind and hoist the main, then jib, back the jib to bear off, and kill and raise the motor once under sail. The DS I rudder may be different than the DS II.