DaySailer.org Forum

Is anyone else bothered by the fact that you have to put the rudder on in the water and then bend over the transom to find the little hole to insert the keeper pin in the pintle? I was and needed a fix. A small hole, a small clam cleat and a short piece of line - done!

The cleat installed on the aft end of the tiller and a simple pull and it's up and locked. I must have guessed right on the location of the hole in the rudder because it lifts with very little effort.

What about a downhaul?

The down haul was already part of my rudder. It starts in a hole in the top forward end of the rudder and runs up the forward end of the aluminum frame and exits to a clam cleat on the underside of the tiller.

Thomas, you might want to make that DH cleat an auto-release cleat. Just sayin' ...

Good idea Tim!

I made a new rudder head for my boat to allow the blade to come most of the way out of the water while beaching on the Tx200. During the 2011 Tx200 the blade got jammed while pushing off a beach and the rudder head cracked below the tiller attachment point. Someone with a portable drill was able to drill a hole below the crack to re-attach the tiller. The tiller was at about a 30 degree angle for the next four days of sailing. As a result I made a new rudder head that would allow the blade to raise up out of the water when beached to prevent a repeat of the 2011 problem. I aatached an UH line with a clamcleat with fairlead at the top of the rudder head. I used a clam cleat with fairlead for the DH. I used shock cord with the DH, but plan to switch to an auto release cleat like Tim is using. The new rudder head also allows boat to be launched and retreived with the rudder in place.

UH was not yet attached when the picture was taken, but you can see the cleat and a hole in the blade.

John

Hey John,

Looks very similar to what I did. My DH is te same as yours and the auto release is a good solution and only about $21.

Good sailing!

Tom

I just ordered an auto release today.

John

I keep my boat on Mooring and pulling the rudder on and off has been doing a number on my transom paint job, has anyone devised, seen, bought a rudder head that isn't partially submerged at all times? I'd love to leave the rudder on and just life the blade out of the water if possible, or even bottom paint the blade, but the bottom of the rudder-head remains submerged. Just curious if anyone has any thoughts or ideas on a retrofit.

Thanks.

The stock rudder head is submerged, not only that, but it is submerged below the bottom of the transom.

The class rules say that the pivot point should be barely above the bottom of the transom, so it's nearly impossible to design a rudder where the head wouldn't be partially submerged. I redesigned my rudder to limit the immersion, but I still take it off. Haven't had any issue with either paint or the foil I use for the boat name. At least not from the rudder - the trolling motor has been more of an issue.

My redesigned rudder is a lot lighter, making it easier to handle.

But, if you are set on not taking off your rudder:

I wonder if it would be possible to build a rudder head that consists of two parts that can slide against each other, so that one part has the pintles and stays put, while the other can slide up, say 2-3 inches - that would be enough to get the rudder out of the water.

Problem 1 would be how to construct the sliding mechanism - some kind of track that's strong enough and can be locked in up and down position.

Problem 2 would be that a vertical track won't work, because any vertical line would intersect part of the rudder head. But an angled track might do the trick.

Not class legal (if you race), but an Ida Rudder would do what you want. http://www.ruddercraft.com/catalog/prod ... cts_id=185

John