This topic disappeared quickly, but nevertheless seems to be popular. The part of the the rudder head that helps hold the rudder down (but also permits it to kick up if it hits the bottom) had to be removed and the pin I use to hold the rudder up is also used to hold it down (by insertion through a lower hole). Therefore, it is true that damage would be sustained if the rudder grounded at speed. However, my rudder head broke when the rudder was left down while the boat was on her mooring. It would have been even worse if I'd lifted the rudder as far as the factory rudder head design permitted (which still left it in the water). I prefer to watch carefully in shallow water and make sure I remove the pin if I'm near a sand bar.
2005-2006 Hunter 25 Rudder Modification
- Thread starter Garry15984
- Start date
- Status
Thanks for the help Gary
Hi Gary, Are the holes that you are using to pin up/ and keep the rudder down allready exhisting or did you dirll them. Also did you find that raising the rudder upper solves some of the swinging around on the mooring. Please let me know and thank very much for all your help on this issue.
Hi Gary, Are the holes that you are using to pin up/ and keep the rudder down allready exhisting or did you dirll them. Also did you find that raising the rudder upper solves some of the swinging around on the mooring. Please let me know and thank very much for all your help on this issue.
I'm doing it a bit differently
Garry, Thanks for the photos. I am doing basically the same thing you are doing to hold the rudder out of the water when in the marina. I removed all the hardware that interferes with the rudder kicking up out of the water. Instead of a pin to hold it up, I am just using line that connects to the top of the rudder and then goes down under the bracket and back up to the cleat. It a bit of a pain to get the line tight enough, but works well to hold the rudder up once tied off. As far as keeping the rudder down, I just tighten down the handle (big chrome nut/handle) on the side of the rudder. I haven't had any issue with the rudder kicking up unexpectedly, but it will still allow it to kick up if I hit bottom. The only thing I worry about with this set up is that it leave my rudder sticking out past the end of my slip, making it vulnerable to careless passing boaters. I really wish it would kick all the way to point to the sky. By the way, I used to use a pin to hold the rudder down in my old boat. Instead of a metal pin, I used a golf pencil, that would hold it down, but break and allow the rudder to kick up if you hit something.
Garry, Thanks for the photos. I am doing basically the same thing you are doing to hold the rudder out of the water when in the marina. I removed all the hardware that interferes with the rudder kicking up out of the water. Instead of a pin to hold it up, I am just using line that connects to the top of the rudder and then goes down under the bracket and back up to the cleat. It a bit of a pain to get the line tight enough, but works well to hold the rudder up once tied off. As far as keeping the rudder down, I just tighten down the handle (big chrome nut/handle) on the side of the rudder. I haven't had any issue with the rudder kicking up unexpectedly, but it will still allow it to kick up if I hit bottom. The only thing I worry about with this set up is that it leave my rudder sticking out past the end of my slip, making it vulnerable to careless passing boaters. I really wish it would kick all the way to point to the sky. By the way, I used to use a pin to hold the rudder down in my old boat. Instead of a metal pin, I used a golf pencil, that would hold it down, but break and allow the rudder to kick up if you hit something.
Rudder Modification
I had one hole drilled through the rudder. The pin goes through that hole in both the up and dowm positions. After removing the kick-up mechanism, the upper position of the rudder coincides with existing holes the stainless steel rudder head. The rudder head had to be drilled for the lower position. I like JeffC's suggestion of a breakable pin for the lower position. I'd thought about some kind of shear bolt, but a light wooden pin will probably work. We were swimming off the back on Saturday and the rudder drifted slowly on to a sand bar at one stage (no damage, but wouldn't want to do it at speed), so I'll give it a try.
I had one hole drilled through the rudder. The pin goes through that hole in both the up and dowm positions. After removing the kick-up mechanism, the upper position of the rudder coincides with existing holes the stainless steel rudder head. The rudder head had to be drilled for the lower position. I like JeffC's suggestion of a breakable pin for the lower position. I'd thought about some kind of shear bolt, but a light wooden pin will probably work. We were swimming off the back on Saturday and the rudder drifted slowly on to a sand bar at one stage (no damage, but wouldn't want to do it at speed), so I'll give it a try.
- Status