Hunter 23.5 rudder sticking?

[Chris Flanagan]

I recently launched and docked my H23.5 for the season, when I tried to raise the rudder while docked, I could not get it to go any farther than a position vertical with the lake water. Nothing in the rigging seems to be tangled and short of going into the water and trying it there I am baffled. I decided, for safety reasons to leave it in the down position while docked, as it would stick out pretty far in the lane of traffic otherwise.
All that aside is there a preference to leaving the rudder in the water vs. a raised position? Mine is bottom painted and I'm not sure if the rays of the sun more damaging than it sitting in lake water?

 

[rgranger]

I recently launched and docked my H23.5 for the season, when I tried to raise the rudder while docked, I could not get it to go any farther than a position vertical with the lake water. Nothing in the rigging seems to be tangled and short of going into the water and trying it there I am baffled. I decided, for safety reasons to leave it in the down position while docked, as it would stick out pretty far in the lane of traffic otherwise.
All that aside is there a preference to leaving the rudder in the water vs. a raised position? Mine is bottom painted and I'm not sure if the rays of the sun more damaging than it sitting in lake water?

I leave mine down most of the time, but I raise my center board..... so I guess I'm not very consistent in that regards. I raise my center board because I imagine the constant rocking will wear stuff out more quickly. And I'd do the same for the rudder except I find it a pain to raise the rudder. Mine also gets a little stuck about half way and I have to heft it hard to get it to go past vertical. I feel that it is a leverage vs. angle thing so I take my boat hook and have one of my kids hook the rudder a little bit further aft once it gets stuck half-way... and while I'm pulling on the lift line, my kid pulls up on the rudder with the boat hook. That usually gets it past vertical. Once past vertical, it seems to move more easily with just the lift line. On your question about paint.... I doubt it matters much. If you are leaving it down, you want it bottom painted, if you are raising it at the end of each sail, you don't need to paint it. You are probably okay on that regards.

 

[Chris Flanagan]

Thanks, that was very helpful!