After reading Sumners modifications and thanks to Dan Nease, who I could not have done this without Dan, I have started making my own rudder. I'm using 3/4 maple plywood glued up. I will include more pics as I go. The first four pics are of my old stock rudder.
Pictures of my new rudder
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A downhaul should be fine. Would be pretty hard to pull up loaded with lead. Are you thinking of the keel?
I thought they were hard to sink with just the down-haul. I I read someone did that to the wooden rudders.
but you're right, its more weight bouncing down the road...
I think JohnS put some weight in his daggerboard... not sure it made much difference.
but you're right, its more weight bouncing down the road...
I think JohnS put some weight in his daggerboard... not sure it made much difference.
There is no air trapped inside, and the whole rudder will be completely covered in cloth with a few layers of resin. I hope it works fine. The principle behind this design that I got from Dan Nease, is the leading edge will will forward of the pivot point of the tiller control, thus, preventing round up. I will keep the stock rudder for a back up. If you go to Sumners website you can see Dan's project. Can't wait to try it. I have to wait now for my delievery of my quart of MAS resin to finish it. I ran out of it today. I tried using the cloth that is chopped fiberglass, no good for me. Maybe it would work if it is structual inside where you don't care what it looks like. As I was brushing the resin on the cloth the fibers were pulling up with the paint brush. Holy s--t and I pulled the whole sheet off and put on a piece of woven cloth I had laying around. I want the wood to show through like a strip canoe.
Looks like you on the right track. I built my rudder 30 years ago for my V25 out of teak. Don't want to think what it would cost today. I just used clear polyurethene paint which actually brought out the woodgrain. Put a "kicker" on like your doing. You'll be amazed how much it helps the weather helm. I secure mine to the gudgeons by putting a pin through a hole in the pintle. It's easy to take off in a hurry, especially here on Lake Mead, Nevada where there are a lot of underwanter mountains. already bent my keel bolt long ago. Fair winds...
Finished rudder
The new rudder works great when under way and in good wind. There is no resistance what so ever and you can turn very easy. The down side is, its so big when I come about it kind of acts like a break because of the size. Also, coming into the dock I have to raise it early because it in in the water at least 4 feet, and I dock in 3 feet. I back my boat in so it takes the wind on the bow and rides much easier when tied up. I can't raise it all the way out of the water so I need to trim alittle where it rotates. And I will prob add another layer of cloth at the trailing edge.
The new rudder works great when under way and in good wind. There is no resistance what so ever and you can turn very easy. The down side is, its so big when I come about it kind of acts like a break because of the size. Also, coming into the dock I have to raise it early because it in in the water at least 4 feet, and I dock in 3 feet. I back my boat in so it takes the wind on the bow and rides much easier when tied up. I can't raise it all the way out of the water so I need to trim alittle where it rotates. And I will prob add another layer of cloth at the trailing edge.
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That is just way to nice to put in the water, you should hang it up in the den some place.
Another mod you might consider is adding this strip to the rudder holder (?).
Another mod you might consider is adding this strip to the rudder holder (?).
I would like to add a strip of metal to the castle, it would stiffin it up for sure. As for the weather helm, I trim the sails and lower the headsails if the wind is that strong. I've never been knocked down in strong winds but have had the mast parallel to the water and it scared the hell out of me. I think the Macs are designed to let wind blow over the sails when almost horizontal and then stand back up.
that is a thing of BEAUTY!
no need for weights to sink it?
the nice thing about wood is, it is easy to shape/mod it...
-just curious... how much $$ do you figure you have in it?
no need for weights to sink it?
the nice thing about wood is, it is easy to shape/mod it...
-just curious... how much $$ do you figure you have in it?
Thanks guys. I got the wood for free from school where I work, they were tearing it down and I took two sheets of it... 3/4 inch maple plywood. As for the resin and cloth maybe 85 bucks but I have alot resin left over and some cloth. At first when I tried to lower it, I thought it was stuck, I pushed on it down into the water and it went down fairly easy after that. When I release the tie down it pops up like a buoy!! I brought it home to round the top alittle more so I can lift it completely out of the water.
Nice work, Jerry, I really like the wood grain.
How does a rudder work? Does it merely divert water and steer the boat around? Why not have a really wide rudder, then?
Will almost any rudder modification exceed the performance of the stock rudder? What would be unbiased performance data to evaluate a rudder?
Where does induced drag enter into the picture? Will a smaller chord of rudder with a good airfoil shape, end up more effective at steering the boat with less wetted area? Would that smaller rudder have better light air performance?
By the way, the daggerboard I had made for my boat weighed 25-30 lbs more than the stock fiberglass dboard. It had quite a bit of molten lead pored into bored holes at the base, and then HDPE was welded over the lead. Unfortunately, I broke that dboard off flush with the bottom of the dboard well while motoring up the Snake River. It had a great airfoil shape. Now I have a stock dboard again.
How does a rudder work? Does it merely divert water and steer the boat around? Why not have a really wide rudder, then?
Will almost any rudder modification exceed the performance of the stock rudder? What would be unbiased performance data to evaluate a rudder?
Where does induced drag enter into the picture? Will a smaller chord of rudder with a good airfoil shape, end up more effective at steering the boat with less wetted area? Would that smaller rudder have better light air performance?
By the way, the daggerboard I had made for my boat weighed 25-30 lbs more than the stock fiberglass dboard. It had quite a bit of molten lead pored into bored holes at the base, and then HDPE was welded over the lead. Unfortunately, I broke that dboard off flush with the bottom of the dboard well while motoring up the Snake River. It had a great airfoil shape. Now I have a stock dboard again.
Could you see a significant difference with the added weight with regard to heeling? I'm sure you did it to have more sail up
.Also with your modified rigging have you ever run two head sails running with one on each side of the boat? I'd like to try that now that we have the old forestay and the new one with the furling genoa.
Thanks,
Sum
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the welded metal is really pretty but a simple bolted piece will also do the trick.
with this plate as short as it is, I can get the rudder all the way out, when at anchor.
with this plate as short as it is, I can get the rudder all the way out, when at anchor.
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