This year I decided to blow my yearly boat budget and buy a kick up rudder. My blade rudder wasn't cutting it as the lake levels drop in summer and therefore I would have to remove my rudder after every sail.
So I called Rudder Craft and discussed the C-22 kick up with them. They said he had a prototype fiberglass blade instead of the standard HDPE blade which was lighter and stiffer, both good things and I said I would be interested in that rudder if it was for sale. He said sure they would sell it, so I ordered the rudder and received it a week later from the factory in Boise.
The components and workmanship is really fantastic. You can order with either 1/2" or 3/8" pintels which is great since I already updated my pintels to 1/2".
I have about 10 sails in now with the new rudder. Their claims of "lighter" tiller feel is spot on. The NACA airfoil they use really reduces the drag and I can now sail literally with two fingers where before (using the CD blade) I would need both hands on the tiller in anything above 10 knots. I swear my speeds are improved too. Especially in lighter winds. It feels like I gained a 1/2 knot when the wind is light. I can easily maintain a 3-4 kt speed in light wind when before I would struggle to keep it at 3.
Of course, this is not real scientific data, just what I feel sailing the same lake in the same wind conditions over the last 5 years.
If anyone was in the market for the highest quality kick up rudder available for our C-22's - this is where you should look.
Fyi - this in not an advertisement, no kick backs for posting about it or anything like that, I am just really impressed with this rudder!
Paul
So I called Rudder Craft and discussed the C-22 kick up with them. They said he had a prototype fiberglass blade instead of the standard HDPE blade which was lighter and stiffer, both good things and I said I would be interested in that rudder if it was for sale. He said sure they would sell it, so I ordered the rudder and received it a week later from the factory in Boise.
The components and workmanship is really fantastic. You can order with either 1/2" or 3/8" pintels which is great since I already updated my pintels to 1/2".
I have about 10 sails in now with the new rudder. Their claims of "lighter" tiller feel is spot on. The NACA airfoil they use really reduces the drag and I can now sail literally with two fingers where before (using the CD blade) I would need both hands on the tiller in anything above 10 knots. I swear my speeds are improved too. Especially in lighter winds. It feels like I gained a 1/2 knot when the wind is light. I can easily maintain a 3-4 kt speed in light wind when before I would struggle to keep it at 3.
Of course, this is not real scientific data, just what I feel sailing the same lake in the same wind conditions over the last 5 years.
If anyone was in the market for the highest quality kick up rudder available for our C-22's - this is where you should look.
Fyi - this in not an advertisement, no kick backs for posting about it or anything like that, I am just really impressed with this rudder!
Paul
