Rudder: Keeping it down

[Ron_S]

Boat is a 1980 Mac 25. Believe the rudder is stock. One continuous line to pull it up or hold it down. No hole for shear pin. Line does not hold down rudder very well. What is the standard modification for this without buying a new rudder? Where are the holes placed for a shear pin?

 

[John S]

Easy Rudder Hold Down

I installed a gas strut to hold mine down. It "gives" if it hits an obstruction. It also holds the rudder up due to the positioning and overcenter travel. I now have a unifoil from IdaSailor, but I also put one on my stock rudder castle. Check the link. John S Boise

 

[Bob Grimm]

to John S

John. That is about the coolest rudder mod I have yet seen! If that is your idea my hats off to you!

 

[John S]

Rudder Mod

I went through a few shear pins (6, made of Delrin) and then I used all of my fountain pen barrels and then I used sticks...all at Lake Powell over 6 days. I needed to do this mod as I had one like it before, only on the stock rudder castle. Sold that one on Ebay very quickly to a Buy It Now (should have asked for more $). Anyway it works great as I sailed the set up in some extreme winds and it worked fine. Wish I could do something like ti with the Dboard, but I just keep the fish finder (with depth readings) on at all times. John S BoiseLink below is to a cheap source of gas struts, I am installing a set on my pop top, too.