I am a new owner and find it difficult, I must hang out the back on the swim ladder, to try and lift the rudder for shallow water or when approaching to trailer the boat. There has to be a way of making this easier!!! The rope system is useless. How do you do lift your rudder?
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Rudder lift problem
You did not state the year of your boat, so my comments may be useless. I had a 1993 23.5 and had problems lifting the rudder. I looked at another 23.5 docked nearby and found that Hunter apparently changed the lifting system in the early models. My boat did not have the correct equipment and was missing a hole through the rudder that was to house one end of the lifting line. It required me to stand on the ladder and loop an extra line around the rudder to muscle it up. I suggest you contact Hunter customer service and get them to send you a copy of the correct layout. I also found something in the archives about this problem. Hope this helps. Good luck.
You did not state the year of your boat, so my comments may be useless. I had a 1993 23.5 and had problems lifting the rudder. I looked at another 23.5 docked nearby and found that Hunter apparently changed the lifting system in the early models. My boat did not have the correct equipment and was missing a hole through the rudder that was to house one end of the lifting line. It required me to stand on the ladder and loop an extra line around the rudder to muscle it up. I suggest you contact Hunter customer service and get them to send you a copy of the correct layout. I also found something in the archives about this problem. Hope this helps. Good luck.
rudder lifting
I have a 26 and the "engineering" is probably similar. The rudder uphaul line (a continuous loop with the downhaul) will only get it horizontal. Then a boat hook or your method is needed. In the 260 there is a hole midway down the trailing edge of it which gives more mechanical advantage and allows easier lifting. When I lower the rudder from vertical up while underway, if not careful, the downhaul slips off the top of the rudder and wedges between it and the aluminum plates giving another reason to hang off the stern. alan
I have a 26 and the "engineering" is probably similar. The rudder uphaul line (a continuous loop with the downhaul) will only get it horizontal. Then a boat hook or your method is needed. In the 260 there is a hole midway down the trailing edge of it which gives more mechanical advantage and allows easier lifting. When I lower the rudder from vertical up while underway, if not careful, the downhaul slips off the top of the rudder and wedges between it and the aluminum plates giving another reason to hang off the stern. alan
Boat Hook
We have had the same problem on the H260. I just use the boat hook to pull it up and secure it with the pin. Jim S/V Java
We have had the same problem on the H260. I just use the boat hook to pull it up and secure it with the pin. Jim S/V Java
I have the opposite problem
During a recent trip to Door County, we almost ended up on the rocks, because as we increased speed, it caused the the rudder to kick up. Even though the wingnut was adjusted as tight as possible, it still allowed the rudder to kick up. The combination of high winds and the rudder blade moving aft overpowered the tiller pilot and my son. We took some quick action to pull down the sails. I had to get out on the ladder and force the rudder back down and retighten the wing nut. When we got to our destination, I tightened the bolt the rudder hinges off of. I also used an adjustable wrench to get extra leverage on the wing nut. This seems to have fixed the problem, but I best not hit the bottom. Mike Pajewski H26 "Loon"
During a recent trip to Door County, we almost ended up on the rocks, because as we increased speed, it caused the the rudder to kick up. Even though the wingnut was adjusted as tight as possible, it still allowed the rudder to kick up. The combination of high winds and the rudder blade moving aft overpowered the tiller pilot and my son. We took some quick action to pull down the sails. I had to get out on the ladder and force the rudder back down and retighten the wing nut. When we got to our destination, I tightened the bolt the rudder hinges off of. I also used an adjustable wrench to get extra leverage on the wing nut. This seems to have fixed the problem, but I best not hit the bottom. Mike Pajewski H26 "Loon"
More problems keeping rudder down
I also have noticed that not only does the rudder want to pop up, it wants to do it at the most inopportune moments...it can be scary and is downright dangerous. I have tried standing on the tightening handle, entending the handle with a large wrench, all to no avail. My dealer checked with the factory and the answer I got back was to use the "rudder tie down" which can be cleated on top of the rudder post. This works, but of course I no longer have any kick-up capability in the event of a grouding or striking an object. My compromise is to cleat it with slack in the line. Sorry I can't offer a solution to what appears to me to be a design problem with safety implications, but if anyone has a solution, I also am very interested. On the posistive side, this rudder has outstanding sailing balance and is a very good performer with this one little exception.
I also have noticed that not only does the rudder want to pop up, it wants to do it at the most inopportune moments...it can be scary and is downright dangerous. I have tried standing on the tightening handle, entending the handle with a large wrench, all to no avail. My dealer checked with the factory and the answer I got back was to use the "rudder tie down" which can be cleated on top of the rudder post. This works, but of course I no longer have any kick-up capability in the event of a grouding or striking an object. My compromise is to cleat it with slack in the line. Sorry I can't offer a solution to what appears to me to be a design problem with safety implications, but if anyone has a solution, I also am very interested. On the posistive side, this rudder has outstanding sailing balance and is a very good performer with this one little exception.
My solution
I made a device that works perfectly every time. Take an old broom handle, insert an eye screw into one end. Buy a short piece of chain and insert the links at each end of the chain into the eye screw, to form a loop in the chain. The chain should be long enough to slip over the tapered end of the rudder, but not so long as to slide up more than a few inches. Force the eye screw open with a heavy screwdriver or a chisel, slip the links into the eye screw, then pound the eye closed with a hammer. Raise the rudder with the line as far as possible, then lassoo the end of the rudder with the chain and pull the rudder the rest of the way. I developed this system the first time I dragged the rudder up a concrete launch ramp, resulting in a fiberglass repair job. That was six years ago. I've never had a problem since.
I made a device that works perfectly every time. Take an old broom handle, insert an eye screw into one end. Buy a short piece of chain and insert the links at each end of the chain into the eye screw, to form a loop in the chain. The chain should be long enough to slip over the tapered end of the rudder, but not so long as to slide up more than a few inches. Force the eye screw open with a heavy screwdriver or a chisel, slip the links into the eye screw, then pound the eye closed with a hammer. Raise the rudder with the line as far as possible, then lassoo the end of the rudder with the chain and pull the rudder the rest of the way. I developed this system the first time I dragged the rudder up a concrete launch ramp, resulting in a fiberglass repair job. That was six years ago. I've never had a problem since.
23.5 Rudder
Here I thought I was alone with my rudder lifting problem. I have a '97 23.5 Hunter and of all of their engineering details, this is the only one that really dissappoints me. It is a struggle. I simply sit on the cocpit floor facing the rudder, grab the rope and pull. I have found that if you give it a swing or two before the final pull, it is doable. However, this action has now caused a second problem. When the rudder comes up hard and makes contact with the aft end of the tiller, it has started to chew away at the edge of the rudder. To combat this problem, I simply found a piece of metal "edging" that slips tightly over the rudder. That works. I've tried a boat hook, but it only works if you get the rudder up way out of the water anyway. I like the idea of some type of chain, rope loop that could snag the tip of the rudder. I might try that too. My second issue with the design of the rudder raising -lowering mechanism is that with it out of the water, too often the rope gets wedged and will not let the rudder down. The only way to fix that problem, I found, is to lower the swim ladder and manually manipulate the rope from underneath the rudder. That is a hassle. Other wise, I just think my "Orion" is a great boat.
Here I thought I was alone with my rudder lifting problem. I have a '97 23.5 Hunter and of all of their engineering details, this is the only one that really dissappoints me. It is a struggle. I simply sit on the cocpit floor facing the rudder, grab the rope and pull. I have found that if you give it a swing or two before the final pull, it is doable. However, this action has now caused a second problem. When the rudder comes up hard and makes contact with the aft end of the tiller, it has started to chew away at the edge of the rudder. To combat this problem, I simply found a piece of metal "edging" that slips tightly over the rudder. That works. I've tried a boat hook, but it only works if you get the rudder up way out of the water anyway. I like the idea of some type of chain, rope loop that could snag the tip of the rudder. I might try that too. My second issue with the design of the rudder raising -lowering mechanism is that with it out of the water, too often the rope gets wedged and will not let the rudder down. The only way to fix that problem, I found, is to lower the swim ladder and manually manipulate the rope from underneath the rudder. That is a hassle. Other wise, I just think my "Orion" is a great boat.
Rope Mod to Rudder
I drilled a small hole in the bottom aft section of the rudder and connected a rope to it.... when i want to lift the rudder, i simply pull the ropes from factory to lift the rudder as far as a i can, then use the rope i installed to raise the rudder out of the water.. then i can secure it for transport. The thing you have to be careful of (and i found this out the hard way last weekend) is to make sure the rope mod is snug on the port side of the tiller or it will get caught in the prop when you turn the rudder towards the engine side... this is not fun, especially when the wind is pushing you into a cement bank...
Anyways, the modification works good so you may want to try it... just an idea Good luck... Greg s/v Passin'wind
I drilled a small hole in the bottom aft section of the rudder and connected a rope to it.... when i want to lift the rudder, i simply pull the ropes from factory to lift the rudder as far as a i can, then use the rope i installed to raise the rudder out of the water.. then i can secure it for transport. The thing you have to be careful of (and i found this out the hard way last weekend) is to make sure the rope mod is snug on the port side of the tiller or it will get caught in the prop when you turn the rudder towards the engine side... this is not fun, especially when the wind is pushing you into a cement bank...
Anyways, the modification works good so you may want to try it... just an idea Good luck... Greg s/v Passin'windEasy, working solution
If ur 235 is like my 240, you have the uphaul hole drilled about 10" down from the pivot on the aft side of the rudder. I believe the original line ran thru the hole and has a stop knot to keep it from coming back out and ur supposed to just strong man this thing up - imposseeblay! Here's what you do to get this thing on a 2:1 purchase: 1. buy a medium SS single block with simple eye strap 2. untie the stop knot from the original uphaul line and remove it from the rudder hole only; set aside 3. obtain a separate, short piece of cord about 3' long 4. run this cord thru the eye strap of the block, thru the rudder hole and tie it onto itself, making a loop. Basically, this simply anchors the block to the rudder, and allows you to do this mod without replacing the original uphaul line with a longer one. 5. take the end of your original uphaul line, run it thru the block (pulley sheave) back up to the tiller base and anchor it to the base with a bowline (my 240 tiller base has several obvious places to do this....) 6. you're ready to go. simply pull the original line until the slack is removed and the block will then act as a 2:1 purchase allowing mere mortals to raise their rudders from the cockpit without falling off the boat or extra hardware. I usually raise it, tie it off temporary on the tiller cleat, then pin it later when time allows. If this doesn't do it, you can get wild about it and get 1 single and 1 double block and get a 4:1 - will require a longer uphaul line. Enjoy! Brian s/v amare mia h240
If ur 235 is like my 240, you have the uphaul hole drilled about 10" down from the pivot on the aft side of the rudder. I believe the original line ran thru the hole and has a stop knot to keep it from coming back out and ur supposed to just strong man this thing up - imposseeblay! Here's what you do to get this thing on a 2:1 purchase: 1. buy a medium SS single block with simple eye strap 2. untie the stop knot from the original uphaul line and remove it from the rudder hole only; set aside 3. obtain a separate, short piece of cord about 3' long 4. run this cord thru the eye strap of the block, thru the rudder hole and tie it onto itself, making a loop. Basically, this simply anchors the block to the rudder, and allows you to do this mod without replacing the original uphaul line with a longer one. 5. take the end of your original uphaul line, run it thru the block (pulley sheave) back up to the tiller base and anchor it to the base with a bowline (my 240 tiller base has several obvious places to do this....) 6. you're ready to go. simply pull the original line until the slack is removed and the block will then act as a 2:1 purchase allowing mere mortals to raise their rudders from the cockpit without falling off the boat or extra hardware. I usually raise it, tie it off temporary on the tiller cleat, then pin it later when time allows. If this doesn't do it, you can get wild about it and get 1 single and 1 double block and get a 4:1 - will require a longer uphaul line. Enjoy! Brian s/v amare mia h240
trouble swings both ways
The down position is also a challenge. Luckily, Hunter already gives us a 2:1 purchase on the rudder downhaul, hidden nicely in the pivot tube. Still takes a bit of muscle, but keeping it down safely is the real prob. Here's what I did: 1. forget the wingnut idea - bad design. don't anchor your rudder the horn cleat - dangerous when the bottom is near 2. buy an adjustable, auto-release, kickup clam cleat and mount it to your tiller near the original horn cleat 3. loosen the wing nut so the rudder pivots freely but not sloppily 4. pull the downhaul full set and cleat it in your new, kick-ass clam (adjust the clam so that normal sailing and waves doesn't release it, but any bottom drag will I absolutely have 0 struggles, worries, or doubts with my rudder setup since I made these 2 simple mods to the uphaul and downhaul Enjoy! brian s/v amare mia h240
The down position is also a challenge. Luckily, Hunter already gives us a 2:1 purchase on the rudder downhaul, hidden nicely in the pivot tube. Still takes a bit of muscle, but keeping it down safely is the real prob. Here's what I did: 1. forget the wingnut idea - bad design. don't anchor your rudder the horn cleat - dangerous when the bottom is near 2. buy an adjustable, auto-release, kickup clam cleat and mount it to your tiller near the original horn cleat 3. loosen the wing nut so the rudder pivots freely but not sloppily 4. pull the downhaul full set and cleat it in your new, kick-ass clam (adjust the clam so that normal sailing and waves doesn't release it, but any bottom drag will I absolutely have 0 struggles, worries, or doubts with my rudder setup since I made these 2 simple mods to the uphaul and downhaul Enjoy! brian s/v amare mia h240
I agree with Greg
I got my 93 23.5 this year and the first problem I had was raising the rudder. I contacted Hunter service and they sent me a diagram of the most ridiculous idea that I had ever seen, it called for the use of the main sheet rigged to the aft end of the boom and then to the rudder, go figure. I drilled a hole in the rear of the rudder about 1/2 way and ran a rope through the hole and secured it the aft rail. It is now a simple task ro raise the rudder. Kris
I got my 93 23.5 this year and the first problem I had was raising the rudder. I contacted Hunter service and they sent me a diagram of the most ridiculous idea that I had ever seen, it called for the use of the main sheet rigged to the aft end of the boom and then to the rudder, go figure. I drilled a hole in the rear of the rudder about 1/2 way and ran a rope through the hole and secured it the aft rail. It is now a simple task ro raise the rudder. Kris
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