Rudder On or Off When Trailering?
- Thread starter GorillaToast
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I trailor with mine all the time. I have never taken it off on the road. I have a rubber bungy that I strap to the end and tie to the rudder cleat with a line. Kind of a shok absorber. I want to eliminate ramp set up and it is solid. Motor stays on too.
I woul say clearance from the road would be the determinant factor. Going over dips and mounds could cause it to scrape. As far as stress the road could not put anywhere near the stress to which the rudder is subject to in the water. If no significant road hazards in those ten miles, I would leave it on, but tie it well. For longer distances in excess of 100 miles I would take it off just for peace of mind. To me the same thing goes for the engine. If the motor mount is well rated for the weight of the engine it should hold. The boat does not roll as hard on the trailer as it does on the water.
I leave my motor on as well... but I also use a ratchet tow strap, wrapped around the two winches and then behind the motor to pull the weight of the motor off of my transom and relay that weight to the winches.
And I guess I'd leave my rudder on as well if I had a different mast support system.
And I guess I'd leave my rudder on as well if I had a different mast support system.
Unless your rudder rides at least a foot above the road bed, take it off and stow it inside the boat. Why take chances with a $600 piece of equipment or your transom. I do, however, usually leave the motor on the bracket, tied off to the traveler and stern cleat, since I don't have a pickup truck. If I did, the motor would be in the back of the truck. Can't deal with gas fumes in the car.
One data point . . .
A friend of mine towed a Hake 22 from Arkansas to Huntsville, AL. everything went smoothly until he got home. While backing the boat into his driveway, he broke the rudder and damaged the transom when the trailer met the depression/transition from roadside to driveway. It is not how far but what terrain you encounter.
A friend of mine towed a Hake 22 from Arkansas to Huntsville, AL. everything went smoothly until he got home. While backing the boat into his driveway, he broke the rudder and damaged the transom when the trailer met the depression/transition from roadside to driveway. It is not how far but what terrain you encounter.
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Rudder
We had a MacGregor (Venture really) 25 and took the rudder off all the time because we needed the weight forward. If not for that, I would not have moved it. If you do not need the weight forward, I would tie it down so it does not swing and can not fall off and leave it in place.
We had a MacGregor (Venture really) 25 and took the rudder off all the time because we needed the weight forward. If not for that, I would not have moved it. If you do not need the weight forward, I would tie it down so it does not swing and can not fall off and leave it in place.
rudder
Of course this assumes that the rudder clears the ground by a few feet. If the rudder does not swing up, take it off and be safe.
Also look when you back up so you do not back into things. duh
Of course this assumes that the rudder clears the ground by a few feet. If the rudder does not swing up, take it off and be safe.
Also look when you back up so you do not back into things. duh
Gorilla Toast: We tow our C-22s with Suburbans too. That is a nice photo that you have of yours going down the highway. We have trailered two different C-22s from Pennsylvania to the Florida Keys, a distance of over 1200 miles. Our mast is supported by a stick that goes into the gudgeons and a cushion on the cabin top and the bow pulpit. That looks like what I see in your little photo. I keep only lightweight things in the boat when we trailer, like sails, fenders, life jackets, porta-pottie, and the cushions to the boat. I feel that saves many problems, especially since our trailers are only single axel, like yours.
I like everything tight on my boat and have worked a lot to take slop out of the rudder, which wasn't an easy thing to do on my 1980 C-22. I would not keep my motor on the stern either. It can't do the stern any good. We have enjoyed our C-22 for over 30 years. If you take good care of them, and don't unnessarily stress them, they will make you happier as time goes by. My wife bought a bigger boat last year, but we kept our C-22 and plan to trailer it to Cape Cod at the end of this coming summer.
Aldo
I like everything tight on my boat and have worked a lot to take slop out of the rudder, which wasn't an easy thing to do on my 1980 C-22. I would not keep my motor on the stern either. It can't do the stern any good. We have enjoyed our C-22 for over 30 years. If you take good care of them, and don't unnessarily stress them, they will make you happier as time goes by. My wife bought a bigger boat last year, but we kept our C-22 and plan to trailer it to Cape Cod at the end of this coming summer.
Aldo
I nearly lost my rudder blade last week by leaving it on the gudgeons. Our Potter 15 has a mast crutch the fits into eye bolts on the rudder head. Thinking this was secure, I left the whole assembly on and tied/bungeed up the rudder blade. The trip from NC back to Ohio was uneventful until I removed the rudder to (refinish it) and noticed the nut and bolt had fallen out somewhere along the journey home! The bungee cord and line holding up the rudder kept it in place without the bolt. Never again will I trailer more than a few miles without removing the rudder!
I even take mine off when launching from some launch ramps given the grade so I wouldn't dream of driving with it attached. I'm not so much worried about the stress on the transom from it bouncing around a bit as I am about the prospect of it catching something on the road and damaging the transom/rudder. The replacement cost of the rudder alone is over $600. An ounce of prevention can prevent a big headache and a big expense, and at the beginning of the sailing season no less.
My vote, take the rudder off and stash it in the truck or the cockpit or cabin.
Dave
s/v Lagniappe
O'Day 25
My vote, take the rudder off and stash it in the truck or the cockpit or cabin.
Dave
s/v Lagniappe
O'Day 25
Saw one of these where a powerboat with a 150hp outboard was being towed. The rear-ender occured when the man behind was distracted on his cell phone. His wife was driving the towing vehicle and stopped for a red light. All three vehicles,nearly new, sustained damage with the boat getting pushed into the rear of the first vehicle. I can't remember cutting the husband out but the rear vehicle was squashed. They weren't talking when we arrived.
All U Get
I remove the rudder for 2 reasons. 1) I scraped the bottom of my rudder pretty hard once when pulling the boat out of the water on the ramp. 2) The boat trailers much better with some tongue weight. The rudder reduces that tongue weight.
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