During our 60 nm run yesterday, 2/7, I was at the wheel and I felt an occasional "shudder" in the steering. I wasn't turning the wheel, but holding it firmly. I'm wondering if it could have come from the prop wash as it flowed over the surface of the rudder. Possible fouled rudder surface, I did brush some whiskers off of the rudder but not all because I couldn't reach with the short-handled brush we had. I haven't found the quadrant for the steering, thought it may be the culprit. Don't give up on me, I'm hoping to learn from all of you who have the miles under your belt. Thanks
Rudder shutter
- Thread starter Halvern
- Start date
It's certainly worth correcting a fouled rudder surface. I doubt very much that your prop is the problem - your boat is designed to have the prop wash over the rudder - in fact, that increases the effectiveness of the rudder at all forward speeds.
Sometimes, at speeds around hull speed, larger eddies can form on the rudder especially when steering hard in a gust - these are easy to feel through our tiller, but I have seldom felt them through the higher leverage and mechanism of wheel steering on other boats.. But it is possible that you could feel them on a wheel - they are sometimes there. I regard them as indications of making good speed through the water.
I suppose there is a chance that there is something going on in the linkage from your wheel to your rudder. Since our boat has a tiller, my knowledge of how to check and correct that possibility is limited. So I hope someone with more experience maintaining wheel steering will chime in.
Sometimes, at speeds around hull speed, larger eddies can form on the rudder especially when steering hard in a gust - these are easy to feel through our tiller, but I have seldom felt them through the higher leverage and mechanism of wheel steering on other boats.. But it is possible that you could feel them on a wheel - they are sometimes there. I regard them as indications of making good speed through the water.
I suppose there is a chance that there is something going on in the linkage from your wheel to your rudder. Since our boat has a tiller, my knowledge of how to check and correct that possibility is limited. So I hope someone with more experience maintaining wheel steering will chime in.