Kick up rudder question

parared · Postby **parared** » Mon Sep 21, 2009 6:44 am

Hi all,
So, yesterday I took my C22 out for a quick sail, and managed to stay off the sandbar almost the entire trip!

Coming back in, with the keel raised, I dug my rudder into the mud. No big problem, I just jumped out and pushed her off. However, it raised the question of 'kickup' rudder. I thought that the rudder would have been able to swing up out of the way, but when I grounded the rudder stayed at full deployment, and I couldn't get it to tuck up.

Now, I'm a noob here, and when I got the boat I had to rerig the rudder line, and I think I might have done something wrong. Coming out of the rudder post, at the aft end of the tiller, are two ends of a line which runs down and around the rudder pivot somehow. What I did was take the two ends, loop it around the tiller base ( so that the line couldn't be tugged down the feed hole ) and tied them together. There is only about a foot of slack. When I launched Dia, I had to pull pretty hard on one side of the control line to get the rudder down. Once down, it stays there and I haven't had occasion to try to trim its position at all. There is also a v-wedge at the rear of the tiller post, that looks like it wants to hold the rudder line somehow, perhaps seating a knot.

How should that line be rigged?

Chris

tgentry · Postby **tgentry** » Mon Sep 21, 2009 1:21 pm

Assuming the 22 has the same rudder arrangement as our 26...

There are two lines, one for putting the rudder down, the other for swinging it up. Either of these can be locked into the clam cleat on the tiller to lock hold the rudder down or up respectively. If you pull the line to put the rudder down and then lock it in the clam cleat the rudder will not be able to kick up due to an obstacle

or water pressure

.

Copacetic's previous owner was clever enough to use red and green lines and they are both knotted at the end so that they don't pull through the tube.

trev · Postby **trev** » Mon Sep 21, 2009 2:57 pm

I just replaced the rudder line on my C22 last weekend using the following rudder drawings and I also added a small piece of PVC pipe where the rudder up line goes around the bolt. This acts kind of like a block as it spins with the line instead of just pulling the line against the bolt and made pulling the rudder up a lot easier
http://chryslersailing.lizards.net/images/rudder_up.jpg
http://chryslersailing.lizards.net/images/rudder_down.jpg

I also used red and green line and I also added handles to the line as my girlfriend could not get the rudder up with just the line but can with the handles. Also make sure you didn't over tighten the bolt holding the rudder on, I couldn't budge mine at first so I loosened it one turn and now it moves fairly freely. This bolt should be a lock nut with the nylon insert so it doesn't vibrate off from not being tight.

Mario G · Postby **Mario G** » Mon Sep 21, 2009 3:59 pm

Looks great Trev ..What diameter line are you useing? I'm having trouble getting line that when I tie a knot its fits in the pipe sleve. The first 2 lines the wife bought were to big and the one I tested Jeff said looked like shoe strings ,did work ok but might have been a little small for clam cleats.

trev · Postby **trev** » Mon Sep 21, 2009 4:30 pm

I used 3/8th's. A knot was not possible so I melted the end of the line into a little ball, this is what the line I removed had and I think it was original. I did test it using a pipe on a vice and pulled the new line trying to pull the melted end off and it didn't budge so I think it is more than strong enough to raise and lower the rudder.

parared · Postby **parared** » Mon Sep 21, 2009 5:17 pm

Ohhhhhhhhhh!

That makes much more sense. Thanks for the replys. I have some handles to add to my boat

.

tnc110 · Postby **tnc110** » Tue Sep 22, 2009 6:07 am

anyone try to put some elastic in the rudder line so that it does have some give to it?

shunt1 · Postby **shunt1** » Wed Sep 23, 2009 5:31 pm

Sunday, my wife and I were having a fantastic time sailing our new C-22 in 15 kt winds on Green Lake. The waves were about one foot high and starting to cap, but this sailboat was behaving like a little kitten.

Sue started to hear a strange sound, but I told her that is was the keel cable vibrating, since we were in the middle of the lake.

A few minutes later, she was convinced that she could hear the keel dragging on the bottom and climbed down into the cabin to wench up the keel. I still had no idea what she was talking about, until the sailboat made a sudden shudder! What the hell?

This lake has buoy markers at locations where the water depth is less than six feet. As long as I avoid those areas, we should be fine. So why was my keel dragging on the bottom in an area that should be 9 feet deep?

I knew that we were in serious trouble, when my rudder started to shudder, as it started to drag along the bottom. Again, we were in the middle of the lake and no buoy markers anywhere around. I tried to tack, but we were moving too slow and ended up in stays.

With the rudder and keel fully retracted, I was then able to use the sail to power us downwind in an effort to get us off this unknown reef.

Thankfully, that worked!

Sometimes, the ability to retract your rudder rapidly can be rather important

Gus · Postby **Gus** » Wed Sep 23, 2009 7:10 pm

Oh I have run aground more than once. Drop sails, raise keel and rudder, fire up the iron jib, and I'm usually on my way to find deeper waters

I had to jump in the water in more than once occasion to push the boat, but its not really a big deal.

Alanhod · Postby **Alanhod** » Wed Sep 23, 2009 11:11 pm

CaptainScott · Postby **CaptainScott** » Thu Sep 24, 2009 5:09 am

Hey Alan, do you use the "Range" Markers there in the river when North bound? Just before Dog Legging east? Yhey help emensly. I've been up there in Destiny and have not hit.

Scott

Attaboy15 · Postby **Attaboy15** » Mon Sep 18, 2023 1:58 pm

What is the depth of rudder up and down? Can’t find this spec.
Thanks
Captain Ron

Attaboy15 · Postby **Attaboy15** » Mon Sep 18, 2023 2:00 pm

What is the depth of rudder when fully tied down and up? Can’t find this spec anywhere. Thanks
Captain Ron

Postby **brigadoon** » Mon Sep 18, 2023 8:42 pm

Captain Ron,
I looked in the manuals section for the depth on the swing keel c26 and it is listed as 2’ -3” so the rudder will not be deeper than that on the 26. You didn’t ay weather you have a 22 or 26. There are a very complete set of manuals for both the 22 and 26 in the document section. Specs are also available on sailboat data. The draft listing will give you the information you need.safe sailing.
Rick SV Brigadoon

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