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rudder hits prop when i retract it on my c26

Posted: Wed Apr 10, 2013 7:57 am
by aerojet777
Hi guys i am thinking of triming about 5" off the rudder so it doesnt hit the prop when i raise it in shallow water. has anyone done this or have any comments ?

i am concerned i would loose too much steerage...but then again the rudder is about 3 ft long so 5" may not be too bad.

i am using a 9.9 merc. outboard so i may create a new motor mount so it doesnt hit when u tilt the motor back.

thanks

Posted: Wed Apr 10, 2013 8:33 am
by Capt. Bondo
Just don't raise your rudder all the way.
If you need raise your rudder all the way for shallow of water, chances are your keel is in the mud already. :cry:

Posted: Wed Apr 10, 2013 11:27 am
by CaptainScott
Use extreme care when steering with the rudder up or partially up.
One of the major complaints on the Chryslers is the weak rudder design.

Think of the forces involved trying to steer with the rudder up! You will likely bend your cheek plates and then complain about the poor design.

If you keep the rudder all the way down when steering you will not likely have ANY issues!


Hmm, that did not even come close to answering your question. Don't you hate it when folks chime in with a non relevant answer?? LOL!

Scott

Posted: Wed Apr 10, 2013 1:20 pm
by adamh
I was pondering the same question in my head the other day. I agree with what Bondo said about not raising it all the way. My plan is to put markings on the lifting/lowering ropes so I know when the rudder is above the keel and below the motor.

Scott made a good point about the ammount of force on the rudder when it is fully retracted. If I keep that in the back of my mind and go slow enough, hopefully it wont be too big of an issue.

The way the weather is treating us, we may not even have to worry about this. Another big snow storm supposed to hit tomorrow. :evil:

Posted: Wed Apr 10, 2013 2:41 pm
by cs3079
When I had the C20, I was thinking of putting some kind of prop guard on the outboard. I used to like to have the rudder up for quicker maneuverability while docking (paddle effect-admittedly not a good idea due to the stress on an already weak rudder system).

At the time, prop guards were too expensive for my blood, so what I did was put a marking (well, actually a knot) on the rudder down rope to quickly ID the point at which to cleat the rope when the rudder cleared the prop. That, and a little more fore thought while docking did the trick for me.

I actually was much better at docking the C20 (except for the Hubbard Lake incident :roll: ) than I am with my little DS2. It's gotten embarrassing. I want my Chrysler back.

Posted: Wed Apr 10, 2013 8:30 pm
by Anhinga
I trimmed mine about that much about 10 years ago. Didn't seem to make much difference in handling. I also added a fulton motor mount to move the engine back as well. This was needed since the engine, in drive, will push into the rudder where it will pass by the rudder when in neutral. A long way to say you'll need more clearance than you think. Get the space from trimming AND moving the engine. Fill the bottom cavity with epoxy resin and silica mix to seal it off. Mine was foam filled so the bottom was easy to work with.

Best!

-JK

rudder

Posted: Fri Apr 12, 2013 12:18 pm
by aerojet777
good info thanks guys, but why make the rudder rotate if you have to have it down all the time ?

seems like it doesnt need to pivot at all

Re: rudder

Posted: Fri Apr 12, 2013 12:26 pm
by CaptainScott
aerojet777 wrote:good info thanks guys, but why make the rudder rotate if you have to have it down all the time ?

seems like it doesnt need to pivot at all
So you can trailer it easier. Also some folks might want to beach the boat.

Scott

Posted: Fri Apr 12, 2013 12:59 pm
by EmergencyExit
Hey, Scott - down here the rudder comes up so you can get the warm water barnacles off while in the slip.. :?

Posted: Fri Apr 12, 2013 2:33 pm
by tgentry
What Scott said about steering with rudder up. And if you go into reverse you will be surprised at the force with which the tiller wants to turn.

Don't trim it, you'll be glad for the extra length when you heeling and dealing with waves. I just tilt my motor up into a "shallow water" position and the rudder no longer hits.

Posted: Fri Apr 12, 2013 5:24 pm
by Alanhod
As stated above. Trim not thy rudder, lest ye covet it back in a strong blow.

When your healed over at say 25 degrees in Lake Washington, with the water coming up over the toe rail, washing your lee side windows, you will want every inch of that rudder. And you will hopefully have on your sailing gloves too, because that rudder will pull a bit when your that over powered.

Oh and a side effect from this event is very painful cheeks... From smiling so hard, when you sailing with your hair on fire, racing across the water and all. :lol:

Thanks
Alan