Rudder stock investigation

Once again - Thanks!! - to all of you who have added valuable input to the rudder stock investigation.

I could still do with some more replies though, espesially from the catamaran community and from the more recreational oriented dinghy and cat sailors.

So if you want to add to the investigation, please do not hesitate. It will probably only take a few minutes.

Thanks,

Rick

One of our Vortices nearly ripped the stern off thanks to grounding its dagger rudder - use with caution on rivers.

My only experience of such a dagger rudder was on a 29'er where it was so stiff it would only go 2/3 down. You can imagine the fun we had sailing like that....

Surprised the previous owner of your dad's Winder stock found it necessary to fit a lock-down, Hobbo. The 2:1 downhaul was more than adequate on mine, in combination with, as I say, the fact that the blade seemed to wedge into the stock during the last few degrees of downward travel. But that was a Winder blade and stock - maybe you have a third-party wooden blade (common on Phants)?

 

Originally posted by 49erGBR735HSC I'm not sure if its been considered in the setting out of the questionaire, but know a lot of sailors who opt to have fixed rudder stocks, ie the blade does not pivot, its always locked down and the rudder is removed by lifting off the whole system. This is due to performance criteria, it reduces weight and stops "play" from the blade in the stock. Have a quick look at the 18 foot skiff class on the net and you might be able to see a fixed rudder arrangement, or alternatively browse through the 505 and Contender sites, as there may be some discussion on the topic there. We don't have a pivoting rudder on our boat, the blade is in a cassette and operates like a daggerboard through its slot, think the Stealth Cats use a similar arrangement as they have very similar foils. Reckon its the closest thing to having a fixed blade, and the cassette can be packed to get correct allignment much easier than a pivoting blade. Given the choice, would definately not go back to pivoting blade arrangements.

^ What I was thinking but was too tired to type...

I far preffer the 'dagger cassette' system on boats I sail.. they seem to give the benifits of both fixed and pivoting blades with few of their drawbacks.

Originally posted by Medway Maniac Originally posted by Hobbo Those Carbon winder stocks are the best i have seen, such as the ones used on Phantom rudderblades. But Winder stocks have no lock-down function at all, which you've rated 5 Hobbo. Care to elaborate?

Just took a trip out to the garage to check Dads and it does have a cam-cleat lock down. However when i looked at it closely it looks like it has been fixed on post-production as you can see where it has been bolted in so i expect the previous owner did it. So my experience of one did have a camcleat lockdown - I'd suggest for the purposes of the research that i like that stock aslong as there is a lockdown on it.

Low weight? 4

Low price? 5 (why are they so expensive?)

Easy maintenance? 4

Direct feeling?  5  (= no play between tiller and stock nor between stock and blade)

Uphaul function? 2 (tightening the plastic wing nut does the job on most boats OK)

Downhaul function? 4

Lock-down function? 3

Auto-release function? 3 (when hitting ground)

Attractive looks? 3

I consider myself as representing

Dingy racing? 2

Dinghy recreational sailing? 3

Catamaran racing?

Catamaran recreational?

 Any further comments?

I’m a big fan of the daggerboard style 29er/49er stocks. They can be built lighter and with less complexity and can remain attached to the boat all the times. Using them in shallow water when launching is also very easy and the uphaul/downhaul functions become just pulling the blade up and down by hand.

Also, hobie 16 stocks are the worst I've never used.