Rudders
Printed From: Yachts and Yachting Online
Category: General
Forum Name: Repair & maintenance
Forum Discription: Questions & tips on the subject
URL: http://www.yachtsandyachting.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=13398
Printed Date: 10 May 25 at 10:21pm
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 9.665y - http://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: Rudders
Posted By: Ardea
Subject: Rudders
Date Posted: 31 Aug 19 at 1:59pm
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Does anyone know which RS rudders can be swapped? I've an old style rs 200 rudder (sea sure) and I want a shorter blade for it. Would a feva rudder work and is it actually any shorter?
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Replies:
Posted By: GybeFunny
Date Posted: 02 Sep 19 at 8:44am
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Are you sure? Its a pretty small blade already. Maybe call RS and ask them.
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Posted By: Ardea
Date Posted: 02 Sep 19 at 12:31pm
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It's a weed issue I have where I sail and a shorter rudder would make sailing the boat significantly more enjoyable. It feels like a fairly long rudder such that you don't have to raise the centreboard much before I reckon the rudder is the deepest bit. (although to be fair I've not got around to measuring it). Just wondering if the old style feva rudder is something I should start looking out for, or if I'm just wasting my time.
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Posted By: JimC
Date Posted: 02 Sep 19 at 12:47pm
A too small rudder would make the boat highly unpleasant to sail. If you are a front of fleet sailor who can keep the boat bolt upright at all times and never has to use much rudder to control the boat you can get away with it, but if you are nearer the middle of the fleet you may well find that the boat goes out of control at a lower angle of heel, is more prone to the rudder stalling out in manoeuvres, and it may even lose grip at high speed.
I'd also be concerned about balance, since modern boats are typically set up so the rudder contributes to lateral resistance. Plus of course there's the little matter of class rules. OTOH it is likely that RS would tend to err a little on the large side, since it makes the boat more user friendly at the cost of a little bit of top speed. Asking for an adjusted handicap for increased speed potential would therefore be the sporting thing to do.
If I were determined to try it I would find a scrap blade off more or less anything, alter it to fit and see how the boat behaved. It only has to last long enough to give you an idea of the feel!
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Posted By: Ardea
Date Posted: 03 Sep 19 at 8:46am
Jim, thanks for the reply. This is definitely not a full time solution, it's to try and address a particularly bad weed issue, I certainly don't want to move it permanently out of class. I'm very happy with how the boat sails, but the weed seems to affect this boat really badly. The crux of the issue is that it is horrible to sail when weeded, and the frequency of having to clear the weed is so high that this isn't fun either. A simple solution to reduce the fouling would greatly improve the fun factor.I know the real answer is that I should use a different piece of water, or boat, while the weed is bad but currently I'm fairly time poor, hence the question of a simple swap (and I don't have anything approaching a scrap rudder to use). I've also started sailing with the board up a reasonable way (again for weed reasons), so smaller rudder shouldn't unbalance the boat and, to be honest, the weed is so bad an unbalanced weed free boat sounds a better prospect than a balanced one where I'm spending half my time removing weed!
Having written out the above, I think the answer is to get out in a mirror and sail over/around the weed! |
Posted By: JimC
Date Posted: 03 Sep 19 at 8:54am
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Alternative blades are best sourced by helping out with the clear out of abandoned boats at the annual club sort out! But sounds like an intractable problem. Short of accidentally dropping a barrel of paraquat overboard... Still, think of how much your mates owe you if you're trimming the weed before it gets to long enough to affect them...
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