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rudders |
| Message #581 by: |
Steve |
| Posted on: |
Tuesday 12th of August 2003 at 8:25 am |
| When there're two of us on the wire, on a beam reach, I find that I have to 'push away' the tiller to keep the boat on course and the tiller feels really heavy. In Greece last year I don't remember this being a problem at all. Is it poss that the rudders are set wrong (they look okay), or just that we're too heavy for the boat (combined about 160kg). Anyone got some advice for me? thanks. |
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Rudders fixed.... |
| Message #582 by: |
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| Posted on: |
Tuesday 12th of August 2003 at 2:13 pm |
First you need to check the front of the blade, right up to inside the stock. If there is a crack there (which has happened to me and a few others in the squad) then the rudder has taken on water and has become bendy. The only solution is to replace it.
However, hopefuly this is not the case, and this is how to set up some race winning rudders:
1. Put some packing around the bolts in between the rudders and the stocks (a fairy liquid bottle cut into a disk with a hole in the middle for the bolt is what I used) and tighten the bolts. Tight as poss, but still so the blade can be put up and down.
2. Loosen the bolt on the top of the rudder stock with the rudder down and on the boat (need to lift the back of the boat to do this). Then put a screwdriver in the hole behind the bolt and push the plate as far forward as you can and then tighten the bolt again. This pushes the tip of the blade forward reducing weatherhelm.
3. Still with the rudders down, measure how parallel the rudders are. I sailed with the back edge 8 to 10mm further out than the front and it worked for me. You adjust this by changing the lenght of the tiller bar.
Hope this helps. |
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rudders again.. |
| Message #583 by: |
Steve |
| Posted on: |
Tuesday 12th of August 2003 at 4:19 pm |
Okay Jon thanks, I'll have a go at that.
Basically my aim is to reduce the play between the rudders and the stocks then? Ours are pretty loose at the moment so that could well be the reason.
About #3 - Do you mean that the back edge of each blade should be facing slightly outwards, by up to 10mm? Don't quite understand how that sorts the problem? Thanks v much for the advice though.
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Rudders explained |
| Message #586 by: |
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| Posted on: |
Thursday 14th of August 2003 at 2:18 pm |
Sloppy rudders are slow rudders.
On #3 It is because the shape of the hull on the inside is different to that on the outside, so the water flow at the back of the boat is not quite straight. Next time your at the boat have a look at the direction the water will come off the inside and the outside and you will see why the trailing edges need to be further apart than the leading edges.
If you are not sure on this send me an email on [email protected] and i'll send you a picture explaining it all. |
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Rudders |
| Message #617 by: |
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| Posted on: |
Monday 15th of September 2003 at 8:03 pm |
I am not an experienced cat sailor but could this also be because the mast is too far forward causing the center of effort to be farther forward then normal? eg. Hiking too far forward or more rake needed in the mast.
O.K. probably a stupid answer... I'll shut-up. |
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