Rudder Assembly on an old woodie

[capaneus]

I picked this 1961 Mader Woodie two winters back. It needed some lovin' but it wasn't too bad. The centerboard and rudder however were badly delaminating and needed replaced. In my unabashed zeal, I took the old rudder off and sent it to JO Woodworks to get a new rudder fabricated from solid mahogany instead of the plywood/epoxy original. Unfortunately, I never once stopped to note how the thing went back together.

I don't have much experience with dinghy's, my past boat being a tanzer 22, so I'm a little concerned I might not put this thing back together right. I attached some pics to show what I'm talking about.

Pic 1 shows that there are two cables/ropes coming out of the cheekplates which must server some kind of purpose but I know not what. Perhaps to kick up the rudder...but why two cords? And bungee is obviously a poor material for tugging a rudder up with. It looks like there's some hardware on the bottom of the tiller that could possibly be for tying off too which supports the kickup rudder theory.



Pic 2 shows a detail of those same cables running into the cheekplates. They apparently do something to be engineered into the design like that!


Pic 3 shows those same cables running out of the back. Here I do remember some things. The bungee cord was screwed into that flat expanse on the back of the rudder blade....somewhere. Where the drilled hole is, there was, instead a round clip that was built into the original rudder, the shackled attached to that. I was hoping to find an appropriately sized shackled to fit the drilled hole and forego the clip all together.



Pic 4 shows a pic of the whole works.



My concerns at this point is that there doesn't seem to be anything to hold the rudder down in the water. What's to keep it from floating up? And what does that bungee cord do?

[Herman_KC-87]

Here is a drawing of how the uphaul and downhaul (continuous in my rudder ) run in my rudder.
Hope this helps,
Herman

CCE00000.jpg (14.3 KiB) Viewed 586 times

[capaneus]

Herman,

That drawing is extremely helpful! Thanks so much for posting that. I may opt to set up my rudder like yours regardless of how it was initially configured.

[VancouverFD]

Hi

I am also building a solid wood rudder based on the design of a rudder that was built for me. It operates with a separate uphaul and downhaul rope and is very easy to construct - I could send you the drawing if you want.

Is mahogany the best wood to use for the rudder blade, and how is it treated/sealed to prevent warping

[Herman_KC-87]

My rudder blades(I have two flip up rudders ) are made out off strips of mahogany,the wood is protected with epoxy and I have spray painted them white with marine enamel.
One of them has like yours a separate uphaul and downhaul,on the second one that I built I made the line continoues,it all depends on what you like best.
I also have a fixed rudder,the blade must have a carbon core for it is very light and buoyant,but I prefer not to use it too much since we sail mainly on the lake and land on the beach,it could easily rip the transom out of the boat.
Best regards,
Herman

[VancouverFD]

Thanks Herman

I am trying to build a rudder with a solid wooden blade (unpainted) with brass fittings - more for aestetic purposes than functionality. Allready have a perfectly functional rudder that has been treated as you describe.
Any help will be appreciated