DaySailer.org Forum

hi folks
brand new to the forum and new to the daysailer ll. about ready for first launch but have a question about the rudder. It's a two part rudder and the bottom part swing on a pin. I can't seem to figure out how to keep it from raising up when sailing or how to raise it up and keep it up when needed. There is no apparent way to keep it from raising up while under weigh. I've uploaded a picture of the rudder below. hope it works. Thanks in advance for any help. Wish I had never sold my O'day 192 years back. can't find another one now.

You can tighten the carriage bolt that serves as pivot. There should be a nut or wingnut. That may work OK. Even if it makes the rudder feel stiff, it will yield when you hit something, but it may also yield if you are lucky to go really fast. I've managed with that approach for many seasons and the worst may be that that rudder comes back a few degrees and then I reach down to make it behave (and tighten the nut a bit when I'm back on land). (Aside: it's a good idea to carry something like a leatherman tool with pliers for little emergency repairs. I use mine to tighten that wing nut).

However, you can fit a "downhaul". You'll need a way to attach that to the front of the swinging blade without opening a way for water to get in, and without creating too much of a disturbance of the water flow. Perhaps gluing on a tab that holds a small eye to which you can tie a line.

You need an autorelease cleat for the other end, not a normal one, because otherwise something will break if you hit anything with the rudder.

You can mount the cleat on the rudder head, but then you need to lean over to release it. Or you can mount it on the underside of the tiller, but then you need an eye or block to turn it. If you place that in the wrong location, you'll prevent the tiller from swiveling up. I don't know about you, but I like being able to duck under my tiller if space is tight.

For the line, you'd pick the thinnest one that your cleat can handle.

Have fun and welcome to the forum.