RE: Kick-up Rudder

hlg@pacbell.net
Sun, 5 Sep 1999 11:51:51 -0700


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West Wight Potter Website at URL
http://www.lesbois.com/wwpotter/
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It may not be at all practical for a P19, but several P15 owners have
installed a push-pull rod or tube to the trailing edge of the rudder, which
is used to push the rudder down or to pull it up. It is the ultimate in
simplicity. It also alerts you if the rudder comes up because the rod then
pops up, acting like a signal flag. Mine is something like the one
illustated at
<http://www.lesbois.com/wwpotter/modifications/potter_mods.htm>.

A bungee or latch could be added to the rod to hold the rudder down if that
is a problem. Mine generally stays down okay if I adjust the pivot bolt
tension properly. If I do see the rod come up I just reach back and shove
it back down.

Harry
P14 #234
Mountain View, CA

>> A previous owner of my P19 built a custom (funky) kick-up rudder
>> which, by
>> the time I got it, lacked any controls other than a length of shock cord
>> tied between the two sections. I've managed to build a set of controls
>> that are semi-functional but still don't get the job done right: either I
>> can't get it to stay down reliably or I end up sooner or later with the
>> control line jammed between the two sections. I would appreciate it if
>> someone with a gifted hand would diagram or sketch (or
>> photograph?) a stock
>> rudder control system I can use as a guide, or with a gift for words,
>> simply a description of what runs where using what kind of fittings.
>
>The bad news is even a properly rigged kick-up rudder either doesn't hold
>the lower blade down properly or has so much slop and backlash to be really
>annoying.
>
>Tim, what are you doing today? I was thinking of heading down and doing some
>more work on my boat (I've just rewired most of it and installed a bigger
>circuit panel). You're welcome to go down with me and check out my rudder.