BYYB Forums

Hey,

After only two trips, it's quite obvious to me that I'm going to need a way to guard the rudder from the prop. the rudder doesn't stay put when turning while using the motor and it's getting a little tore up.

I don't really mind the scars, but I suppose I'll get tired of making new rudders a couple times a year Not to mention potentially breaking fins off my spiffy new kipiwa prop.

Can anyone recommend a product I can buy, or device I can easily make (using plastic resin glue and wood, or metal) to prevent damage to my rudder? Spent the morning trying to find a product online but the guards I found were for gasoline motors and bigger than I would like.

Or perhaps A guard is not the right approach?

My motor is down as low as it will go, but even if it were lower, the rudder would still hit when it was locked down.

Here is a photo to oogle the damage I've already done! The scar at the forward edge of the rudder isn't too worrying, it happens when the rudder is up.. it's the scars on the side of the rudder that worry me, those happen when the rudder is down.

You may want to consider linking the motor to the rudder. This will serve two important functions. One is, it will keep you from eating away at your rudder. Second and more importantly, the motor will steer with the rudder (just like an outboard) which will greatly improve the maneuverability of the boat under power, especially at low speed and backing up.

This could be as simple as a clamping a tiller on the shaft of the motor, with a rod hooked in the end. This attaches to a similar arrangement on the rudder. When the rudder swings to starboard (for example) the motor also swings to starboard, which tosses the thrust in the same direction, helping steering and fixing the distance the prop can be from the rudder.