BYYB Forums

Well, getting ready to put the rudder box assembly together.  I have the sides of the box fiberglassed with three coats of epoxy ontop of the matting.  Any obvious issues with forgoing painting of the interior sides of the rudder box?  Also, I assume the Gudegeon strip can be made of clear doug fir?

Before you close up the rudder box, now is a good time to check how your rudder down-haul is set up.  I used 1/4" bungee cord for mine and found that it got bound up between the rudder and box - and no amount of pulling would free it.

As one of my post launch repairs - which I haven't had a chance to try - was to put a small eyebolt inside the rudder box on the leading edge to act as a fair-lead for the down-haul.  Even with that, I also cut a wedge off the rudder itself to ensure that the downhaul couldn't get bound up at all.

Yeah...that is a concern of mine too.  I have some hardware I planned on installing and tying the bungee to that...instead of into a drilled hole in the wood (which would be a pain to repair).  I don't recall the name of the hardware, but it is kind of a upside down u-shape deck hardware that you tie stuff too.  Not sure if it will "fit".

I am not thrilled about screwing the sides together (one more thing to paint over and worry about water intrusion), but I guess that is the only way to hold the thing together. 

I used 1/4 inch braided line not bungy and it seems to work just fine.  It won't give if I hit something with the rudder down, like a bungy would, but I intend to add some give at the attachemnt where the line hooks onto the tiller to add some give.

As for forgoing painting the insides I used epoxy mixed with graphite to finish the insides of my rudder box.  I varnished about 3" of the insides, around the open area, to prevent any UV damage.  The problem is will the movement of the rudder ruboff the varnish?  The varnish is only good for a season also.  I think if you don't leave the rudder box in direct sunlight there won't be a lot of UV to hit the insides.  The black epoxy/graphite looks great and is slippery.  The rudder pivets pretty smoothly.  I bought a 5/16' bolt, that had a shaft just a hair longer then the thickness of the rudder box with the rudder in it, so even with the nut tight there is no pinch.  I had to cut off the excess threaded portion of the bolt but that was easy.

I agree, if the rudder box is not stored in the sun, the interior components should be okay.  Exterior components will be painted.  I used a stainless steel tube that the bolt slides into so that the rudder is actually pivoting on a smooth tube rather than a threaded screw.  I can back the tube out if I ever need to repair or fix the rudder.

I assume that the tiller 2 x 2 inch stock is actually nominal size?....likely about 1 3/4 by 1 3/4 ???

Jeff  My two cents worth. Make the tiller to fit you. Make it long enough to sit where you like and not be in a strain. Make it feel good in your hand, sometimes you will have it in your hand a long time. It is real tiring if it don't fit. The only way I know to do this is through trial and error. In my meager opinion the tiller is worth spending some time over. It is where you realy tuuch the boat. Bud

Bud is spot on.  Pay attention to making the contact points with your sporting equipment fit as well as is possible, as a good fit is frequently the difference between success and failure.  For cycling that means good gloves, cleated cycling shoes, padded spandex shorts, and of course a helmet should your head accidentally "contact" the ground. For Sailing, we want grippy non-skuffing shoes that let water out, padded cockpit cushions on slatted seats, sailing gloves, and as (Bud points out) a wheel or tiller that fits our hand properly.  Also, use the largest diameter rope that you can afford for the main sheet as you will be holding that for a long time too.  You might want to try some of the pants and shirts made from poly microfibre fabric as they are stretchy and more comfortable, wick away moisture, and dry very quickly as compared to soggy cotton or polyester clothing.

I remember reading an article once about a guy who made a "perfect" rudder from foam and fiberglass.  He used blue board foam that he cut to shape to curve up and out to exactly where he wanted.  A small wooden block at the rear provided extra support for the pivot pin. Then he wrapped the foam with several layers of biaxial cloth, wetted it all out with epoxy, and then bandaged the whole mess with a shrink-wrap tape.  Hitting the tape with a heat gun squeezed everything tightly together.  The result was a very light weight tiller that exactly fit both boat and skipper.

Cheers,
Tom

I broke several rudder boxes, and the latest is 2x4 construction, with 3/4 plywood sides. the original rudder is sandwiched between pieces of plastic kitchen cutting boards. The surfaces have less friction for lowering the rudder. I use 1/4 braided rope secured to a cleat, to hold the rudder in position.

I fashioned Ginny Rae's tiller from a piece of maple 2x8, the tiller has a curve cut into it from the piece, the tiller is mounted to swing up for tacking, the end is rounded. I placed my hand on the tiller and marked the finger placement, and sanded the grooves for more comfort. As Bud mentioned, you'll be holding it for quite sometime while sailing, comfort is of the utmost importance.



Greg

Ye Squabs!  Soft handed landlubbers the lot of ye!  Read Hemmingways "The Old Man and the Sea".  Watch the movie version with Spencer Tracy.  Notice the hard calloused hands.  Notice the firm grip.  Notice the lack of sun block or other girlly creams on his face.  Notice that in neither the book or the movie did they mention spandex or other water wicking clothing.  Did he give up the fight because of discomfort?  Aaargh Mateys, tis time to check yer trousers ta see if ye be lad or lass.

Wait a minute???  Hold up just a sec...  I think in the book, and I know in the movie, the callouses wore off his hands, they split and bled.  His lips cracked and bled also.  The skin on his forehead pealed from the burn.  He lost the fish to sharks on the way back to dock and probably died sooner then he would have from the experience.  Ok, make things comfy, keep warm or cool, whichever is the better, stay as safe as is prudent and still allows for enjoyment (actually adds to the enjoyment) and have a Happy Turkey Day!

Hi Greg Nice picture, do you have a picture of the way you did your rigging also what size is your motor,

    happy turkey day to all.  Keith