I received my pintels and gudgeons from ductworks. Pretty nice hardware ($75). I don't think there is any magic on how to place the pintels and gudgeons but to make sure the rudder part of the rudder box moves freely in the hole in the transom?Â
Also, is everyone still using cove base material to go over the sides of the rudder box (where it meets the transom)? I really don't know any other sailboats that have this. I did not measure, but with the pintels and gudgeons, there probably is a good 1/2 to 3/4 inch gap between the rudder box and transom.Â
A gap is normal and you will not see a "filler" used on much more then one of these designs. Considering the location of the rudder box (behind the keel extension), it's use will not improve performance any at all, though it might lessen noise to some degree (unlikely consider the size and shape of the box). Skip it, you can always go back and add it later if you want.
I used a thin piece of clear lexan on each side and it reduced alot of turbulence in that area. Being clear it is not noticeable and I want every ounce of advantage I can get as I plow through fleets of production boat on San Francisco Bay.Â
Let us know how those pintles work out from Duckworths, I'm planning on ordering them too, also the goosneck for the boom.
Good idea on the lexan. I will check into that.
Yep...I'll let you know how the pintels and gudgeons work out. I will probably install them this week. Actually, I dry fitted them and they work out great.Â
Interesting question - my rudder sits back from the stern post about 3 inches. I've attached a picture from when the rudder box was open.
Is it possible that that difference could have unbalanced my rig enough to cause my tacking problems? Mind you, during my launch last fall I had lots of other problems and was sailing with a poorly reefed main and a badly set jib ...
YIKES, Andrew. Can you get the rudder a little closer? Or order those nice pieces from Duckworks. That is surely going to help by installing some thin lexan to cover that gap. Zignman
Your sails sound more the culprit in your tacking problems. If they are badly bagged or cut or setting bad in most anyway, you won't be sailing very close to the wind. When you start your tack you have further to go with the wind still pushing against your hull etc. With good sails you should be able to tack just by moving your weight around the boat.
Andrew, I can only imagine the difficulties and turbulence your rudder box must be creating, being set that far aft of the transom. Have a look at other rudder setups down at the local marina, to see just how far away you should try to get the rudder. It should be as close as you can make it. If this is the way it's done in the plans, then it should be placed on the "must upgrade at once list".
Greetings Paul,
The plans show the rings of the eyebolts snugged down tightly against the wood of the keel and the rudder box so that the width of the gap between the keel and rudder box is simply the diameter of the ring of the eyebolt - about an inch. Â Andrew has added a nut and washer on both sides of the wood through which each eyebolt passes, which creates a stand-off effect that looks like it might triple or quadruple the normal gap.
In all fairness to the 1980's vintage plans, we all have to remember that a few things have been invented since the plans were first published ... personal computers, the internet, credit cards, epoxy, etc ... so now it is possible to run a business like Duckworks to supply a boat building community as widely separated as you are from Timo or Ryerson with just a few clicks of a mouse and poof, we have stainless steel gudgeons and pintles on our doorsteps in three days at very reasonable prices that were designed exactly for the boat we are building. Â It's nice to live in a civilized world.
But yes, going forward, as soon as Mike as the time to rework the plans, the plans should now have an addendum or be reworked entirely to reflect the newer options we have available today ... substituting marine plywood for ACX, epoxy and micro-balloons for bondo, epoxy for polyester and/or glues, Duckworks supplied (Racelite) gudgeons and pintles for the rudder hardware, ... and include an alternate build for a tiller instead of the wheel for those who would prefer a tiller.
Cheers,
Tom