Easy-up Rudder

[K9Kampers]

...I already owe you a beer A real Canadian beer eh:!:
Q1

How's that?? Shaken, not stirred!? Take off, eh!

[Québec 1]

...I already owe you a beer A real Canadian beer eh:!:
Q1

How's that?? Shaken, not stirred!? Take off, eh!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GsgVspgy ... r_embedded
Obviously already had a few eh Hoser! Did ya get the free 144 beers or what?
Q1

[Paul S]

If you are going to cut your rudder lines on an appreciate that they up and down lines should be different lengths, so dont take your line off and cut it in two equal pieces! The down line has to run longer to the bullseye and back up to the rudder so it is longer of course.

A dummy I know well made this mistake last year.

Wow didn't think of that! A real pearl of wisdom and good sense. I guess , even if I have not started my easy-up rudder mod I already owe you a beer A real Canadian beer eh
Q1

There is only one continuous line on an M's line..so its a not an issue. Just make sure it is longer than the one that is in the boat

[c130king]

There is only one continuous line on an M's line..so its a not an issue. Just make sure it is longer than the one that is in the boat

Not sure I understand this statement. I have two lines on each rudder...a pull-up line (modified with a block for 2:1) that is completely exposed and a pull-down line that is mostly out-of-sight inside the transom area.

I know the 2:1 is a mod but is my system different than other 's? Just wondering.

Cheers,
Jim

[Currie]

I have one continuous line on my '04 M. It starts at the rudder (say, at the leading edge, for deploying it), travels up through the rudder bracket and out through a small hole in the top with a couple of feet for cleating, then goes over the back of the boat and connects at the rudder's trailing edge (for lifting the rudder). Sounds like some actually have two separate lines for the job.

~Bob

[Paul S]

I have one continuous line on my '04 M. It starts at the rudder (say, at the leading edge, for deploying it), travels up through the rudder bracket and out through a small hole in the top with a couple of feet for cleating, then goes over the back of the boat and connects at the rudders trailing edge (for lifting). Sounds like some actually have two separate lines for the job.

~Bob

Jim,

What Bob said.

The M, at least Mine and Bobs, has one continous loop line that goes down through the deck and exits under the rudder bracket. This end attaches to the rudder to hold it down. The other end, on the deck, attaches to the lift up line

[c130king]

I did not know that.

Mine have been slightly modified by the PO I guess. The pull-up line has a 2:1 block and the line runs through a v-cleat (aka a clam-cleat??). There is a stopper knot in the end of this line to keep it from falling down through the v-cleat. I pull the rudder up, the v-cleat holds it but I put a dock hitch on the cleat that is on the transom to ensure it stays up.

The pull-down line comes out the hole in the top of the transom and there is a stopper knot tied in the end of it (to keep it from falling down the hole). When I lower the rudders I release the pull-up line and let it run through the v-cleat...the rudder falls into position...then I give the pull-down line a yank...hear the "clunk" that tells me the rudder hit the stop...then hitch the pull-down line to the same cleat.

Works really well.

Cheers,
Jim

[TexasDan40]

My rudder line was one continuous line before I made the block easy-up mod. I needed either a longer continuous line...or in my case what I did was cut the line so that I have 2 rudder lines...one to pass through the easy-up block mod and the other for the rudder hold down. In the end, I had to purchase less line.

In fact, I bought used SS shackles, used blocks, and used line...entire mod cost about $35.

cheers,
Te

[Kelly Hanson East]

I forgot to add my intermediate mod that took away my continuous line (:macx: also come with a continuous line FWIW)

I colour coded mine so that blue deploys the rudder, and red/green (port/starboard resp) pulls up the rudder - this makes it a lot easier to give crew instructions when you want one rudder up in harbor stations. I confess I often fussed around trying to figure out which loop was up/down too...usually with traffic bearing down on me. The precipitating event was failure of the rudder line due to age of course (7 seasons)

The point is the lengths required for up and down are different, so measure twice, cut once.

See original thread here ...

[K9Kampers]

The rudders on our and a bit on the heavy side, my wife can't lift them at all, I'll give this mod a try when we are out next.

Glenn

It hasn't been a problem for me personally, but I've seen others on my boat having this issue as well, with both the original factory water filled rudders and my current Ida rudders. I've figured out what it takes to raise them...no problem. I believe the to be the force required at different angles of leverage. Kneeling & reaching outward aft for the inital lift is key as opposed to sitting in the cockpit at a more challenging angle. If the rudders had a 'lifting pole' - like the mast raising kit - perpendicular to the rudder to change the point where the leverage is applied...

[The Mutt]

Kneeling & reaching outward aft for the inital lift is key as opposed to sitting in the cockpit at a more challenging angle.

I knee and lean out from the cockpit seats to raise the rudders, I've even raise the seat to step out back to raise the rudders, a bit of a pain lifting the rudders from the cockpit sometimes, I have a problem shoulder and dodgy back, both play up at the most inconvenient times.

Forces of water pressure seem to be at work sometimes applying undesired sideways push to the rudders making it harder to lift, I noticed that if I move the wheel one way or the other depending which way the water is swirling around the rudder seems to help in lifting.

Glenn

[vizwhiz]

Okay - resurrection of another old post!! (Don'tcha love newbs!!)

Has anyone done this to an S boat? Am considering doing this because it is a booger-bear to lift that rudder from a line in the cockpit!

Also, along these lines, does anyone with an S have a rudder that lifts all the way up to..."up"...instead of only up to "sticking out over the hood of the car behind me"??

[Sumner]

Okay - resurrection of another old post!! (Don'tcha love newbs!!)

Has anyone done this to an S boat? Am considering doing this because it is a booger-bear to lift that rudder from a line in the cockpit!

Also, along these lines, does anyone with an S have a rudder that lifts all the way up to..."up"...instead of only up to "sticking out over the hood of the car behind me"??

You are only going to probably lift the rudder when anchoring, at least that is when we do and then it is just parallel with the water surface. We do this so that if the boat swings on anchor into a shallow area that the rudder doesn't hit the bottom sideways where it might not swing up. We don't lift it from in the cockpit then, but standing on the laz and then tying it to the pushpit railing.

We don't leave the rudder on while trailering as we are usually going some distance. Personally I wouldn't even if it was a shorter distance for the reason you state or if for some reason the bolt/nut came loose and off. It takes maybe a minute to remove or replace it, so I'll do that vs. taking the chance on it getting hit or broken. Too expensive to replace.

Now saying that, if you must, one of the guys on the other forum clamps a LED bike taillight to it to make it visible at night. On that subject we tow with the outboards on the back of the boat and I always worry about someone running into us, especially if you are in stop and go interstate traffic in a large city. I guess that if they hit the outboard they probably would of hit the back of the boat anyway .

I can't believe that MacGregor got away with the lighting on the stock trailers as I would of thought that even in 1990 it would of been illegal with the lights so far up under the boat and no side clearance lights and no middle light bar in the back. I feel much better now...



...that we have the third bunk and tail/stop lights a lot further back and I've also added side clearance lights and the rear light bar.

Sum

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[Catigale]

One of the best things I bought for the trailer were two clamp on magnetic 'tailights' from Harbor Freight - got them on sale for about 10 USD

If Im on the Mass Pike after a week of sailing, 9pm at night, and one of my tailights is out - I clamp this one and turn it on. Makes me visible and also beats tickets.

I confess since I went to LEDs I no longer have trouble keeping the lights on at night, so I havent used the emergencies for the last two seasons