Rudder line replacement on MacX (aka I am a dumb**)

[Kelly Hanson East]

How to turn a 5 minnute line replacement into a couple hour ordeal....

My rudder lines on my finally gave out, so I went to WM to get some new line to replace. I had a couple of thoughts of low impact improvements on this system

1 Replace the single piece of coiled line with two separate lines with stopper knots on the cleats.
2 Colour code them so you dont have to figure out which one is up and down.

I cut the old ones off, measured them at 12' adn bought new line at WM on sale

Back at home, I went to melt the edges and figured I would do it on the gas stove rather than struggle outside.

In the kitchen, I cut the 12' line in two ....... and on the way outside started thinking ....you are a dumba***

Sure enough, the lines are not equal, of course, the 'pull down loop' has to run all the way under the rudder and back up to the blade, so my new 6' piece is too short......

The good news is I went back to WM and my favourite WM person Julie didnt even call the manager but just took it back and got me new line at the old sale price.

I decided to think about this a bit more and added these thoughts

Green for 'deploy starboard rudder'
Red for deploy port rudder
Blue for 'retract' on both rudders

I made the blue line long enough that you can loop it over the blade and recleat it for a third safety when trailering.

[kmclemore]

And you didn't add any bungee to allow for kick-up on impact? Shame on you!

[Kelly Hanson East]

I do the simple 'cleat over the line' trick to allow it to absorb a blow, but the bungee idea is cool too. thanks for making me a double dumb a**

[pokerrick1]

Oh, you're NOT THAT dumb. Don't be so hard on yourself. Let us do it

Rick

[kmclemore]

thanks for making me a double dumb a**

Just part of the service.

[Hardcrab]

Speaking of rudder lines, why doesn't KH include these in their "every line replacement" packages?
The daggerboard line either, as I recall.

[Highlander]

Yeah Know how you feel !!!

Been their done that , the worse thing is your making the cut & something tells you this is not right ! to late my problem is it's a two hr drive there & back
Oh well their's always tomorrow

J

[kmclemore]

Like I always say, 'Measure once, cut twice".

[Wind Chime]

or as my father used to say ... "I've cut it twice, and it's still too short"

[Berber Boy]

Did almost the same thing last week Kelly. Cut it too short to allow for the pass through . Ended up going the two rope fix but no color coding I'm afraid! But kmclemore's suggestion of adding the bungie is a good one that I had not thought of. I've got some in the shed so will pop off and do that before I forget
BB

[Kelly Hanson East]

The colour coding is nice,since often the rudder cleat is buried under the folded-down bimini, so you cant tell which line is which. Im usually somewhere else on the boat and have to tell an 11 year old young lady to raise the rudder....now I can tell her to pull up the blue line on the appropriate side.

The other thing I did is put a cam cleat on the vertical part of the transom so that i can secure the rudder up in shallow water, and then quickly deploy it if needed....I got the cam cleats on half price sale at WM, which was the prime motivator.

Excellent idea on the coded rudder lines for the 'Special' - thanks for the idea!!

[Captain Steve]

Just found all the parts(bought a long time ago, lost and then found several times!) to install quick release cam cleats and/or bungee cord to my rudders. Anyone have hints on bungee length or rigging tips.

[Kelly Hanson East]

Just found all the parts(bought a long time ago, lost and then found several times!)

...aha...finally proof to the Admiral that Im not the only one who does this...

[waternwaves]

ahhhh

the altar of self sufficiency. I attend that house of worship occasionally. and feel good when I don't have to drive 35 miles to the nearest chandlery..........(well OK there is boat dealer here on the island, and bruce tries really really hard, and it is a well stocked boat and fishing dealership, but not a marine chandlery). I too have been thankful when I have relocated that temporarily misplaced snap shackle, line, custom backing plate, safety wire, boat numbers, circuit breakers etc that I pick up on my travels and meanderings through EBAY. I even occassionally get them on the boats...... tho this is actually happening slower due to job hunting stresses for time. This week I was the recipient of a few pieces of teack that soon will become the microwave shelf in one of the sailboats.

IT is amazing tho......that feeling of success when you relocate a missing part......the proud awareness that you are saving that fuel, that you were prepared, a good boyscout, detailed and meticulous..

and you recount your success to your admiral or captain.....who by nature loves to boat on the water....but does not often share in the joy of outfitting....and they patently listen to you....glad for your joy.

and ten minutes later walk back into the garage/shop/boathouse/basement/attic etc and say.

"why don't you get rid of all this junk?"

[Highlander]

Ya see guy's
your just not organised I make my list of mods decide what I need go out & buy all the necc. hardware to mount it what ever that might be forgot what it was lost my list. study something to death figure out how to do it. thats simple no need for me to make plans for that how could I ever forget something so simple that took me so long to figure out anyway
So I start a Mod then something goes wrong how come I did not figure that one out Oh well too far to drive to the W/M for so few items lets move onto the next mod & so the story goes keep making my list of stuff I fogot to get or missed measured shoulda been 2" ss screws instead of 1 1/2" ss screws Oh well lets move onto the next mods good thing I am able to multi task . Now I got 20 mods on the go & ran outa time & parts so at the first oppertune time its off to my marine flea market cant get what I need their then its wait for it to go on sale at W/M or I get some more of them nice $12-$20 coupens from them hit the store fast get what I need . now I dont want to be looking all over for this hardware when I get the time to start back at my mods so I had a brain wave just put all this hardware into that big blue bucket I have sitting in the shop so it will never get lost. so now I got about $200. SS Hardware in this bucket & dont have a clue what its for but I know if I study it long enough it'll all come back to me when I'm ready . In the meantime I start some other mods & use up some of that hardware I bought for the other mods that i forgot about so now its back to stage one where was I again !!! but you know I did make up all kinds of lists of stuff that had to be done just cant find the lists or remember whitch one I should start first then theirs all these nice drawings laying around some where & plans I have stored in my computer but can not remember where I saved them but smart as I know I am it will all come back to me sometime over the winter then I'll say to myself yep thats it I'll have to remember that again for next spring when ever that gets around
So ya see I have abosulutey no simpathy for all you guys stuck in a brain fart some where. you have to get yourself well organised like myself so sh-t can start to happen yes get yourself a blue bucket a Big blue bag for all these nice drawings & all those lists & rename that file when ever I find it again in the computer the big blue bucket
On second thoughts think I'll change them to white it'll come back to me faster Ya Think !

Now where was I never mind it'll come back to me

J