rudder mod

[miss u]

i have an idea of removing both rudders and replacing them with one retractable one mounted to the outboard directly behind it.i know how to and why i want to do this mod.next is can anyone tell me why i shouldnt do this for any technical reason.

[nedmiller]

IMHO, I think that since the Mac's heeling angle is greater than other sailboats. Having a rudder on each side allows a large portion of at least one rudder to be well in the water. A single rudder in the center of the boat would have to be quite long (and therefore very strong) to keep enough rudder in the water. Another factor may be that the Mac needs quite a bit of rudder surface to keep it sailing close to the wind?
Ned

[Hamin' X]

I think that this would move the Center Of Resistance (COR) rearward and upset the balance of the boat. Perhaps this could be overcome by increasing the length of the boom and using a larger main, thus moving the Center-Of-Effort (COF) rearward.

~Rich

[bubba]

Using a single rudder hooked to the outboard would cause extra pressure on the stearing and wear out components much quicker. So how do you raise your outboard and still keep a rudder in the water ?

[kmclemore]

2 rudders... one breaks... you still get home.

1 rudder... one breaks... you don't.

Hmm.

[Kelly Hanson East]

That would be one expensive mod. You could not use the existing steering gear since the lever arm on a rudder that far back would far exceed the working strengths of the stock components - my guess is the rack would strip out first.

[Currie]

For me, I like the dual rudders on the Mac. I don't think it's so much that the Mac heels more (although many choose to sail it with more heel), but that the Mac has a more "flattish" hull-bottom than most sailboats. This mean that as the boat does heel, it "stands" on one of it's "feet", lifting the the other side - and the middle - more out of the water, than would a traditional sailboat. It's probably the main reason for having the double-rudder.

FWIW - I don't think it would upset balance. Many designers don't even include the rudder surface in the calculations for balance when designing. The reason is, the boat must have good balance even without the rudder. With the boat already balanced, the rudder is the control element that tips that balance one-way or another. Moving it aft, only increases the leverage that it has. FWIW - I'd much rather move the two rudders aft than add the bigger, draggier IDA-rudders - but the truth is, I'm happy with the rudders in their factory configuration, and have never had a problem.

Just curious, why are you thinking of using a single, aftward rudder?

Cheers,

~Bob