Rudder hardware for a MacGregor

[Dry Pond Boat Works]

I am building a MacGregor and I am getting to the rudder hardware. Has anyone already done this? There are a few strange things on the plans that I have encountered:

--Ian has put the pintels on the boat and the gudgeons on the rudder. I don't have a problem with this.

--His plans as drawn are not actually possible for the hardware that he as drawn. I did a full sized mock-up just to check but to accomodate the lower pintel, you actually have to remove some material from the center lamination on the upper rudder. You also have to remove a bit of material from the aft stem to allow the gudgeon the clearance necessary for sliding up and removing it. Things are a bit tight when you try to keep the same clearances and still accomodate the curve of everything.

--On most boats the bronze straps that hold the pintel (in this case the gudgeon) to the rudder wrap on the outside of the rudder. Ian shows his straps clearly wrapping only the center 1/2" core of the upper rudder lamination. This is very elegant because you would not see the straps but it makes assembly and future repair very difficult.

I would love to know how others have achieved this.





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[Steve Lansdowne]

This is how I arranged things on the rudder of my Wee Rob. There are corresponding brackets on the stem which fit outside these two brackets, with the face of each bracket on the rudder fully against the face of the stem bracket. I also loop a length of bungee under the top set of brackets and over the top of the rod to keep it from riding up and out, though this may not be needed.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/lansdownes/1409300543/in/set-72157602088729101/

[Peerie Maa]

Look here, some ideas maybe.

http://www.woodenboat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=103873

[James McMullen]

I'm casting bronze ones that will look much like these, though on a smaller scale. I don't know where you could buy ones off the shelf that would work, sorry.

http://inlinethumb37.webshots.com/17060/2221409670088484686S600x600Q85.jpg (http://home-and-garden.webshots.com/photo/2221409670088484686MhYckZ)

[Dry Pond Boat Works]

The Wee Rob is beautiful, but the aft stem is much straighter than on the MacGregor. On my boat the forward face of the rudder assembly is also curved. I went to that other thread that Nick had posted and the bottom image raised an interesting question...I was under the impression that the only way this could work is if both pivots are on the same axis of rotation, but that bottom image shows a boat where the two hinges clearly have different axis of rotation...how does that work?

[Peerie Maa]

The Wee Rob is beautiful, but the aft stem is much straighter than on the MacGregor. On my boat the forward face of the rudder assembly is also curved. I went to that other thread that Nick had posted and the bottom image raised an interesting question...I was under the impression that the only way this could work is if both pivots are on the same axis of rotation, but that bottom image shows a boat where the two hinges clearly have different axis of rotation...how does that work?

Sloppy fit:D

Round off the holes top and bottom so that they don't jam on the pins as the rudder turns.

[Dry Pond Boat Works]

Guess what...they don't have to be on the same axis! I went to the shop and moved the bottom pintel for a better fit and the rudder still turns smoothly. Thank you to all for your responses. Steve, I think I will do something similar to what you have done for the front treatment of your rudder since I also have 1 1/4" of material to screw to. Nick, thank you for that other thread. That one image of the curved stern got me thinking. Man this forum is great! I can sleep now.



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[SJKaplan]

I finished a macgregor last year. I do not have much experience with metalwork. I had my pintle and gugeon made by Bob Lavertue. Springfield Fan & Centerboard Co. 20 Treetop Ave. Springfield, MA 01118 (413) 783-5589. I sent him a cardboard template of the stem and he made the pieces for me (very reasonably). Give him a call. Saul

[Dry Pond Boat Works]

Thank you

[StevenBauer]

She's a beauty, Dry:

http://lh5.ggpht.com/_WSP4YVL8ey4/SuRoPEMsMpI/AAAAAAAAAfU/omuZT4F3X-k/s1024/CIMG3541.JPG

Have you looked at Classic Marine? That's where we bought the rudder hardware for our Elf.

http://www.classicmarine.co.uk/prodtype.asp?prodtype=65&ph=cat

Steven

[Thad]

Maybe you should talk to Bob at the Springfield Fan Centerboard Company, 413-547-8364

[SJKaplan]

I should add that Bob also made me a very nice bracket for the leeboard. I am away from home right now but I will post some shots when I get a chance. Saul

[Ed Armstrong]

My Acorn dinghy (aka Puffin) had a similar rudder configuration, with the pintle (rather than the gudgeon) wrapping only the inner core of the upper rudder assembly. I rebated the pintle straps into the center board, then fastened cheek and center pieces together with SB bolts and a black marine caulking, so that it can come apart again if I ever need to do repairs.

Ed

[Thad]

Saul, I missed your post and second your recommendation.

[SJKaplan]

Here are three photos of my MacGregor. One shows me on the Potomac River. Another shows one of the leeboard brackets. The final shows the rudder and pintle/gudgeons. Bob Lavertue made all the hardware including the brass rubber. The lower hinge has the pintle actually pointing upward. The upper hinge has a free pintle which you put in after you have located the lower hinge (and thus the chain).
(hopefully the picture thing will work--I keep getting mesages that file size is too large so I have compressed).
Here is a link to snapfish with the entire file of my Macgregor pictures (the day I launched there was a Caledonia Yawl sailing as well)
http://www1.snapfish.com/share/p=796261256594668442/l=2372882002/g=15141564/otsc=SYE/otsi=SALB

Saul

[SJKaplan]

OK. am I doing something wrong here. I am trying to paste my photos into a message, but can not. So, that is why "attached" them in the prior post. Saul

[Canoeyawl]

http://www.woodenboat.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=623&d=1256596024
http://www.woodenboat.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=622&d=1256595998
http://www.woodenboat.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=621&d=1256595958

[akitchen]

I just used IO's drawings as a rough guide and adjusted things so that I got the
clearance I needed: I positioned the gudgeons (which I placed on the boat) with a
long stick through them to align them. I cut everything out of sheet bronze,
tubing and rod. I brazed everything together with a MAP torch. Looks nice and
seems to be holding up well. I cut the lower pintle flanges long and curved so
that they double as support for the folding rudder hinge.