How to secure my rudder in place?

[Captain Pre-Capsize]

My skiff has a rudder that you just drop into place with the two pintles dropping into their respective gudgeons. Here is the rub:

When sailing with my push/pull tiller it has somehow (don't ask me how as I am facing forward) jumped right out of the gudgeons. I had to make a backward, twisting lunge to barely snag the rudder as it tried to make its escape. (The tiller had simultaneously come out of the top of the rudder as it was only a "friction fit" - shove it in and if it loosens up then shove it in a bit harder.)

My question: How do I secure the rudder after it is properly in place? Or should I? Was it just a freak occurance? I should add that the rudder is a kickup style.

Thanks again for your help.

[Wiley Baggins]

I am going to assume that your current hardware is not keyed to prevent the rudder jumping off. One solution is to take a piece of light gauge spring steel that is fastened above the top gudgeon and bent outward where it will keep the pintle from riding out. You depress this keeper when you mount or dismount the rudder.

[JimD]

Originally posted by Wiley Baggins:
I am going to assume that your current hardware is not keyed to prevent the rudder jumping off. One solution is to take a piece of light gauge spring steel that is fastened above the top gudgeon and bent outward where it will keep the pintle from riding out. You depress this keeper when you mount or dismount the rudder.Like Wiley says. Its a common device on many small production boats

[Shalfleet]

I have a similar issue with our skiff but I have not bothered to try to fix it as it tends to only happen when we are coming ashore so the rudder needs to come out anyway!
I have seen the spring-type solution which works well. The only negative I see is that when the rudder is firmly attached and grounded hard, then the fitting might pull off the transom which is not nice.
I am considering putting some grease/vaseline between the rudder and stock which might help it flip up rather than push off....not sure if this is a good idea...but is does tend to stick quite often.
The angle of the transom and rudder might be an issue, in that the more it slopes forward, the less likely it is to flip backwards and up...if that makes sense...

[ 08-03-2003, 01:46 PM: Message edited by: Shalfleet ]

[Gary E]

For a fast and inexpensive... ok a CHEAP way to fix that ... Drill a cross hole in the pintle and insert a brass cotterpin, spread the cotter just a little and it will never fall out..tie a string on the pin and attach to the ruder so it wont get lost..

Good luck
G

[Tonyr]

I run a shock cord (between the boat's rub rails)across the tiller about 1 ft forward of the rudder head. This holds it down (and so the rudder too), and acts as a simple "tiller tamer", which has the merit that the boat stays on course when I go forward to hoist or lower sails etc. The tiller has a split pin where it protrudes aft of the rudder head, that stops it coming adrift.

You can vary the tension of the cord and so the friction, with a short line.

Tony.

[Carl Simmons]

I have seen the spring-type solution which works well. The only negative I see is that when the rudder is firmly attached and grounded hard, then the fitting might pull off the transom which is not nice.

Actually, the spring type solutions I have seen will bend up and allow the rudder to pop free if it is grounded hard. They work very well and you have your choice of either mounting it downward
on the transom or upward on the rudder. I put mine on the transom but I believe it would be a little easier to reach on the rudder.

[Venchka]

Fixing the rudder is easy. I would be more concerned about the tiller coming adrift. You need some sort of positive attachment.

[Ian McColgin]

I imagine that the transom's rake combined with the push from the push/pull and combined with natural float caused by the boat's forward motion all conspire to lift the rudder.

On a normal skiff, the impact on the lower pintal and gudgeon should not be so great as to break anything, especially if the transom attachment is through-bolted and backed, so I'd suggest any easy way to keep the rudder down.

An L shaped bit of strapping - perhaps even a small bronze or ss corner brace obtainable at the hardware store - should do. Have it hanging from a screw such that the lower limb of the L sticks out over the upper pintal and blocks its rise. Just swing it out of the way to ship or unship the rudder.