Catamaran: Retractable Rudders

[Axel Rappe]

Very nice build!

/ Axel

[unbusted67]

Originally Posted by Mr B

Look at the pictures, The lever is what moves the rudder,
It goes thru the Threaded tube and push and pulls on the one side of the tube,
Its a two piece rudder,
Top and bottom,
The top piece dont move except for pivoting up and down,
The post goes thru the top piece and turns the rudder under it,
The flat bar is what moves the rudder from side to side,

Okay, I think I am getting it now. But you said there was a cable going through the tube? What is it that actually provides the push pull on the lever arm? A cable would't be able to provide push right? you'd need hydraulics.

[Mr B]

Originally Posted by unbusted67

Okay, I think I am getting it now. But you said there was a cable going through the tube? What is it that actually provides the push pull on the lever arm? A cable would't be able to provide push right? you'd need hydraulics.

The inner is a tightly woven wire cable, Its flexible enough to bend around about a foot radius and thats about it,
It works well,

[unbusted67]

Originally Posted by Mr B

The inner is a tightly woven wire cable, Its flexible enough to bend around about a foot radius and thats about it,
It works well,

And is that bend what occurs when you kick up the cassette?

[Mr B]

No, The radius is so you can get it in the boat,

[GRIT]

Some good ideas in this thread.

I have just test fit my rudder sheathes, for my kickup rudders. I added some ribs to the sides, to help prevent the sheath from splaying open on the end, but I hadn't planned that in the beginning.

So my problem is this: Now that I have these big ribs in place, the rudders only turn 30 degrees, rather than the 35 I had planned. What angle of maximum rudder travel is "normal" for a cat? I had read 36 degrees in several places, so I planned for that.

My designer doesn't have a set angle planned, so I thought I'd ask here.

I'd also like to ask 44C, and anyone else using that type of system, what size fibreglass rod he's using as a fuse for his kickups. I'd also like to know the distance between the pivot point and the fuse.

Cheers, and thanks to you all, for your contributions to this thread.

Paul.