Re: Bolger's rudder fittings
The Oldshoe that I am building has a similar rudder arrangement, and
I have always wondered about its reliability. I have used
quartersawn oak flooring for the bottom bearing and triple laminated
1/4 ply for the top bearing. I have coated the bearing surfaces the
rudder dowel and the hole in the aft well floor with epoxy thickened
with graphite powder. I hope that this does the trick.
I was also suspect of the planned 1 1/2" diameter hardwood dowel for
the rudder. I wrapped the dowel with two layers of 6 oz. glass tape
set in epoxy and wrapped on the bias. I left the rudder free
flooding so that it would not provide any unwanted boyancy and would
float between the bearings.
When I take it out I'll be sure that the outboard is working well. A
sculling notch on the transom sounds like a good idea. Perhaps set
on the opposite side from the mizzen.
Regards
Andy Farquhar
I have always wondered about its reliability. I have used
quartersawn oak flooring for the bottom bearing and triple laminated
1/4 ply for the top bearing. I have coated the bearing surfaces the
rudder dowel and the hole in the aft well floor with epoxy thickened
with graphite powder. I hope that this does the trick.
I was also suspect of the planned 1 1/2" diameter hardwood dowel for
the rudder. I wrapped the dowel with two layers of 6 oz. glass tape
set in epoxy and wrapped on the bias. I left the rudder free
flooding so that it would not provide any unwanted boyancy and would
float between the bearings.
When I take it out I'll be sure that the outboard is working well. A
sculling notch on the transom sounds like a good idea. Perhaps set
on the opposite side from the mizzen.
Regards
Andy Farquhar
David,
As you may know,I did my entire rudder/rudderpost assembly
slightly otherwise then as per the plans for the simple reason that
the one shown just did not look all that durable to me.To date,I
remain very much satisfied with my own installation.However,some time
ago in the group,fellow Micrologist and now Antispray builder John
McDaniel,wrote about his Micro BANTY and if memory serves,he built his
rudder as per plan and reported no problems with it.
I would imagine that if you intend on using your Micro as a
trailer sailor,then the all wood rudder assembly should be just
fine.However,if it is to sit in the water all season long,then more
durable methods might be recommended........
Sincerely,
Peter Lenihan,really hoping to see FIREFLY at the Lake Champlain
BOLGER Messabout,on the shores of the icy St.Lawrence..........
As you may know,I did my entire rudder/rudderpost assembly
slightly otherwise then as per the plans for the simple reason that
the one shown just did not look all that durable to me.To date,I
remain very much satisfied with my own installation.However,some time
ago in the group,fellow Micrologist and now Antispray builder John
McDaniel,wrote about his Micro BANTY and if memory serves,he built his
rudder as per plan and reported no problems with it.
I would imagine that if you intend on using your Micro as a
trailer sailor,then the all wood rudder assembly should be just
fine.However,if it is to sit in the water all season long,then more
durable methods might be recommended........
Sincerely,
Peter Lenihan,really hoping to see FIREFLY at the Lake Champlain
BOLGER Messabout,on the shores of the icy St.Lawrence..........
--- In bolger@y..., djost@m... wrote:
> Dear Group,
> Has anyone tried Bolger's wooden rudder "brackets" rather than
> standard rudder fittings on Micro, Long Micro, or other boats?
> I keep looking at this doubled C clamp wooden contraption and I
> cannot believe it is reliable enough to do the job. Nothing ruins a
> days sail than having a broken rudder.
> I can see that if I use standard rudder fittings the top of the
> rudder stock will swing in a small arc rather than spin around its
> axis, which will entail a larger hole for it to pass through the
> bottom. Will that add drag?
> I will admit that I had elaborate plans to bolster up the
rudder
> stock, but after building it find it is quite thick enough to do
the
> job. If I break it, I was doing something that I should not have
> been.
>
> David Jost
> " snowed in boatbuilder with way too much time on his hands"
Dear David:
In 1994 I launched my Micro and have had a variety of difficulties
with the rudder cleats: they have either split or broken,
necessitating replacement on a near yearly basis. (These cleats have
been made from oak with attention paid to their grain.) In addition,
there has always been a fair amount of uncomfortable slop in the
entire assembly, and to reduce some of this, I have made leathers for
the top bearing, where the shaft turns in the rudder plate. As a
precaution I have mounted a socket for an oarlock in the motor board.
Should the rudder manage to come adrift while underway, I can use one
of my oars for steering.
My rudder contains voids as per Bolger's plan. The entire assembly
was encapsulated with epoxy and I assume is watertight; thus the
rudder has considerable buoyancy. So there really isn't any great
weight bearing on those cleats. (In fact the first cleat breaking
happened over the winter when the boat was out of the water, leading
me to believe that it might be best to unship the rudder during
storage.) And I make the assumption that much of the lateral pressure
that falls on the sides of the rudder is borne by the hull and then
the rudder plate above that? I don't really know.
I sail in fairly rough New England waters that can develop nasty,
here called "smoky," sou'westers in summer afternoons. And although I
do have a good reefing system and a reliable outboard, I am reluctant
to put in the water this year until I devise some solution to the
rudder matter. Thus I share your concerns and also seek advice from
others.
Fitting traditional gudgeons and pintles seems tricky to me, both
from the standpoint of the thickness of the rudder stock and the
concave shape of the stern post.
I am considering the method outlined by Larry Buck in Wolfard's CSN
#110 (in the Files), modyfying it by using threaded stock embedded in
epoxy (per the Gougeons method of handling embedded hardware) rather
than his more complicated bolts/insert technique.
But spring is pretty far away--at least here in southern Rhode
Island--so I'm open to other suggestions for some time.
Eric Schoonover
eric@...
In 1994 I launched my Micro and have had a variety of difficulties
with the rudder cleats: they have either split or broken,
necessitating replacement on a near yearly basis. (These cleats have
been made from oak with attention paid to their grain.) In addition,
there has always been a fair amount of uncomfortable slop in the
entire assembly, and to reduce some of this, I have made leathers for
the top bearing, where the shaft turns in the rudder plate. As a
precaution I have mounted a socket for an oarlock in the motor board.
Should the rudder manage to come adrift while underway, I can use one
of my oars for steering.
My rudder contains voids as per Bolger's plan. The entire assembly
was encapsulated with epoxy and I assume is watertight; thus the
rudder has considerable buoyancy. So there really isn't any great
weight bearing on those cleats. (In fact the first cleat breaking
happened over the winter when the boat was out of the water, leading
me to believe that it might be best to unship the rudder during
storage.) And I make the assumption that much of the lateral pressure
that falls on the sides of the rudder is borne by the hull and then
the rudder plate above that? I don't really know.
I sail in fairly rough New England waters that can develop nasty,
here called "smoky," sou'westers in summer afternoons. And although I
do have a good reefing system and a reliable outboard, I am reluctant
to put in the water this year until I devise some solution to the
rudder matter. Thus I share your concerns and also seek advice from
others.
Fitting traditional gudgeons and pintles seems tricky to me, both
from the standpoint of the thickness of the rudder stock and the
concave shape of the stern post.
I am considering the method outlined by Larry Buck in Wolfard's CSN
#110 (in the Files), modyfying it by using threaded stock embedded in
epoxy (per the Gougeons method of handling embedded hardware) rather
than his more complicated bolts/insert technique.
But spring is pretty far away--at least here in southern Rhode
Island--so I'm open to other suggestions for some time.
Eric Schoonover
eric@...
Dear Group,
Has anyone tried Bolger's wooden rudder "brackets" rather than
standard rudder fittings on Micro, Long Micro, or other boats?
I keep looking at this doubled C clamp wooden contraption and I
cannot believe it is reliable enough to do the job. Nothing ruins a
days sail than having a broken rudder.
I can see that if I use standard rudder fittings the top of the
rudder stock will swing in a small arc rather than spin around its
axis, which will entail a larger hole for it to pass through the
bottom. Will that add drag?
I will admit that I had elaborate plans to bolster up the rudder
stock, but after building it find it is quite thick enough to do the
job. If I break it, I was doing something that I should not have
been.
David Jost
" snowed in boatbuilder with way too much time on his hands"
Has anyone tried Bolger's wooden rudder "brackets" rather than
standard rudder fittings on Micro, Long Micro, or other boats?
I keep looking at this doubled C clamp wooden contraption and I
cannot believe it is reliable enough to do the job. Nothing ruins a
days sail than having a broken rudder.
I can see that if I use standard rudder fittings the top of the
rudder stock will swing in a small arc rather than spin around its
axis, which will entail a larger hole for it to pass through the
bottom. Will that add drag?
I will admit that I had elaborate plans to bolster up the rudder
stock, but after building it find it is quite thick enough to do the
job. If I break it, I was doing something that I should not have
been.
David Jost
" snowed in boatbuilder with way too much time on his hands"