Bob Good points! Bob
The rudder that Jerry designed and picked for the M_15 is 42 inches, it folds up just fine all the way and doesn't "Stress out" the lifting mechanism.
It doesn't show crud from the bay, soap will clean it as good as new.
What's wrong with perfection? :-)
Fair winds Bob
bobjudy2@comcast.net wrote:
I bought a new rudder from IdaSailor last fall for my M15. My wood rudder was 42" but I thought I would try a longer one, since I could always cut it off. The longest they offered was 48", so I went with that.
I thought one factor that would limit rudder length would be if it hit the ground while on the trailer. The 42" rudder just cleared the ground when I had my original TrailRite trailer; with my new Pacific trailer, I had more clearance, hence the longer blade was worth a try. I know that this should not be an important consideration from the view of a naval architech, but if I was making something for general sales, I would want to consider some of my 'Damn Fool' clients who would blame me for their mistakes. (I always remove my rudder when launching and recovery, but still occasionally qualify for the DamnFool category)
Long story short: I think the longer rudder sails better, but it is significantly heaver and the kick up feature does not work very well. I haven't figured out if it needs a longer lift lever from the rudder to the tiller, or a more extreme redesign (move the pivot hole?) I do not spend much time in thin water, so I will probably live with the longer rudder and poor kick-up performance. (It will kick-up but not lift-up all the way)
It has also aquired a brownish tint from the crud in SF Bay. I have to wonder if it will retain its original brilliant white color; soap did not seem to clean it.
I hope this long winded narration helps.
Bob 1982 M15 #208
Norm,
The rudder on my boat measures 42", that's just the wood part, the part that kicks up. It is 10" wide. I don't know what you are measuring at 33", but it seems to me that the critical measurement is the amount of rudder that's under the water. Again, my rudder measures 36" from it's bottom to the lower pintle. I can send you a picture if a comparison is of use to you.
Rick Langer M15 #337
The new M15 rudder blade is 48" high according to Ida Sailor. My rudder
on M15 #172 is only 33" high and does not have the stock M rudder with tilt up system. Does the stock M15 use a rudder of 48"? Or, is my Monty's rudder too small at 34"?
This is a huge difference. Does size equate to better performance?
Norm
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