I have a Mongtomery 17 that I am taking down to the Texas Gulf Coast (post Ike!) to sail in the bays and eventually will do some short gulf passages from port to port. I just recently took the ASA 101 - 106 courses and had a blast learning all the navigation and offshore skills. The boat is in great shape, but the rudder was modified when I bought her to a swing type rudder in case of grounding or while anchoring in shallow water. The boat had been sitting in a harbor for quite a few months before I had her so the wood of the rudder was split and in rough external shape. I epoxied all cracks and fiberglassed the whole thing and have gotten several years of fantastic lake sailing out of her. I wouldn't mind trusting the rudder in the bay under good weather conditions, but in a blow or offshore, where conditions can be unpredictable, I want a more stout single piece rudder. Does anyone know where I can purchase a rudder that's solid from tiller to bottom? or know of plans, or could give me some ideas of what type wood I could craft one from? I've built three wooden kayaks so am familiar with building/fibergalssing but don't know all the ins/outs of building a rudder.. Thanks for any help you may be able to give! George Johnson San Antonio, TX Montgomery 17 # 600 "Sancha"
George.... Ever thought about calling the factory....?....Just wondering. Bob (949) 489-8227
From: gjohnson010@satx.rr.com> To: montgomery_boats@mailman.xmission.com> Date: Tue, 9 Sep 2008 15:18:42 -0600> Subject: M_Boats: Rudder Advice> > I have a Mongtomery 17 that I am taking down to the Texas Gulf Coast (post Ike!) to sail in> the bays and eventually will do some short gulf passages from port to> port. I just recently took the ASA 101 - 106 courses and had a blast> learning all the navigation and offshore skills.> > The boat is in great shape, but the rudder was modified when I bought> her to a swing type rudder in case of grounding or while anchoring in> shallow water. The boat had been sitting in a harbor for quite a few> months before I had her so the wood of the rudder was split and in rough> external shape. I epoxied all cracks and fiberglassed the whole thing> and have gotten several years of fantastic lake sailing out of her. I> wouldn't mind trusting the rudder in the bay under good weather> conditions, but in a blow or offshore, where conditions can be> unpredictable, I want a more stout single piece rudder. Does anyone> know where I can purchase a rudder that's solid from tiller to bottom?> or know of plans, or could give me some ideas of what type wood I could> craft one from? I've built three wooden kayaks so am familiar with> building/fibergalssing but don't know all the ins/outs of building a rudder..> > Thanks for any help you may be able to give!> > George Johnson> San Antonio, TX> Montgomery 17 # 600 "Sancha"> _______________________________________________> http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/montgomery_boats
Getting a factory stick from Bob would be the easy way. My original was in bad shape and that's what I did. Solid mahogany (with a strip laminated on the leading edge). A really nice stick of lumber. Original was also solid mahogany, but laminated from a number of strips. At the very bottom, the blade is 12 inches fore and aft, so unless you have access to a really nice board that wide, strips have to be glued up. A lamination is less likely to warp. Width is 1.5 inches. About 6 feet tall. At the time I was building an experimental windvane for Audasea, so I used the new one as a pattern to build a "disposable" replica from a lamination of marine plywood. Somewhere I have the overall dimensions. If you enjoy woodworking, it's a fun project. The only really hard part is fairing the bottom to a nice symmetrical foil shape. Plywood works, but is not nearly as nice as the mahogany sticks. Howard On Sep 9, 2008, at 4:55 PM, Bob From California wrote:
George.... Ever thought about calling the factory....?....Just wondering.
Bob (949) 489-8227
participants (3)
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Bob From California -
geo & dot johnson -
Howard Audsley