Stow the Rudders

[R Rae]

On long trips (more 25 miles) I always stow the rudders, either below, or on the cockpit floor. Even when I left them intact, all bungeed up and so on, I was never too happy seeing them flapping in the 65 MPH breeze.
I also secure the steering wheel with the motor in the straight position using a caribeener on a line that comes up from the base of the pedestal.

Any better ideas out there?

[Catigale]

I have three ways of holding them

- the bolts in the holes at the bottom
- the rudder lines on the cleats
- the last piece of dockline comes from the starboard cleat, wraps around the starboard rudder, around the port rudder, then takes a turn around the dock ladder, then comes forward and ties on the port stanchion amidships.

I tension it so that nothing is floppy - Im comfortable knowing my rudders and ladder wont get away while trailering. Inpsect on your hourly stop and walkaround.

Thats a lot of work to remove them imho.

[kmclemore]

I tension it so that nothing is floppy - I'm comfortable knowing my rudders and ladder wont get away while trailering.

I do something similar, but with a couple of bungii cords, Stephen.

I hate it when my rudder gets all floppy.

[Catigale]

Missed the other part of the post...

I always lay my engine on port side, and tie it to the port cleat to prevent it from moving.

Holding the helm straight while trailering is exactly what not to do, imho, since then you are using the steering gear to absorb the engine flop and drop(unless you rig other lines to do this of course)

I havent done any kind of analysis of these forces, but it sounds good and Ill stick with it until proven wrong.

[RandyMoon]

I hate it when my rudder gets all floppy

According to advertising on TV, vgra-xd or clis-xd will make your rudder more rigid. I am not sure how bungee cords would help that situation. If you have photos on your bungee cord mod to stiffen your rudder, please don't share.

[R Rae]

I am glad to have this input. Stowing the rudders is something I probably won't alter, as each rudder comes off easily with the removal of one 3/8 bolt, and undoing one knot.

However, I hadn't thought about the engine weight being supported by the steering cable..............Good point.

Thanks

[kmclemore]

Hmmm... I guess I'm confused by the engine cable supporting the motor statement. When I stow my engine I raise it all the way up, then lower the 'kickstand', then lower it down until the engine is fuly down on the kickstand.

How is the cable supporting the motor?

[Duane Dunn, Allegro]

I've never even thought to see if the rudders are flapping. I doubt they can go far. I dumped the bolts that go in the up position holes for a set of 3/8" pins with the over the end retaining clip. These are very secure and much quicker than the bolt and wingnut. I picked them up at Lowes. With these in place there is no way the rudder can go anywhere but there is some slop just as with the bolts.

My motor is just raised full then back down onto the flip down kick stand, pointed center, or really what ever direction it was pointed when turned off which is usually center. I've never noticed it move at all to either side. It's actually quite well balanced in this position.

6 years of trailering, neither the motor nor the rudders have ever gone anywhere or suffered any damage.

Why add yet another task to the setup and tear down process. The boat is made to be trailered with the rudders in place. Spend your time on the water, not in the parking lot.

[Zoran]

To stop the rudders from flapping I have made myself big washers from old teflon cutting board (I made them personally since the thickness was important part). They eliminated most of the flapping and now it all moves as much the steering system is loose and have some play. My problems is that now stiffer rudders are not perfectly parallel, which I cannot adjust without removing and straightening the big connecting arch between the rudders (looks very hard to do). I have more drag now and I have trouble lifting the rudder up while powering and when I get one of them up the boat will turn port or starboard depending which rudder is lifted. Anybody know how I can fix this.

Thanks

Zoran

[R Rae]

Catigale says:
Holding the helm straight while trailering is exactly what not to do, imho, since then you are using the steering gear to absorb the engine flop and drop(unless you rig other lines to do this of course)

kmclemore says:
Hmmm... I guess I'm confused by the engine cable supporting the motor statement.

I think what was being implied here is even when the motor is resting vertically on it's travel stops, it can still be subjected to lateral or sway type forces that ultimately the steering cable would have to absorb.

[pokerrick1]

I do something similiar also when trailering long distances (not too often because it take so @##$%^&*( long to unrig and then rig. I use the bolts to secure the rudders and then I tie off the rudders and the ladder to be sure they are secure. I also check EVERYTHING at a walkaround every so often.

Rick

PS My rudder has been floppy for way longer than I like to admit! @#$%^&*()

[Catigale]

I think Kevin is right, putting the engine on the kickstand will pretty much protect the steering from lateral forces

Mercury does recommend an alternate support other than the kickstand for trailering, I take their advice for long trips, but just use the kickstand for the 10 minutes/county highway to the Hudson.

[mtc]

[quote="Catigale"]I think Kevin is right, putting the engine on the kickstand will pretty much protect the steering from lateral forces

Cat - what's a 'kickstand'?

[kmclemore]

I think Kevin is right, putting the engine on the kickstand will pretty much protect the steering from lateral forces

Cat - what's a 'kickstand'?

My Tohatsu 50 engine, like many other engines I've seen, has a lever that flips down when the engine is raised up all the way using the trim adjustment - the lever looks a bit like a kick-stand - and once that lever is in the down position it then can support the motor once you lower the engine back down (again, via the trim). The lever can be found underneath the upper portion of the engine, near the top of the mounting bracket, right by where the two pivot.