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Re: Mayday Mayday! boat goes left
By:Mark Kanzler
Date: 7/7/1998, 11:51 am
In Response To: Mayday Mayday! boat goes left (David Walker)

It's known as aspect ratio. A long tal rudder is more efficient. This is the same reason sailplanes have long narrow wings. If you've ever seen the U2 spyplane, it uses the same principle. This is why racing sailboats have tall rigs with a short base rather than the squatty looking sail rigs that you see on low performance sailcraft.

Also, it makes it easier to turn the rudder. If the hinge line is at the rudder's leading edge, the shorter the rudder is (fore and aft) the less torque required to turn it.

Get some 1/16 thich aluminum and form a skeg like you see on a surfboard. start about two inches deep by 1 inch wide. Bend the base at 90 degrees to make it easy to mount. Mount it at about a ten degree angle from the centerline of the boat. Keep the angle close to ten degrees, and add or subtract from the size to adjust the amount of the corrective effect.

You can use duct tape or a dab of RTV silicone to hold it in place while experimenting, draw a line to ensure the angle remains consistant.

> In thinking about all this, there are a number of things that
> I realize I don t know about but would like to know about. First,
> is there any reason why rudders tend to be tall up and down but not
> long front to back.

Messages In This Thread

Mayday Mayday! boat goes left
David Walker -- 7/6/1998, 9:17 pm
Re: Try another paddler
Jay Babina -- 7/7/1998, 2:32 pm
Re: Mayday Mayday! boat goes left
Mark Kanzler -- 7/7/1998, 11:51 am
Re: rudders
NPenney -- 7/8/1998, 8:17 am
Re: Aspect ratio.
Mark Kanzler -- 7/8/1998, 11:21 am
Re: Aspect ratio.
NPenney -- 7/8/1998, 2:34 pm
Re: Aspect ratio.
Nick Schade -- 7/8/1998, 3:17 pm
Re: Higher Aspect ratio = No Steering
NPenney -- 7/9/1998, 7:49 am
Re: Higher Aspect ratio = No Steering
Mark Kanzler -- 7/9/1998, 10:38 am
Re: Higher Aspect ratio = No Steering
NPenney -- 7/9/1998, 11:50 am
Re: Old Textbooks, etc.
Mark Kanzler -- 7/11/1998, 12:52 am
Re: Old Textbooks, etc.
NPenney -- 7/10/1998, 2:53 pm
Re: Here's a sketch of one possible solution (as described in prev post)
Mark Kanzler -- 7/8/1998, 12:41 am
Image link still not working.
Mike Spence -- 7/7/1998, 1:28 pm
Re: Image link still not working. (Sorry)
Mark Kanzler -- 7/7/1998, 1:56 pm
Re: Image working.(?)
Mark Kanzler -- 7/8/1998, 1:26 am
Not yet. - Don't despair!
Mike Spence -- 7/8/1998, 1:19 pm
Re: Not yet. - Don't despair!
Mark Kanzler -- 7/8/1998, 2:18 pm
Re: Here it is! (Satisfaction Guaranteed)
Mark Kanzler -- 7/8/1998, 10:23 pm
Re: Here it is! (Satisfaction Guaranteed)
David Walker -- 7/10/1998, 10:28 am
Re: Surfbard skegs.
Mark Kanzler -- 7/10/1998, 11:58 am
Re: Surfbard skegs.
David Walker -- 7/10/1998, 1:49 pm
Re: Surfbard skegs.
David Walker -- 7/10/1998, 5:30 pm
Re: Surfbard skegs.
Mark Kanzler -- 7/12/1998, 11:08 am
Re: Surfbard skegs.
Paul Jacobson -- 7/12/1998, 7:18 pm
Re: Surfbard skegs site (try it again please).
Mark Kanzler -- 7/10/1998, 2:50 pm
Re: Surfbard skegs site (try it again please).
Mike Spence -- 7/10/1998, 6:51 pm
Re: Here it is! (Satisfaction Guaranteed)
Nick Schade -- 7/9/1998, 4:12 pm
Re: Here it is! (Satisfaction Guaranteed)
Mark Kanzler -- 7/11/1998, 12:37 am
Re: Mayday Mayday! boat goes left
Mark Kanzler -- 7/8/1998, 12:39 am
My $0.02
CHad -- 7/7/1998, 11:29 am
P.S.
CHad -- 7/7/1998, 11:56 am
Re: P.S.
Guy Wright -- 7/7/1998, 1:46 pm
Me Too!
Shawn Baker -- 7/8/1998, 11:01 am
Re: Mayday Mayday! boat goes left
NPenney -- 7/7/1998, 7:33 am
how I solved mine.
R. N. Sabolevsky -- 7/6/1998, 11:56 pm
Re: Mayday Mayday! boat goes left
Duane Strosaker -- 7/6/1998, 11:38 pm
Re: Mayday Mayday! boat goes left
Mike Spence -- 7/7/1998, 12:11 pm
Re: Mayday Mayday! boat goes left
Paul Jacobson -- 7/6/1998, 11:20 pm
Off center fins and water flow
David Walker -- 7/8/1998, 5:28 pm
Re: Off center fins and water flow
NPenney -- 7/9/1998, 11:57 am
Re: Off center fins and water flow
Mike Spence -- 7/9/1998, 5:56 pm
Re: Off center fins and water flow
Paul Jacobson -- 7/11/1998, 2:53 am
Re: Off center fins and water flow
Mark Kanzler -- 7/10/1998, 11:47 am
Re: Off center fins and water flow
NPenney -- 7/10/1998, 6:22 am
Re: Skegs and water flow.
Mark Kanzler -- 7/8/1998, 6:10 pm
Re: Skegs and water flow.
David Walker -- 7/8/1998, 6:42 pm
Re: Skegs and water flow.
Mark Kanzler -- 7/8/1998, 7:07 pm
Re: Skegs and water flow.
David Walker -- 7/10/1998, 10:37 am
Re: Skeg attachment w/ silicone.
Mark Kanzler -- 7/10/1998, 11:34 am
Re: Mayday Mayday! boat goes left
Wes Boyd -- 7/6/1998, 10:36 pm