Notice:
The advice given on this site is based upon individual or quoted experience, yours may differ.
The Officers, Staff and members of this site only provide information based upon the concept that anyone utilizing this information does so at their own risk and holds harmless all contributors to this site.
<b>"Hey I was reading over this post and Sindurian explains how he lost a balanced rudder because it drafted more than the retracted keel. Is this true?" - Marco</b>
It doesn't matter whether you have the stock or newer balanced rudder, they will both hang lower than the retracted swing keel and are vulnerable to impact. Once, on my previous swing-keeled boat, I had a rudder come off when I hit bottom with it. It was a kick-up style beaching rudder and should have folded up, but instead it came out of the lower pintle causing all sorts of hate and discontent. Just remember that your speed in knots should never exceed your feet in depth.
The equating of the debth of keel and of rudder should also take into account the effect of a hobby horsing hull, in which case the keel's depth usually remains about the same while that of the rudder varies. I sail on a bay mostly and it is seldom flat, especially in season. A four foot deep rudder might, with a 12" chop, probe the bottom from 3' to 5'. I don't do four foot channels for this reason.
That the rudder is a few inches lower than the keel (mine is a swing) is not necessarily a bad thing. Many's the time that the rudder has let me know I'm about to run aground, and I can change course to deeper water. Also, I have several times been able to detach the rudder and get free.
Of course, I sail in the lower Chesapeake where the bottom is usually mud. If I sailed over lots of rock, I would probably feel differently. On the other hand, it's cheaper and easier to repair or replace a rudder than a keel.
Brooke (SK/TR/dinette/Mariner 9.9/standard batten/hanked jib/teak oil/lines led aft/Danforth/pressurized alcohol/single battery/Autohelm ST 1000+/porta potti/unbalanced rudder) <img src=icon_smile_big.gif border=0 align=middle>
That the rudder is a few inches lower than the keel (mine is a swing) is not necessarily a bad thing. Many's the time that the rudder has let me know I'm about to run aground, and I can change course to deeper water. Also, I have several times been able to detach the rudder and get free.
Of course, I sail in the lower Chesapeake where the bottom is usually mud. If I sailed over lots of rock, I would probably feel differently. On the other hand, it's cheaper and easier to repair or replace a rudder than a keel.
Brooke (SK/TR/dinette/Mariner 9.9/standard batten/hanked jib/teak oil/lines led aft/Danforth/pressurized alcohol/single battery/Autohelm ST 1000+/porta potti/unbalanced rudder) <img src=icon_smile_big.gif border=0 align=middle>
Notice: The advice given on this site is based upon individual or quoted experience, yours may differ. The Officers, Staff and members of this site only provide information based upon the concept that anyone utilizing this information does so at their own risk and holds harmless all contributors to this site.