Old style rudder modification

emilikins

Maniac
Hello, y'all, I'm hoping to tap into some creative minds here. I've been searching the forum to see if anyone has done modifications to the old style rudder NOT a conversion to the new style, but I haven't had much luck. I know Alan Glos can make a "new" rudder to fit the old bracket, but I have something else in mind.

1) Keep old rudder from popping out
This summer we've had some launch issues, when we'd get pushed back into the shallows before we could get up and out, and so our rudder would pop out of the bottom of the bracket, making for some drunken steering. So, we are going to see if we can modify it to stay in more securely.

2) Create a pivot similar to the new rudder style
Launching is so much easier with the pivot rudder, since you can pop the blade up and down as necessary. Has anyone tried to create a pivot for the old rudder?

We aren't ready to convert to the new style rudder, as it requires more skill than we feel we have right now. Plus, it can be expensive. Any ideas you guys might have would be appreciated!
 
Hello, y'all, I'm hoping to tap into some creative minds here. I've been searching the forum to see if anyone has done modifications to the old style rudder NOT a conversion to the new style, but I haven't had much luck. I know Alan Glos can make a "new" rudder to fit the old bracket, but I have something else in mind.

1) Keep old rudder from popping out
This summer we've had some launch issues, when we'd get pushed back into the shallows before we could get up and out, and so our rudder would pop out of the bottom of the bracket, making for some drunken steering. So, we are going to see if we can modify it to stay in more securely.

2) Create a pivot similar to the new rudder style
Launching is so much easier with the pivot rudder, since you can pop the blade up and down as necessary. Has anyone tried to create a pivot for the old rudder?

We aren't ready to convert to the new style rudder, as it requires more skill than we feel we have right now. Plus, it can be expensive. Any ideas you guys might have would be appreciated!

This is painful. You need a Sunfish neighbor. There must be someone who can help; maybe meet up at a regatta someplace.

Thanks to our favorite knock-off vendor, replicating a new style rudder is not that difficult or expensive. The most expensive component, the rudder cheek, is $70, and the gudgeoen (bracket) is $12 - or free if you lived here in the northeast. A port for the stern would be maybe $10 unless you could salvage one. You can probably modify your tiller and extension to work, or worst case construct one easily enough. For the blade, if you can't figure a way to temporarily modify the holes innyourvold one somehow, you could pick up a damaged one, redrill holes as necessary, and use until you get to finding or buying one.

The reason this is painful is that I (and I suspect many here) have no-longer-suitable-for prime time stuff that could be salvaged for the cause. The work itself is not that involved, and can be done shoestring.

There has to be someone who can help. And once you do it, it will be done.
 

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