Replacing rudder downhaul line?

H

hoipolloi

Member
Pretty straightforward with older wood blades but how to do it with newer foam core rudders?
Anything I should know before I start my exploratory drillin'?
I'm wondering too if this ratty piece of spectra which slips in the usless Ronstan V-cleat on my tiller (soon to be replaced with an alum. ClamCleat) was OEM.
Thinking of replacing it with a length of covered 4mm line.
Anybody know how would this have been set up coming from Vanguard?
How's your d/h setup?
Thanks..............

By the way, in my most recently received corrospondence from the ILCA of NA I was happy to see that the drLaser site was no longer password restricted, but I still can't get access to the *'d items. ??
 
Originally posted by hoipolloi
Pretty straightforward with older wood blades but how to do it with newer foam core rudders?
Anything I should know before I start my exploratory drillin'?
Click to expand...

No drilling needed ! It's very easy to replace the existing line with another as long as you stay with the same diameter or smaller. You might need needlenose pliers to help grab the stopper knot of the old downhaul that's sitting in the recessed hole, but that's about it.

---snip---

Thinking of replacing it with a length of covered 4mm line.
Anybody know how would this have been set up coming from Vanguard?
How's your d/h setup?
Thanks..............
Click to expand...

Vanguard Pro model comes with a double braid line, aprox 5/32 in dia. The aluminum tiller still has a crummy v cleat, mounted much to far from the rudder head.

The new rudders do have a thicker pivot bolt, which if you don't have on yours, I recommend changing. I have an older rudder (circa '77) and that change , combined with keeping the bolt tight enough so that you have to push the rudder down with your hand, has eliminated the problems of the rudder pivoting up at all on windy reaches.

The hot setup as far as downhaul lines/cleats, seems to be a small clamcleat (the cleat on the Acme tiller comes to mind), mounted on the top of tiller, between the traveller and rudder head. You can then put a purchase in the downhaul between the rudder head and cleat....
 
The issue is that there's no visible hole in the side of the rudder where I might access the stopper knot. Possibly it was filled/glassed over, anyone know where I can find a diagram showing its location?
Unless you mean pulling it out through the hole the line feeds out of on its way to the tiller?
 
Originally posted by hoipolloi
The issue is that there's no visible hole in the side of the rudder where I might access the stopper knot. Possibly it was filled/glassed over, anyone know where I can find a diagram showing its location?
Unless you mean pulling it out through the hole the line feeds out of on its way to the tiller?
Click to expand...

Have you taken the bolt off and pulled the rudder off the rudder head ? It may be hidden by the rudder head when it's assembled..(sorry, it's been a while since I changed mine)

If yours is really filled, reply back and I'll measure mine so you don't have to explore too much
 
The hole is on the starboard side, the hole diameter is 15mm, the center of the hole located 20mm from the flat edge of the rudder, 90 degrees to the hole on the flat edge where the line enters the rudder

Those measurments are the same on two rudders, a '77 and an '02
 
Thanks very much, 49208
Your photo was right on the mark, the old line is now gone.
There was some damage in front in the area where the line entered so it looks like I'll be doing a couple applications of epoxy to get it sealed up again.
 
I recently refurbished my rudder. I sanded down and re-finished as wellas replacing the line. I found the hole through which the downhaul leaves the blade to be worn so the line wasn't pulling the rudder all the way down. I filled it with padded out epoxy and drilled a new hole. My rudder now stays down better. I have also modified my Rooster carbon tiller by adding a open-side clamcleat between the rudder stock and traveller. This has made releasing the line a lot easier. If the rudder bolt is tight, you need a 3:1 purchase on the downhaul to pull the rudder down.
 
Originally posted by will162878
I recently refurbished my rudder. I sanded down and re-finished as wellas replacing the line. I found the hole through which the downhaul leaves the blade to be worn so the line wasn't pulling the rudder all the way down. I filled it with padded out epoxy and drilled a new hole. My rudder now stays down better. I have also modified my Rooster carbon tiller by adding a open-side clamcleat between the rudder stock and traveller. This has made releasing the line a lot easier. If the rudder bolt is tight, you need a 3:1 purchase on the downhaul to pull the rudder down.
Click to expand...

The main reason I like the rudder pivot bolt tight is that you don't need to put excess tension on the downhaul line to keep the rudder down - I have had two rudders in the past that have split right where the downhaul line exits the rudder blade, and in both cases the pivot bolt was loose enough that you could pull the rudder down with the downhaul line.

I believe that with enough tension on the pivot bolt so that you
can't pull the rudder down with the downhaul line, but instead have to push the blade down with your hand, you are helping to remove some of the load from the downhaul line, which in turn should reduce the chance of the rudder splitting at the downhaul exit point.

In other words, when you are bearing away at the windward mark, onto a screaming reach, the water pressure trying to pivot the blade up is be resisted with not just the downhaul line, but also the rudder cheeks being squeezed on the blade by the pivot bolt....

It's worked for me, I haven't had problem with splitting blades since changing over to the bigger bolt and keeping it tight
 
The rudder has to be all the way down to:

1) Minimise weather helm.
2) Minimise the leverage on the blade (same as above really) to decrease the force on the blade and so reducing the chances of blade failure.
 
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