Anyone ever sailed a Vagabond 14? have rudder question

kimrpaige

New Member
Hello everyone, I know I am on the Capri 14 Forum, but thought maybe someone here can answer my question. I have recently acquired a Vagabond 14 that has been in active for over 15 years. I got it cleaned up and in the water again. I took it out for the first time yesterday. It has a kick up rudder that is mechanically linked to the tiller. However i think it is backwards as with the tiller in the normal down position the rudder is in the kicked up position. When you lift the tiller handle the rudder goes in the down position. So please if anyone has one of these boats or have had one or has ever sailed one please chime in and give me some insight. It just does not make any sense the way it works. I am also thinking of buying a Capri 14.2 or Precision 15 when I return to Daytona in October for a boat to use in the FL winter. Any opinions on either boat?
 
I currently sail a Vagabond 14

The rudder can be up or down with the tiller essentially level with the water.
Lift the tiller appx 30 deg and it gets out of the way of the rudder pivoting

Yes, there is also a rod connecting the rudder to the tiller. (hard to describe what is going on... I might take it apart to get pics)

I'm not 100% sure if the bungee used to hold the rudder down is OEM It goes through a common small rigging eye screwed to the rudder just below the curve and over the top of the tiller trapped in a similar eye that has a sort of hook extension that is meant to hold the tiller extension

I added another eye on the back side of the rudder with some paracord so I can pull the rudder up against the bungee tension without leaning out over the transom. (I think the bungee may be a bit tight)
 
Thanks, I looked at it more closely today and sprayed it with WD-40 and got it to work properly, After all it has been sitting for over 15 years. There is a loop/eyelet screwed into the tiller so maybe it had a bungee when new. Thanks for replying, I knew something was no right, made for an interesting maiden voyage though, LOL. Kim
 
VStt2mx.jpg


Rudder down. The eye near my toe is the one I added and the yellow/blue paracord is to pull up the rudder when approaching shallow water.

OEM Rudder and tiller (I think) Tiller needs work Rudder needs refinishing.

7hZOSeh.jpg


Rudder up
Rear bolts are pivots for tiller and rudder blade.

0bEXXNo.jpg

Rudder up the bungee is tight and rides around the curve of the rudder. blade's top.
Out of focus but shows how the bungee runs. It was catching between the blade and the side plates, so I added the zip ties to keep it more centered.

OsTVuTC.jpg


Rudder down the bungee is slack.

The pivot bolts for the blade and tiller have metal (probably stainless) bushings to prevent the side plates squeezing down on the wood and binding.

I have had it apart when the eye connecting the link bar from tiller to rudder blade pulled loose. Easy to take it apart to show how that works.
 

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