Rudder for Sadler Seawych

[conks01]

Hi

Does anybody have a rudder for a Sadler Seawych which they'd be prepared to sell?

Mine is just about finished and giving up the ghost.

Thanks.

 

[VicS]

Re: Rudder for Sadler Sea Wych

I have known people split them apart and completely rebuild them. I think the originals were assembled with mild steel screws. which rust, and glue which was not as waterproof as it might have been.

If really beyond repair now is the opportunity to make a semibalanced rudder.

Keep the total area and the depth the same but make a balance area of around 12.5 %.

If your pintle and gudgeon are original have some new stronger ones ones made to the design in the "Owners Manual"

 

[William_H]

The Seawych has a transom mounted rudder so very easy to repair or build an entirely new one. The area of pintles/gudgeons will have match the old rudder and the transom. You have as in the original a thicker area with reinforcing sides to give the blade support. The blade itself can be a shaped in a range of sizes and shapes to suit your needs.
So shallow might be desirable but deep enough if it is on a drying mooring and takes some weight of the boat.
A deep rudder gives more power and control if you sail over powered and there is a tendency to round up. (weather helm) Flat bottomed gives more steering power down deep
If you shape the rudder so it has an area forward of the line of the pintles (balance) you can reduce the tiller loads. Up to 15% is good cancelling out 30% of the tiller load. Semicircular (ellipse) gives efficiency with least drag. I think best compromise is a small radius bottom at leading edge larger radius at the trailing edge to give lift at tip further forward.
Basically you decide on the shape and size and get a piece of wood or ply that can be cut to shape. You then lay up fibreglass with epoxy over the wood. If you go thicker GRP and thinner wood you end up with a grp rudder witha male wood mold inside. If you go thin GRP and thick wood you have a encapsulated wooden rudder. Not nearly as long lasting.
Give it a go it can be a fun project for winter. But GRP needs to be laid up in warmth. olewill

 

[conks01]

Thanks for replying. Yes I've noticed in recent months that the metal bits that stick into the rudder mid-way (OK, I'm not very technical) have started to rock and are loose and have almost come away from the rudder itself. She sits on a dying mooring and I suspect the force has caused this unfortunately. I'm not entirely sure how the 'metal bits' are actually fixed within the rudder itself?

 

[VicS]

Thanks for replying. Yes I've noticed in recent months that the metal bits that stick into the rudder mid-way (OK, I'm not very technical) have started to rock and are loose and have almost come away from the rudder itself. She sits on a dying mooring and I suspect the force has caused this unfortunately. I'm not entirely sure how the 'metal bits' are actually fixed within the rudder itself?

Once those original design gudgeon and pintle start to come loose complete failure is imminent. Dont sail the boat with them like that!

I do not leave my rudder on when the boat is on its mooring. The original fittings are not strong enough to take any significant weight and unless secured in some way the rudders can lift off and float away ... it happens!

The tangs that you can see go back about 2/3rds of the way between the blade and the cheeks. The bottom one is longer than the top one. There were originally some mild steel screws in there but they rust away, the fittings pull out and the welds fail.

The modified design in the manual is the way to go although mine still has the original fittings which have been cleverly secured with hidden stainless steel screws by Nick Gates. I was going to through bolt them but Nick had cleverer ideas.

Nobody seems to know why the rudders where supplied made up. Its a pity they were because they are one of the few weaknesses of the boat.

 

[conks01]

Vic - thanks.

When you say modified design in the manual how can I get my hands on one. Thanks

 

[VicS]

Vic - thanks.

When you say modified design in the manual how can I get my hands on one. Thanks

The manual is available for SWOA members to buy, in printed form, from the Sea Wych shop or to download from the members area of the website.

 

[conks01]

OK. Thanks Vic. And will it talk you through the process to create a new rudder?

 

[VicS]

OK. Thanks Vic. And will it talk you through the process to create a new rudder?

No. Building a new rudder would be just a question of using the old one a a pattern together with some basic carpentry skills. There is no rocket science involved

The manual includes detailed drawings for improved gudgeon and pintle and detailed drawings to modify an existing rudder to make it semibalanced. FWIW I modified my rudder to my own design and ended up with a near identical result to that in the manual.
If however I was making a new rudder I would shape the blade differently. My idea for that is attached.