Builders' Forum |
|
| ↓ Scroll to Last Comment ↓ | Forum Guidelines | Builders' Forum |  RSS
|
Hello Folks, I am building my wife a Chesapeake 16 this winter. She has paddled my Shearwater and prefers more initial stability. Her current boat is a Perception Carolina 14 (with rudder) that she likes. She infrequently uses the rudder when she gets pushed around by wind and waves. I would not put a rudder on my Shearwater, but I am not so sure about the Chesapeake. I can't help but notice the first picture that you see on this website shows a Chessie with a rudder (in the up position). Dave
3 replies:
RE: rudder or no rudder
"If you are carefull with the stern durring construction"
Please explain a little more. I am not quite sure what you mean by this statement,
Thank you,
Dave
RE: rudder or no rudder
Dave,
You need to build the stern as if you were going to actually mount a rudder in it, then not mount the rudder. One good thing to do is to abandon the end pour and use a shaped piece of wood bedded in epoxy as a stern piece. It's lighter and cheaper than the end pour and gives better support for a rudder. The shape can be pretty rough, since epoxy putty is gap filling.
BTW, my wife doesn't have a rudder on her 16LT and doesn't miss it. She does all her steering with a combination of paddle strokes and leaning and is quite happy doing it that way.
Laszlo
RE: rudder or no rudder
» Submitted by steele - Thu, 9/4/08 » 1:09 PM
I have a c 16 without a rudder. Your wife will find that it is directionaly more stable than her perception. The combination of added length and hard chines make a big difference. I did add a clc skeg kit which helps in a cross wind as it is a high volume slab sided boat, but it is not a required and I often paddle with the skeg up. If you are carefull with the stern durring construction a rudder can be added after the boat is complete and she has tried it out first without.