Chrysler Sailors Forum

I race regulalry on a Santa Cruz 27, and the skipper always "backs" the boat right into the slip by sculling.
I would love to be able to do that on my C26, but the swing rudder does not allow me to turn it all the way backward.

Has anybody modified thier swing rudder in such a way that the can scull backward?

The Santa Cruz 27 does not have a swing rudder, but it sculls just fine forward, or backward when flipped around. You should not have to put the rudder at 45deg, as it is the effect of the foil that creates the motion.

Sometimes when we come back in the harbor, we rock the boat from side to side to get it to move at over 1 knot just with the keels motion. It is quite funny when ther are half a dozen boats rocking thier way down the harbor channel. Though you can attach a motor to the SC27, most racers leave it off so it does not slow the boat down, in both weight and drag.

--Richard

Fun,

Alan

I am not sure if it is only my C26, but the circular disks that the swing rudder "swings" in don't allow the rudder to rotate completely around horizontally, it hits the bottom of the hull. I was thinking of lowering the rudder post by about 1/2 inch(which I think will be sufficient), but I don't know what that may effect in handling/performance.
Maybe the rudder post is supposed to be lower. Does anyone else have this issue?

Thnx,
--Richard

My C22 had a 1/2" thick delrin washer between the rudder cheeks and the through hull. I retained this when I fabricated the new stainless rudder assembly and my rudder will turn 360 degrees if the tiller is upright.

I put the boat in the water for the first time last Friday. When I pulled the rudder downhaul line, the knot popped loose! I guess I made the knot too small and when it got wet it slipped out. Anyway, I dropped the rudder in four feet of water, lost and found the delrin washer, dropped out the blade and reinserted the line, and reinstalled the rudder in about 15 minutes with help. It really went far better than I thought it would.