One last piece of advice:

Make sure that the gudgeons on both the rudder and transom line up perfectly with one another. Otherwise, you will have a devil of a time getting the pins in. I couldn't make mine line up until I got a SS rod of the right diameter (I think 3/8"). I first used it to make certain that the fittings on the rudder were in line, then did the same on the boat. The pins dropped right in once I did that. It turned out that my transom wasn't perfectly plumb, and I had to shim the lower part of the bottom gudgeon on the boat.

Will, Maybe I need the 3 pages of description, but here's how I plan to align the rudder with the keel. Is it even close to how you did it?

1) Create 2 one foot long "rulers" on the edge of white cardboard with tick marks every half inch and large numbers from 1 to 24.

2) tape one above the other (maybe 2 feet apart) so that the "rulers" lay parralell horizontally across the transom

3) Place a sawhorse about 15 feet (+ or -) behind the boat, stand a straight edge on it, place my eye right behind it, and site it so that it matches the trailing edge of the keel and extends up the transom (using the magic of perspective)

4) Using tick marks on the rulers to help guide an assistant, have them place a mark on the transom where the sited line crosses the rulers.

5) Draw the line from the 2 tick marks

Matthew,

There are several tricks to this whole game. To begin you will need:

Silicone sealant or equivalent, rudder with pintals mounted, level, plumb-bob, new hardware, pencil, 2 patient friends, and an assortment of inappropriate tools you modify to do the job

1. Check to see that the transom coring is copletely dry. If you are planning to use existing gudgeons, you can't just assume they were installed with enough sealant at the factory. You might have to fill all the old holes and start from scratch.

2. Make a line with pencil down the center of the transom that corresponds to the angle of the keel (rarely are the keels plumb compared to the boat). How you do this takes some ingenuity and about three pages of descriptions.

3. Mount the bottom gudgeon of the bottom set first (of course you mount it on the line you just made). Once you hang the rudder on this gudgeon, it makes it easy to mark the placement of the other hardware.

The important results are that the rudder hangs on both the bottom gudgeon of the bottom set and the bottom gudgeon of the top set, that the rudder has as little "play" or "slop" as possible, that the rudder is aligned with the Keel, and that the rudder is near minimum depth. Replace your old hardware to insure a tight fit. When done properly, it is somewhat normal to have to "tap" your pins into place.

As for the placement of the pintals on the rudder itself, just use the old rudder as a template if you must.

Don't be afriad to consult a professional operation before taking on this task! It is easy to screw up. I have done this a few times, but it is not what I do day in and day out for my livelihood.

Good Luck,
Will

Matthew,
Make sure the rudder is mounted at the minimum depth, per class rules Plan D. This will aid in moving the center of lateral resistance forward. Additionally it will provide you have reduced drag downwind. When installing, be sure that your keel and rudder are lined up and plumb (and that the rudder doesn't bind).
Good Luck, and best regards!
___(\(\(\_(\__/)_______/)_/)____(\___/)___/)___/)__________

I am about to replace my boat's original (1980) rudder with a brand new one. Since the original rudder had the old (abandoned) two piece pintle/gudgeon setup, I need to drill some new mounting holes in the transom. Also, the new rudder came from TPI without any holes for the pintle hardware. I need help figuring out where to drill. Are there any tricks to measuring and drilling? I remember some discussion on the old forum about the benefits of mounting a rudder at the minimum depth allowed by the rules. Can anyone refresh my memory? Any and all ideas are greatly appreciated.

Thawing out in upstate New York,
Matthew Johnson