[Rhodes22-list] [Rhodes 22 List] Centerboard Down When Motoring on to Trailer?

Fri Sep 17 08:11:13 EDT 2021

Michael,

It all depends on how the weight is distributed on your trailer.  The transom is strong enough to support the static and dynamic loads of the mounted rudder going down the road.  So, if you have enough tongue weight; that, your trailer is stable on the highway; then, it’s OK leave the rudder on the transom.  I’ve been leaving the rudder mounted for trailering for years.  I like to kick up the rudder blade a few inches and cleat it off for more ground clearance.  The rule of thumb for stability is the tongue weight needs to be 10-15% of the gross loaded trailer weight (i.e. the all up weight of the trailer + boat + motor + water, fuel, food, sails, gear, etc).  Note, I also leave my Honda 8 bhp extra long shaft outboard mounted on the transom for trailering and it weighs ~130 lbs.  Check the list archives for a discussion of how to measure and increase your trailer’s tongue weight.

With my trailer and mast carrier, the masthead is the thing that protrudes furthest aft past the transom.  I put a red flag on the end of the mast so the police won’t ticket me.  Depending on your trailer and mast carrier, you might have to red flag the masthead or the rudder blade, whichever is furthest aft.

Other than the extra rigging/unrigging steps, it certainly doesn’t hurt to unstep the rudder and store it in the cockpit.  If you need more tongue weight, you can even put the rudder in the cabin up in the V-berth.  If you have to do that, I would wrap the rudder in something like a mover’s blanket to protect the V-berth’s cushions.

If you leave the rudder stepped, remember it’s hanging out there on the transom, possibly the 1st thing to hit if you back into something.  & you can’t see it back there in your rear view mirrors!  I always kick the rudder blade up all the way before backing up.

Roger Pihlaja
S/V Dynamic Equilibrium

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From: Michael McKay<mailto:mm.bizlist1 at gmail.com>
Sent: Thursday, September 16, 2021 11:51 PM
To: The Rhodes 22 Email List<mailto:rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org>
Subject: Re: [Rhodes22-list] [Rhodes 22 List] Centerboard Down When Motoring on to Trailer?

Roger,

I’m preparing to trail my Rhodes on my own for the first time next weekend. When I brought her home last year, the seller had removed the rudder and put it in the cockpit for transport.  Is that step unnecessary or a reasonable precaution?

Michael McKay
(630) 209-2054 (m)

Sent from my iPhone

> On Sep 15, 2021, at 8:31 AM, ROGER PIHLAJA <roger_pihlaja at msn.com> wrote:
>
> Hi All,
>
> The centerboard is not a digital device.  You will find; that, if you motor onto the trailer with the board about half way down, it will guide the boat onto the rollers as per Stan’s claim.  With the centerboard about half way down, there is so little pennant left in the well that it cannot get snarled up.  If you have to back up, the centerboard will only drop down until the pennant catches it, no harm done.  I’ve been retrieving S/V Dynamic Equilibrium onto it’s trailer with the centerboard half way down since 1987.  After the boat is up on the trailer, I disconnect the fuel line from the engine.  While I’m waiting for the gas in the carburetor to be used up, I kick up the rudder blade and cleat it off.  Then, I pull in the rest of the centerboard pennant and cleat it off.  So, I always trailer and launch the boat with the centerboard fully retracted and cleated off.
>
> S/V Dynamic Equilibrium has a proper, high aspect ratio hydrofoil, centerboard.  But, I would imagine the newer diamond board centerboards would function in a similar manner when loading the boat onto the trailer.  Try it with the board about half way down.
>
> All kick-up devices on sailboats are vulnerable to damage when backing up.  This includes the centerboard and even more importantly, the rudder blade!  I mention the rudder blade because, located on the transom, it is most likely to hit something 1st when backing up.  There is tremendous leverage to pry the rudder right off the transom if you back into something.  Not only can you lose the rudder; but, you might rip a big hole in the transom!  Leaving the centerboard &/or rudder blade  down when backing up is hazardous at best.  If you hit something, I would call it operator error.
>
> Roger Pihlaja
> S/V Dynamic Equilibrium
>
> Sent from Mail<https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=550986> for Windows
>
> From: Ric Stott<mailto:ric at stottarchitecture.com>
> Sent: Tuesday, September 14, 2021 4:48 PM
> To: The Rhodes 22 Email List<mailto:rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org>
> Subject: Re: [Rhodes22-list] [Rhodes 22 List] Centerboard Down When Motoring on to Trailer?
>
> I can assure you, it will ruin more than just the day.
> I believe the Diamond board was redesigned from the original blade style Center Board specifically to avoid such disasters, and is less susceptible to damaging the CB cap. The pivot point is different, but I do not know how it is different, I’ve never seen one. Stan is reluctant to sell me a Diamond board because it takes significant intervention and Fiberglass work to reset the pivot point.
> I have a blade type CB and have repaired the cap once and replaced the whole thing once.
> I rebuilt the cap, trunk and replaced all the control line rigging with new Turning blocks imported from England - the only source for them.
> After a steep learning curve - I never back the boat up (put it in reverse) with the CB down - it can cause damage to the cap.
> If you launch with the blade type CB free to drop off the roller - it can be catastrophic, I promise.
> Ric
> Dadventure
> ’84 Continental
> HBNY
>
> Richard F. Stott, AIA, LEED AP
> ric at stottarchitecture.com
> O -631-283-1777
> C- 516-965-3164
>
>
>
>> On Sep 14, 2021, at 4:27 PM, Graham <gstewart8 at cogeco.ca> wrote:
>>
>> You can do that and It can be helpful perhaps with a strong cross current that makes alignment with the trailer difficult but I am reluctant to do this out of the fear that I will forget to retract  and cinch the uphaul line. If you make this mistake the centreboard will drop when you back the boat off the trailer and this can result in serious damage as the centreboard can be pushed up with sufficient force to break the centreboard cap. That will ruin your whole day.
>>> On Sep 14, 2021, 4:00 PM -0400, Jeff Smith Photo <jeffsmithphoto at gmail.com>, wrote:
>>> The diamond board should be down when motoring on to the trailer - right?
>>> Best regards,
>>> Jeff
>>> JeffSmithPhoto.Net
>>> w <http://NJphoto.Net>ww.jeffsmithphoto.net
>>> Cell: 732-236-1368
>>> Atlantic Highlands, NJ
>