rudder ?

[Gorlog]

Hey everyone, been busy for a while, but I am getting back to working on me boat. I did just find a rudder on E-bay. However, I believe that it's intended for a boat a little smaller than mine. My boat's a venture 21, The rudder I'm looking at is 32" deep (in the water), 9' wide, 3/4" thick. Perhaps someone has some sort of formula for boat to rudder size?, and just how important is this proportion anyway? I'm under the impresion that if I just throw it on there it'll do just fine, but then again, I am a land-lubber anyhow.
I'm not only a land-lubber, but a junk-junky as well. As such I love junkyards. Now that I'm fixing up a sailboat, I been in search of a boat junk/wreaking yard (I live in Southern Califorina), but haven't really found such an animal. Does anyone know of the exisitance of such a thing? (then again, if you were to tell me, then I'd be competition for the fresh kills coming in, woulden't I? (I know how junk junky's like to safe-guard thier finds in wreaking yards, I gotten many an evil eye for taking parts from someones prized possesion , racing to get to the next similar car to loot the valubles before I get there - it's actually sort of fun. )

[bljones]

Don't look at the cost, look at the dimensions. compare to what you have.

Rudder Craft

[dsiddens]

Long ago rudders were planks of wood. Anything that disrupts the balanced flow of water will cause the boat to turn. What I'd be concerned with is the way (diameter, length of the rudder shaft) the rudder mounts to your boat.

So as bljones has said, check the dimensions.

Doug

[Gorlog]

Actually the rudder I'm looking at is a plank of wood - Mahogony to be specific. After looking at it, I became fixated on it, I am a junk-junky afterall. But to be serious, it looks like a very nice rudder, I have a disposition toward the asthetics of wood. What I forgot to mention in my thread, was that my boat didin't come with a rudder, so I have nothing to compare it with. I do make it down to the coast once in a while (it's about a three hour round trip), but in my vicinity, there are no similar sailboats around for me to compare with. I would imagine that waterlength, displacement, and keel type would have alot to do with rudder size and shape. So, to clear that up, I belive I have about 18' on the waterline, displacing about 1,500 lbs. (light displacment), with a swing keel.

To bljones, I just noticedthe attacment to put on your post, the one with the carbon fiber rudder, specified to the NACA 0012 foil dimentions, which as a little reading on this web site has told me, is most excellent for sailboat rudder applications. However, $1,200 is, well, beyond my budgeting scheme. The lenght, width, and thickness of the rudder were all there however - very valuble information - thank you. The rudder I was looking at on E-bay was indeed smaller in every dimension, and should probably just forget about it. I actually was intending on making my own, but with the huge amount of work I still need to do a pre-made rudder looked very tempting, but I've been patient and tedious thus far, so ... onward with the work. Thanks