Towing with Rudder and tiller in place

[wroundey]

This past year I always took my rudder and tiller off when I towed my 16 (Ok - I only got out about 4 times all season). I am wondering if I really need to remove and stow the rudder each time. What do other 16 owners do when they travel?

[PalmettoSailor]

Mine stays on. Tip it up, tighten the bolt and the rope and off to wherever. Before launch, releasing everything is part of the launch...unless it needs to stay up due to shallow launch site, then put it down in the water.
That's what I do.

[Pete H]

I always tow with rudder on, tilted up. Muggler is a Legacy, but very similar to a 16.

[kickingbug1]

will, towed for six years rudder on and down and locked to it couldnt pivot, plenty of clearance in down position and i think less stress that way.

[spsexton]

I've always towed with rudder on, up and locked. I have a tiller tamer, so I cleat down both tiller tamer lines to keep the tiller from swinging. You don't want your banging back and forth.

-Sean

[relamb]

I always towed with mine on, EXCEPT when leaving the boat overnight someplace unattended, like in a hotel parking lot or something.
In those cases, I took off the flat plate aluminum rudder, thinking it would be a tempting piece for somebody to decide to "recycle".
Might be a good idea to run a bike lock through a padeye on the mast as well, although stealing a mast would be a little more difficult.

[Tom L.]

We trail our Sun Cat with the rudder and tiller in place. It is too close to the pavement when down so we lock it up (horizontal). There is a second hole in the rudder and check plates to lock it up, no chance it will slip down and start dragging the ground. The only issue is the rudder sticks out from the boat. I usually put a flag on it during the daylight hours and haven't really trailed at night. A friend of mine actually made a mount to add a light on the tip of the rudder. It plugs into the trailer harness and is a running light and brake light. Good solution.

As far as stress. It seems to me as minimal compared to steering the boat in the water so I wouldn't be concerned. At least on the Sun Cat it is plenty strong to handle the rudder in place. I actually have a tiller tamer to lock the rudder from swinging side to side although I don't think it would moves that much anyhow.

[skip1930]

Mine stays on, with the shoulder bushings face to face always.

skip.

[Duckie]

I recently learned via my sailing canoe that there can be significant forces applied to the gudgeons and pintels when hitting a pot hole or bouncing on an uneven road.  I had been trailering my canoe with the rudder in place and very quickly found that the gudgeons had been twisted out of shape.  I chalked it up to hitting the bottom, but alas it turned out to be the road that did them in.  I guess that if the roads that you take to the landing are smooth, it shouldn't be a problem.  But I would keep careful watch over the rudder mountings especially where they go through the hull.  Stress cracks should be the first thing you would notice. 

I just changed the motor mount on my 16 because the original one had deteriorated beyond repair.  I found that the new one would not mount through the factory holes and allow the mount to be raised all the way.  To fix that I mounted the new one on a pair of ash blocks that placed it two and a half inches away from the transom.  While I was involved in designing and fitting them I realized how much torque is applied to the hull just from the shape of the mount.  I beefed up the backing plates and used a caulk that also has some adhesive properties to spread out the force.  I realize that this is kind of a minor instance, but I am pretty secure in my resolve to take everything off the transom while trailering. 

Al

[ChuckO]

For the last 15 years I have towed two Potters and now my CP-16/2 with the rudder in the 'UP' position and tied off ... no issues or problems resulted from same.

Also tow with the outboard in place ... leave it in the 'Down' position .. snugged tight to the boat to keep it from bouncing.

ChuckO'
CP 16/2 Carpe Diem
Charleston, SC

[Tom L.]

Forgot to mention that we also trail with the motor in place on the OB bracket. I have the motor in the vertical position. I use a truckers hitch tied to the motor handle/ mounting bracket on one end and down low to the boom gallows on the other end, A good Stern cleat would work too. The motor/bracket are pulled up as tight as I can using the hitch to remove all the play and tendency to bounce as I travel along the highway. Works well.