Why don’t you do a hinge on the rudder?

This was a favorite project of our engineer. The limitations that need overcoming are the usual: reliability, cost and aesthetics.

We absolutely cannot introduce a weakness into the system. That rules out a simple hinge… and unless it is a monster then the aesthetics kick it out. We are also loath to add this length to the back of the boat.

The loads on a Hydrovane are many times the load on a servo pendulum system. We have seen customers who have devised clamping hinge arrangements that are functional but not acceptable for commercialization.  The manufacturer of Aries windvanes once told us that a Hydrovane owner came to him determined to buy one of their hinge flip-up systems to adapt to his Hydrovane. Apparently he did install it but didn’t make it out of the harbor before it broke.

We have a rotating scissor notion that we are working on: a drop down on a swivel. Again, it has been put on the back burner because of various ‘stoppers’ and more practical projects.

So – maybe someday, but the minute or two it takes to put on or remove the rudder is something we all get used to. At least the Hydrovane rudder can be removed, unlike most other types of auxiliary rudder systems.