I'm planning my next (second) boatbuilding project. This time a Gunning Dory (J. Gardner's Classic Small Craft)--but only if I can come up with a good solution for a rudder for sailing use.

Any ideas on how to mount an outboard mounted rudder (instead of the through hull drop rudder Gardner shows?)

If anyone seeing this message has direct experience with a Swampscott dory and the Gunning dory and can make comparisons that would be a great help.

Thanks! Dave Rice

-- Dave Rice (rice@bconnected.com), December 09, 2002

Answers

Dave: Presumably you're asking because the curved-stem, no-transom aft end of the gunning dory makes hanging a rudder tricky. For photos of how its done on a sailig canoe see:

http://www.cedarislandcanoes.com/images/viewpic.html? pic=infostation/atgallery/0002.jpg&ref=%2Finfostation%2Fresource.html% 3Fid%3Datgallery%26page%3D2&title=Rudder

Cedar Island Canoes may also sell the hardware.

On my swampscott dory the "tombstone" transom is big enough to use standard rudder hardware.

I'm gessing the reason the designer called for an inboard rudder is that because of the severe rake of the rudder on a dory, it is inherantly inefficient (how well I know). Better have a good reason to ignore the advice of John Gardner.

-- Kim Apel (kapel@fullerton.edu), December 09, 2002.

Dear Dave,

If having a rudder is so important to you, why don't you consider building a design that's better suited to accepting one? A Swampscot Dory perhaps?

Yours,

Andre de Bardelaben

-- Andre de Bardelaben (middlepath@aol.com), December 10, 2002.