The Drascombe Dabber has a neat rudder head with a notch that the tiller just slips over. From the Drascombe Owner's Handbook description "Ship the rudder in shallow water and fix the tiller by holding the thin end high in the air while passing it down over the rudder head until it engages with the notch in the rudder. You may then raise the tiller a considerable distance before it comes clear of the circular arc on the rudder and hence in danger of coming off." In addition to having to raise the tiller a considerable distance before it comes off, a length of the mainsheet horse (the length of line across the transom on which the lower block runs) is adjusted to give it about a foot of slack over the top of the tiller, which acts as a tiller bridle.
The rudder that came with VICTORY (shown below) is not the stock rudder, it is a homemade variant. It is also constructed of plywood that is not marine grade and has serious rot and delamination. The top shape is similar to the stock rudder but the blade area appears to have been enlarged, extending below the keel and aft a bit further. We question if the enlargement was necessary, as Watkinson designed the Dabber waterline to be double ended and the hull is designed for inshore fishing from tidal beaches. From the sales brochcure, "Her well-veed after sections give responsive steering and ease of handling even at lower speeds. The built in "bustle" pushes the stern wave aft where it keeps the shallow rudder well centered."
We need to make a new rudder to replace the rotting plywood rudder, and in the process we want to make a pattern of the rudder head so we can use it for other future rudders. Here is the start of the pattern, copied from the old rudder head. We need to trim it a little at a time to get the proper clearance and angle for the tiller.
(Image Credit: Honnor Marine Drascombe Flotilla Brochure)
In the meantime we are trying to get measurements of a stock rudder.
...to be continued...
Log of VICTORY.
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