I leave my rudder up but my marina might be better protected than others. Also, lake water might be less toxic than other locations.

Robert L. Weiss Jr.
Director of Music
First United Methodist Carbondale IL
Professor Emeritus, SIUC

________________________________
From: Rhodes22-list <rhodes22-list-bounces at rhodes22.org> on behalf of Jesse Shumaker <jesse.laten.shumaker at gmail.com>
Sent: Saturday, October 17, 2020 7:47:03 PM
To: The Rhodes 22 Email List <rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org>
Subject: [Rhodes22-list] rudder position when leaving the boat in the slip

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This season I had a slip and left the rudder in the lowered position for
convenience since that is one less thing to adjust in the start / end of
sail sequence.  Due to the accumulated grime/slime of our muddy lake (made
worse by dredging this year) it took a bit of leverage to pull up the
rudder when it came time to take the boat out.  I cleaned off the rudder
like I did with the bottom of the boat.  I see some boats in the slips with
kick-up rudders that leave them down, and others that leave them up.  I use
a shock cord to secure tiller to the aft cleat on the port side and with
the rudder down that seems quite secure.  Leaving the rudder up would
result in more windage and more force on the tiller due to the leverage of
having the weight extended.  Just curious to hear from others who keep
their boats in slips: do you leave the rudder up or down when the boat is
docked at the slip?

Jesse Shumaker
S/V Zephyr