Anyone have any experience with the Kitchen rudder? I'm quite intrigued, since it lets the engine run steadily forward while the boat is made to go forward and backward and steered, all by the action of the rudder. David Gerr talks about it in his Boat Mechanical Systems Handbook (good book, btw).
This would be a big win for single handing a larger steamboat, and would make my uniflow engine a lot simpler as quick reliable forward reverse would not be required; in fact, a big single would work just fine given a reasonable flywheel.
There was an article in Woodenboat magazine (Issue #185 July/Aug 2005) about making a kitchen rudder. It was on a dory with an old one lunger from memory.
Reprints would be available. There was some construction information and quite good pictures.
preaton wrote:There was an article in Woodenboat magazine (Issue #185 July/Aug 2005) about making a kitchen rudder. It was on a dory with an old one lunger from memory.
Reprints would be available. There was some construction information and quite good pictures.
Be an interesting project.
Happy New Year
Paul
Thanks - I had not seen that reference. Reprints of the magazine are available electronically for $3.95 - perfect and thank you!
Reading it now.
A very interesting concept and invention Bart. So nice of you to post. It has my "mental cogs" turning for an application those same basic ideas that might prove useable on my boat - very interesting indeed. Thanks for spurring me to "think out of the box" per say............
Happy New Year!
Mack
Capt. Mack H Fox TULE PRINCESS STEAMBOAT CO.
Lake Nasworthy, San Angelo, Texas
One concern with that would be the lake grass we have around here on the inland waters. In the summer it can get really bad. Clearing a prop is normally just a matter of reversing the engine a few times. With all the ducting, I would think that it would be quite a problem to get it cleared out. Even a stick or fishnet etc. Also, running aground, it would be linkage and ducting versus a narrow skeg. With mine I've cut furrows in shallow water, the ducts would act like a plow.
I've never really seen any advantage to the Kitchen rudder other than it alleviates the necessity to reverse the engine rotation. Seems it would be easier to reverse the engine or make it so it can be reversed. My buddy's twin Uniflow is self starting in either direction.
Speaking of lake grass, I had a jet boat years ago, that stuff would totally clog the intake, the boat wouldn't move. It had a deflector on it for reverse, it worked OK, it wasn't like reversing the rotation of the impeller or in this case, prop. It was pretty sluggish backing up. That would be another important consideration, emergency full back maneuver to stop or reverse direction. I've been there a few times (four bells) with the Tug when some power boater or jet ski just pulled right out in to our heading. With a heavy hull it takes quite a bit to stop it.
I believe the boat Bart was looking into this setup for will be powered by a single-cylinder uniflow and steaming the San Juan Islands and further north. I think kelp would be his biggest worry, and kelp beds are pretty easy to spot from a ways away.
I would build it in such a way that if needed, you could swap in a conventional rudder without some major engineering. Aside from ridiculously low efficiency in reverse and the a fore mentioned problems with fouling, it is an interesting idea.
Wes, we have eel grass up here and when Bart and I were returning from McConnell Island last Summer, we both picked up wads of the stuff. Every area seems to have its issues. Except maybe Lake Tahoe??? Pretty clear up there.
Mike
If you think you are too small to make a difference, try sleeping with a mosquito.
Dalai Lama
Lopez Mike wrote:I would build it in such a way that if needed, you could swap in a conventional rudder without some major engineering. Aside from ridiculously low efficiency in reverse and the a fore mentioned problems with fouling, it is an interesting idea.
Wes, we have eel grass up here and when Bart and I were returning from McConnell Island last Summer, we both picked up wads of the stuff. Every area seems to have its issues. Except maybe Lake Tahoe??? Pretty clear up there.
Mike
I wasn't aware of eel grass.
We have Eurasian milfoil (sp?) in the marinas up here. I remember my dad having to dive in to clear the prop after warming the engine every time we wanted to use his 21' boat "George H. Sandin". The 22" prop would be a basketball of weed.
On my boat I can just reach over the side and clear it quickly.
There is some discussion about this contraption on an earlier thread within this forum: Ducted propellers?
A very novel and clever device, but since it hurts ahead efficiency whenever running forward, plus its tendency to catch grass and other stuff, it is better to just have forward and reverse on the engine.
