I'm a beginner who is at the carving stage of his classic 6rM.

Looking forward to the electronics, I'm wondering what the best solution is for connecting the rudder servo to the slanted rudder shaft.

My current idea is to:

1. Connect a line to an inexpensive servo with an arm The servo will be far forward.

2. Position a vertical pulley aft such that the line emerges from it perpendicular to the angle of the rudder shaft,

3. Place an arm on the rudder shaft,

4. Run the line to the arm and then, with it continuing in the same direction, down to a vertical pulley which will permit the line to return forward,

5. Connect the line to an elastic which will run forward to maintain tension on the system.

One of the arms will have an adjustable radius to control the amount of rudder swing.

All comments or alternative methods will be most welcome.

Basil

This may be a bit late for you but I have only just spotted your post. I am not really a fan of long push-pull servo links - too much risk of failure through passing over-centre and locking the rudder at the wrong moment.

I am a long time user of a closed loop wire system for linking servo to rudder using what look like mini winch drums at each end. They have the advantage of enabling a rudder throw which is different to the servo movement - make the 'drums' of different sizes. They can also provide a more positive, less 'lossy', connection. It is a 'home workshop' solution where a small lathe is handy, to turn up one's own fittings. A wire system could easily pass through the necessary angles to meet your need, passing over, probably under, guide pulleys or hard metal guides on their way.

An alternative would be to use a closed loop of the bendy plastic push/pull rods used in some model aircraft installations - they should be able to accommodate the necessary angle changes in your yacht as long as the servo and rudder stock are far enough apart to keep the bends to as large a radius as possible.

Either system is going to involve some loss of energy so you will almost certainly need a more powerful servo than normal.

Maybe we shall bump into one another now I have my '6' back on the water (us, not the boats) when yours gets wet.

Best wishes,

Mike