By Michael Strangways Price

YOUR HAND RESTS EASILY ON THE TILLER.

Perhaps your thumb gently caresses a lovingly carved or woven Turk’s head, as you steer your pride and joy through the sunlit water. As you do, have you ever wondered at the origin of the rudder? If your reply is ‘never!’, you won’t be alone.

And by the way, for the benefit of those yet to reach that part of their plans, the rudder is the vertical plate that swivels at or near the stern.

As well, for those who like to air their familiarity with such things, rudders come in many forms – typically, transom-hung, balanced, lifting, motor-sailer type, ‘barn-door’ and Folkboat, among others.

However, getting back to origins, I was astonished to find that no book today, including the inestimable Encyclopaedia Britannica, includes information as to how the rudder actually came into being. At which point, I guess some clever dick with an animated encyclopaedia on CD-ROM quickly will correct me!

I was reminded of all this some time back, when I read in a local paper about a dinghy that had been found. So the report said, the dinghy had been damaged ‘down the back, on the right hand side’!

I shuddered and despaired that such a glorious thing as ‘the language of the sea’ could become so corrupted, if not totally abandoned.

Admiral William Henry Smythe, who in 1858, at the age of 70, began collating many thousands of entries for his unique work, The Sailor’s Word-book, published in 1867, I suspect also would have shuddered.

Fortunate enough to own an original copy, I frequently refer to the Admiral, either for casual reading or to clarify some point of contention.

Understandably, the book in some ways is hopelessly out of date. That said, it is invaluable. Almost ‘required reading’, you could say, for anyone who wishes to extend their general knowledge nautical or otherwise.

Hardly surprisingly, there are omissions. Once, perhaps only the device had not then been invented, is something called the ‘kitchen rudder’.

Rudders in fact have been around a long, long time. Admiral Smythe believes the inventor to have been a chap by the name of Tiphys, who was a pilot to the Argonauts; and for good measure he includes the Anglo-Saxon name for rudder, steor-roper.

According to Ralph Waldo Emerson, ‘If a man write a better book, preach a better sermon or make a better mouse-trap than his neighbour, tho’ he build his house in the woods, the world will make a beaten path to his door’.

Mr Kitchen, if there was such a person, may not have made a better mouse-trap, but he probably thought he had built a better rudder. However, it seems there was no pathway beaten to his door.

Discounting the users of outboard motors, there are plenty who use an engine inboard and a rudder outboard. But there are no Kitchen rudders.

Which begs the question: Why do we not see the Kitchen rudders in use today?

From the drawings in the Admiralty Manual of Seamanship, 1951, the device seems thoroughly logical and as thoroughly practical. And if one believes the description – why not? – fine-tuned control of the craft is possible.

Perhaps one day an enterprising local manufacturer will pick up the idea, and make and promote it.

Meanwhile, Admiral Smythe remains an unrivalled fountain of knowledge, unlikely ever to be ousted by a 20th Century compiler, on CD-ROM or otherwise.

Indeed, The Sailor’s Word-book, original or facsimile, Kitchen rudder or no Kitchen rudder, is a fascinating ‘must’ on any bookshelf ...

So, there you go, okay guys – that’s it. Smoko’s over, so let’s get back into it, eh?

Handling a single-screw, round-bilge boat fitted with a Kitchen rudder.

Single-screw, round-bilge boats fitted with a ‘Kitchen’ rudder are the most manoeuvrable of all single-screw boats, and possess a greater degree of manoeuvrability than many twin screw boats.

The rudder consists of two curved metal plates mounted so that they encircle the propeller (see figure one). The movement of the tiller to port or starboard will turn both plates to starboard or port, respectively, in the same manner as an ordinary rudder. In addition, the plates can be closed together abaft the propeller, or opened out on each side of it, by a shaft which revolves inside the rudder post and is controlled by a wheel and worm gearing on the tiller.

A ‘relieving spring’ is fitted on each side of the tiller just before the rudder post to prevent the rudder from swinging from side to side and taking charge in a seaway. The fore end of the tiller is supported by a quadrant to which it can be clamped in any position along its arc of movement.

Rudder and propeller action (figure two)

The propeller always moves in the ahead direction and when the rudder plates are fully opened out its normal thrust will propel the boat ahead. But if the plates are nearly closed together abaft the propeller its ahead thrust will be neutralised by the backwash of its slipstream against the plates. If the plates are closed still further the backwash of the propeller slipstream against them will overcome the ahead thrust of the propeller and the boat will be propelled astern. Thus, by opening and closing the rudder plates the boat can be made to move ahead or astern at full, half or slow speed, or brought to a stop.

The boat is steered by the tiller in the same way as if she were fitted with an ordinary rudder, but when the tiller is moved the rudder effect of the plates is far greater and more effective at all speeds, and the boat will therefore answer her helm readily whether she is stopped, or going ahead or astern, however slowly or fast. When turning at rest the rudder will exert its greatest effect when the plates are fully closed, the tiller being worked as if the boat were going astern.

The speed of the boat, ahead or astern, can be controlled bythe combined use of the tiller wheels and engine throttle, or by the tiller wheel alone with the engine running at constant speed ahead. When lying alongside the engine is throttled down to idling speed.