Strange appendage

Does anybody have any ideas what this is? It measures about 20mm. I found it on a very early Dubois 1/4 tonner.

 

I guess it's just a kind of "knife" to prevent weed from getting caught in the gap between the skeg and the rudder blade.

 

Good call olav

 

I'd agree.

-Tom

 

Ya..weed , rope deflector to keep junk out of the skeg ,rudder interface.

 

looks like your boat needs a male name.

 

Reminds me of an understern rudder a chap out in LA, California installed on his surfski. Rather than use the composite rudder provided by the manufacturer, he welded up a huge butcher's knife to help him cut through the kelp & sea weed.

Lord help the poor soul in the surf who collides with it. It would surely cause a severe laceration.

 

Definately some sort of deflector or cutter set up. puzzling if a deflector why so far away from that rudder to hull gap where ropes jam into. Did you take a closer look at it, is there a grouve that one would fit a cutting blade into or is there the corroded remains of a metal cuttin blade?

 

It looks like an uncorroded blade in its own right of stainless steel. That white bit at the bottom looks like dew.

 

Ahhhh -- most likely a cutter-- however if it works as a deflector without cutting it would make alot of lobster fishermen happy

 

Photographic lack of definition (too blurry) precludes me being able to see if there is any bevel. It may be a dull edge.

 

could it be for ice?
(sorry if thats a dumb question)

DE

 

Probably an attempt to keep the rudder out of the vortex trail from the deflector. Think of the boat sailing along with some leeway, where the vortex will pass the rudder on its windward side when mounted far enough forward of it (see attached sketch).

Not really. A 1/4 Tonner would hardly sail in winter with ice, and even if it did, this device wouldn't make any sense at that position (and it doesn't look strong enough also). There are rudder protection devices on ice-going vessels that look quite similar, but they are mounted behind the rudder, thus protecting it when going astern.

 

The thought "wee winkie" did come to mind when I read the title and looked at the picture

 

The white bit is water, pictures were taken between winter showers. If its any help the boat was built around 78. Very IOR. Also hoytedow it does have a dull edge but that could be due to age