Skegged Rudders
We don't use uprotected spade rudders to cut costs.
Our fully skegged rudders are far more robust and are critical on a circumnavigation class yacht. Don’t leave the dock without fully skegged rudders!
Below are some key advantages of skegged rudders to consider when purchasing a global cruising yacht.
Protection of Rudder
n real world cruising there are crab traps, fishing lines, logs and rocky seabeds, this means that the rudder needs to be protected. At Antares, we’ve done just that.
Weight Bearing Skeg
When hauling out, it is easy to support the boat without needing special chocking gear. The Antares can sit on the keel and skegs in a boat yard, or on the beach. This makes servicing the boat 'on the hard' easy, especially when in remote areas, and resources are limited.
Bending Resitance of Rudder Stock
The skegs make the rudder stocks resistant to bending and allow us to use a lighter stainless steel stock without any sacrifice to strength. In the absence of a skeg, the stock material would have to be stronger and therefore heavier, but would remain vulnerable to bending.
Antares Skegged Rudder
Antares Skegged Rudder Design
“We were very fortunate to have skegged rudders. While sailing around the top of Papua New Guinea we hit a very large submerged log. The whole boat shook. We immediately dropped sail and looked for damage. Fortunately, only surface scratches, but no damage to the rudder or prop.
Friends of ours on the same trip were not so fortunate. They too hit a log and lost their rudder. They had to sail to Australia to haul out for repairs.”
Mark
s/v Field Trip
Examples of Rudder Damage with no Skegs
Rudders with no skegs are much more prone to damage, as you can see in the photos below. The Antares is not only protected from this type of damage but can easily be beached for maintenance anywhere in the world.
