Frequently Asked Questions About Deflector Marine Rudders

Here is how the Deflector Marine Rudder works.

1. What is the main difference?

 Ans. The trailing edge progressively articulating flap puts a bite on the back and makes more force.

2. Can you put a flap on my old rudder?

 Ans. No. Technical changes supersede your old rudder design.

3. What type of boat does this work on?

 Ans. Those with rudders, power yachts ,sailboats, high performance speedboats, towboats, tugs, fishing vessels, if it has a rudder we can better it.

4. What will it do for my boat?

 Ans. Improve the maneuverability and tracking by a factor of more than twice as good as that of conventional rudders.

5. Twice as good?

Ans. We say more ”This will give you the ability to thrust the stern where you wish, and will hold your boat steady on track making you more comfortable and efficient.

6. Are you sure?

Ans. This is a proven concept our results are always dramatic. Most of the aircraft of the world rely on wing flaps to make them function as they should.

7. How much does it cost? Now the hard question.

Ans. The fact is that until the task well defined we do not know. As we do custom work there is much latitude. It will inevitably cost more to design and specially fabricate a rudder of quality material, than it does to do a cheap job. The results will justify the cost, and we work with low overhead. It is not thrifty to have the least initial cost over, that which is more effective and long lived.

8. Is it frail? Will it break?

Ans. Not yet. We make the rudders strong of high tensile alloys. By design they are stronger than plate rudders and have more contact points than other rudders. We warrant them for 30 months from first launch and fully expect them to last for many years.

9. This seems complex. Will it snag?

Ans. We build these for commercial crabbers, net boats, and longline vessels. We build gap closing guard plates of UHMW, but actually the arm does not reach out as it appears they might. This has not occurred to our knowledge.

10. Does this create more drag?

Ans. NO. further it can reduce overall drag by improving the hulls track. These rudders bite at finer angles generating force from both edges doing the same work with less rudder angle.

11. Will it require more ports or disfigure my hull?

 Ans. NO.

12. Will this rudder help me steer when backing?

 Ans. NO. If you lay your helm hard over the greater profile of our flap rudders will impede backing. There is no need to do this of course and these rudders will behave similar to single panel rudders in the same application. These rudders provide superior side thrust in forward. Rudders such as monkey rudders and flanking rudders usually seen on tugs, work in reverse. Typically a hull may be said to, "follow the rudder" or are shunted by the lower half of the propeller. When this shunting ( often called prop walk ) dominates it is often imparted by propeller slip rate, stern shape, and the hulls trim. To make a vessel back to it's rudder one must address these characteristics.

13. If these rudders are all you say they are, why haven't I seen them before?

Ans. There are several reasons. Cost, complexity, and unfamiliarity with basic rudder science all are on this list. Today new materials and tools are common that were not just a few years prior. We have simplified this by our design work of which we are proud. This is the modern way to control your boat. Your rudder is your tool to command. A Deflector Marine Rudder is like having a new sharp knife compared to a dull one.

 WELCOME ABOARD!