Leaves getting caught on rudder

[scott216]

I'm new to RC boats. I just got a SV27. Now that it's Autumn all the leaves are falling. I had the boat out in the lake and the leaves were really messing up the steering and performance. Are there any tricks to prevent the leaves from getting hung up on the rudder?

Scott

[domwilson]

Hello Scott and welcome to the forum. The best advice I can give is to simply not run your boat in those kind of conditions or find another location. As far as I am aware, there is no way to prevent your rudder from catching leaves.

[scott216]

Thanks. I didn't know if there was a way to angle the rudder backwards or put a different shaped runner on that would let the leave fall off.

--Scott

[domwilson]

You definitely don't want to angle the rudder backwards. That would affect the turning and you probably would spend more time retrieving the boat than driving it.

[scott216]

Thanks. I guess I'll have to wait for the leaves to go away.

--Scott

[Ub Hauled]

Scott, no tricks... one thing you can do is have the boat stop in the middle of the lake and see if the leaves detach and sink out of the way... not only will the leaves affect your steering but will have you draw more amps as well

[NativePaul]

Sometime the leaves get blown to one shore and if you go round to the other side of the lake it will be much clearer.

[scooterP]

Pinestraw is my main aggravation. You wouldn't believe what one little pine needle can do to the speed and steering when it hooks around one of the fins. I can go out to middle of pond and stop for a sec or two....then gun it and get them off sometimes. I would say that works about 1/2 of the time. Like others have said, go upwind on the lake, or wait until conditions improve....no way around it.

[NitroVal]

Sharpen that rudder to knife point, then it will just slice what ever it comes in contact with...

[H&MWill]

Yeah, my dad fried his SV's ESC due to leaves. Just have to wait til they go away.

[ice329]

Buy a tiny 12v fan, mount it in a piece of PVC pipe, hot wire it to the 14.4 v from the boat, mount it on the deck, point the air flow down and to the right or left, then fine tune your rudder adj left or right depending on the air flow of the fan. You dont really think I am serious...hehe

[domwilson]

Buy a tiny 12v fan, mount it in a piece of PVC pipe, hot wire it to the 14.4 v from the boat, mount it on the deck, point the air flow down and to the right or left, then fine tune your rudder adj left or right depending on the air flow of the fan. You dont really think I am serious...hehe