Types of rudders

Rudders of sailboats are usually attached to the hull in four ways: As attachment to a full keel, hung behind a skeg, standalone from the keel as spade rudder or hung outboard.

Rudder mounts

• Keel rudder
• Skegged rudder
• Partial skegged rudder
• Spade rudder
• Dual spade rudders
• Tripple spade rudders
• Outboard rudder
• Dual outboard rudder
• Bow steerer

Rudder balance

Unbalanced Rudder

An unbalanced rudder has all of it's area aft of its axis of rotation, resulting in a high torque on steering gear, rudder stock and pintles.

Semi-balanced rudder

A semi-balanced rudder has up to 20% of its area forward of its axis of rotation.

Balanced rudder

The rudder has between 20% to 40% of its area forward of its axis of rotation. This is also called a full balanced rudder when the there is an angle where the axis of rotation and center of effort coincide. This will usually occur at an rudder angle of about 15°.