In the Kitchen

In the Kitchen

Rather than go one at great length about how the Kitchen rudder actually works you can actually see the operation of it here and here.

Why I am so enamored of the Kitchen rudder? Because it gives you twin engine manoeuverability with a single engine, watch here. The vessel you see in the video is single engine and the inner wheel in the wheel house controls the angle of the Kitchen rudder and the outer wheel is the helm or steering wheel. You can only get that sort of manoeuverability normally in a twin screw vessel with opposed outward turning wheels.

For that reason the Kitchen rudder eminently suited to our small tug not only can you run the engine a constant level of revolutions but you can vary the speed, stop within a boat length and quickly manoeuver to avoid girding or girting. (depending upon where you are in the world)

The controls for the Kitchen rudder could be hydraulic, Bowden or Morse cable or line on a drum. For one of my designs, much larger that the little tug, I designed an hydraulic system. However for the little tug a simple drum and rope system is more than adequate.

More on the little tug to come.