Hello, I bet the rudder backwards just a little bit on my cutter. I am away from the boat and won't get back to it for a month but I had an epiphany about being able to move it. I am wondering if I can drop the rudder by about 1 in which would allow it to rotate freely. Can the quadrant be repositioned? I am assuming the quadrant is what holds the redder up? I can't remember the configuration and would love some input. It would be a temporary solution just so I could freely navigate to get it dry old. As I recall what I can with my feeble mind, it seems that I should be able to. I'm not going to try to cross an ocean with it in that position so please don't start throwing the safety card at me.
37 ft cutter Rudder help please
- Thread starter Cocoa Beach Sailor
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- rudder advice
The rudder post is just a hollow tube. If there is no kink where it bent, you may be able to have it straightened by a machine shop, etc. Personally, I would not simply 'drop' the rudder a couple of inches; this will lead to new stress on the rudder shaft due to increased leverage by the rudder on the lower bearing and the extra holes for the quadrant thru-bolt. Have you checked whether your insurance will cover a new rudder?
Edit: if you are just looking to free the rudder enough to move the boat for haul out and repair, you could drop it an inch, but I'm not sure it will stay there as the rudder floats (unless water logged). Also, I would NOT drill another hole through the rudder shaft for the quadrant.
Edit: if you are just looking to free the rudder enough to move the boat for haul out and repair, you could drop it an inch, but I'm not sure it will stay there as the rudder floats (unless water logged). Also, I would NOT drill another hole through the rudder shaft for the quadrant.
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Well I have come to a plan of action for the moment. Going to hang a small outboard off the back after I build a little transom so that I can move the boat to a facility to dry haul it. Getting it towed is not in my budget because it's 20 miles or more and building a little transom of off the back is $20 in wood. My seven and a half trusty old Evinrude will push her on a calm day and I will need the outboard steerable because the rudder is turning to starboard just a little bit, and immovable. Assuming I can repair the rudder and get the shaft semi straight, I am thinking of putting a little bit of a sleeve say 4 in of stainless steel tubing 316 L slid down over the post of the rudder. I will fashion another tube to hold it so that the diameters are parallel between the sleeve and the post. The hole in the hull from which the rudder protrudes is leaking water. I will cut the old one out of the hull and fashion a new one by putting some mold release on it and make myself up a new tube with epoxy and fiberglass and I understand graphite powder is the thing to put in the epoxy for lubrication of sorts. The factory I am guessing used a polyester resin fiberglass tube and so an epoxy fiberglass tube with some graphite in there should do the trick. I'll cut out the old one and epoxy the sleeve in place and raise the rudder up in and epoxy the new tube into place. Current pricing for a new rudder is about 4,000 with me going to pick it up as it is built right here in Florida. I will never buy a boat again that has a keel which doesn't go substantially below the rudder!
Also, what was the name of the marina that last had your roller Furler. I called a year ago about it and then my travel plans got sideways but I'm going up that way again shortly and maybe they still have it. Thanks!
Also, what was the name of the marina that last had your roller Furler. I called a year ago about it and then my travel plans got sideways but I'm going up that way again shortly and maybe they still have it. Thanks!