Replace rudder post sleeve

behill

.
Sep 28, 2016
4
Beneteau 310 Annapolis, MD, USA
The rubber rudder post sleeve inside the hull on my 1991 Beneteau 310 is leaking.
  1. Where can I get a new sleeve?
  2. How easy/hard is it to drop the rudder?
  3. How far do I need to drop the rudder?
 
Mar 20, 2016
594
Beneteau 351 WYC Whitby
Do you have any pics? Every Beneteau I've seen including mine the rudder post sits higher than the water line, with a delrin bushing in the top and a copper/bronze Babbitt bearing in the bottom . The bottom one usually wears the fiberglass it sits in giving rudder play.Glass in some tape which removes the wear and tightens up the bearing . To drop it dig a hole about 6 inches pull pin and unbolt steering quadrant ,then pull pin on shaft collar and out it comes. If your post is below water line, it must have a seal ,which in my opinion is dumb ,a leak waiting to happen , but then Beneteau doesn't surprise me lately with their cheapness. Just saw picks of another beneteau where the shrouds were just u-bolted into the deck ,deck and hull cracked, funny they are picking up the cost for the repair on an older boat
 
Mar 20, 2016
594
Beneteau 351 WYC Whitby
To me that doesn't look right ,not factory, however I could be wrong ,attached is pics of my rudder out along with lower Delrin thrust bearing,top Delrin thrust bearing that I just machined and lower bronze bearing along with top thrust shaft collar that sits against the top thrust bearing with pin that holds the rudder in the boat.The rudder bearing3.jpg bearing2.jpg bearing1.jpg
post is above the water line so ,no seal, my buddy's First 375 was identical to mine except the rudder shaft was solid stainless and heavy.
It almost looks like your rudder post is not high enough ,maybe previous owner backed the rudder into something and broke the post as the stress from impact would be at the top of the post and just shortened it.
 
Last edited:

Gunni

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Mar 16, 2010
5,937
Beneteau 411 Oceanis Annapolis
Send that pic down to the service department at Annapolis Yacht Sales. Never seen that construction before. You may have a Class3 DIY FUBAR there.
 

behill

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Sep 28, 2016
4
Beneteau 310 Annapolis, MD, USA
I sent it to John, he's sent it to Beneteau. I knew the previous owners well. The y bought the boat at the Annapolis Boat Show after it was used in the Columbus Cup. There were no problem ever with the rudder post. The post is above the water line but when it blows it leaks pretty bad.