Rudder Replacement Problems

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Gregg

My 76 C-30 took a beating last weekend from the last winds of Ivan stirring things up in New England. My mooring parted in 50+ mph winds and my poor C-30 was dashed on a breakwater for a couple minutes before she could be rescued. Remarkably, the hull suffered only some superficial "rash", easily repaired. But my rudder did not hold up as well... The post appears straight, but the fin cracked and it's top edge pinned against the hull, about 10 degrees off. I figured that I could disconnect the post and slide it out but after undoing the tiller end cap and securing bolt, as well as all the cable, pulleys and brackets associated with the Edson wheel-steering upgrade, but the post (and rudder) still will not drop out?? I loosened the bolts on the stuffing box, but did not take them out completely. Am I missing something critical here?? Or is it just the force of the bent/cracked rudder pinned against the hull that could exert enough diagonal force as to pin the post against the fibergrass sleeve the post rotates in?? I have pictures, but not sure that would do any good. Does anyone have any experience with removing their rudder under normal circumstances?? Or have any advice about this particular scenario?? Any help, comments, or suggestions would be very, very welcome!! Right now, I'm stuck going in cirlces, literally!
 
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Allen

Rudder Replacement

Gregg, How are ya? It's good to talk to another Boston C-30 owner! I replaced my rudder 3 years ago. Once I removed the top cap, steering quadrant & loosened the packing gland it slid right out. I'm assuming your boat is hauled. You're going to want to have the boat out of the water to do that repair. If yours isn't falling, there's definitely something wrong. If your rudder post is significantly bent, then it may be too bent to drop, or, worse, the hull may be deformed. My guess is that the rudder post is bent. It would take a lot of force to deform the hull. I don't know if you're trying to salvage the rudder & repair it. If you are, then I'm not sure what to do. If you aren't, you might want to take a saws-all and cut the rudder tube just above the packing gland from inside the boat. That will make it easier for you to twist the rudder gently from left/right & fore/aft to help loosen it. Aside from the packing gland and top cap on the rudder post there isn't anything else that's keeping the rudder attached to the hull. Good luck! Allen Schweitzer s/v Falstaff C-30 Hull# 632
 
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Gregg

Exactly Right!

Allen- You're exactly right. Turns out the post was not bent but the packing gland was constricting it more than I expected. Once I lightly sanding the exposed portion of the post and sprayed it with a lubricant, the post pushed easily out using a wooden pole to get it all the way through... And no, the boat is not out of the water, so that presented some challenges. With the rudder pinned off center, and being stuck in Provincetown, my only two options were get towed to Dennis ($$$$ and ugly with a boat turning hard to port...) or run her aground along the "Portuguese Railroad" and 'ebb her out' as the locals call it. Meant for the local full keeled fishing boats, it would have been a precarious ballancing act. Neither option sounded good. So I wittled a couple bungs to fit the space, tied 3 safety lines to the rudder, and pushed her out to sea. The thing popped back up like a cork!! Then I towed her to shore. The folks at Catlina e-mailed me specs, directions, and even pricing on a new rudder. I'm amazed at how conscientious those folks are, for a 30 year old boat! Impressive. Anyway, thanks for your suggestions. If you know anyone who might have a space/salvage rudder, let me know!! Though in light of the quite and thorough help Catalina provided, I'd be happy to give my continued business. Regards, Gregg Moore
 
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