Sorry to ask about this again… But I just tried to use the search function for forum posts, and found it to be useless. Tried to search on ONLY the O'day Daysailers forum, but was given results from ALL forums. And I didn't feel like trying to wade through them all to find O'day specific posts.
When motoring, the headstock plates on my stock 192 rudder get an obvious flex in them. I assume this is prop wash pushing against the side of the rudder foil. This indicates the headstock plates are probably too thin, and the spacer posts allow too much shear force. Also the rivets through the spacers could be loosening.
Also, I have been keeping the rudder foil down all the time in the dock, and locking the tiller side to side movement with my Tiller Clutch. Although I rigged an uphaul line, I have been reluctant to lift the foil out of the water, for fear it is more vulnerable to damage by other boats. But I have noticed more clacking movement by the end of the season. I figured this could indicate wear in the holes in the gudgeons (or pintles, but I don't see much…)
Finally, after I pulled the rudder off after haulout, I noted that the bottom pintle bracket mount is very loose, allowing the pintle to pivot fore and aft around the arc of the top rivet.
I will have to address these issues this winter. But as I formulate my plans, I wanted to ask you guys for opinions and experiences.
I have seen other boats at my lake that have apparently drilled out the rivets, and replaced the tubular SS spacers with blocks of wood and SS bolts. I'm not sure if these are a whole piece of wood the same dimensions as the side plates, or maybe just 1"x1" pieces up each edge. I guess if you're going to replace with wood, you might as well make it one big old piece of wood in there.
I'm hoping that replacing the loose rivet in my pintle bracket with SS bolts will remove the play I'm experiencing there.
What do you all think of the transom gudgeons? How much play do you think ought to be there? I'm loath to have to replace them, partially because of the trouble of having to add an access plate to the inside of the transom, and partially because a pair of gudgeon brackets from D&R is bloody expensive at $75. I really wish these brackets had some form of replaceable plastic bushing. Or even a bronze bushing would be good against the stainless pintles. I suspect that once I fix that lower pintle in position, the play in the rudder will lessen quite a bit.
One thing I did see on a "wood spacer" rudder was the addition of 2 more side plates, from the bottom of the headstock, up to about 1/2 way up the sides of the headstock. I'm sure the thinking was that if they were going to stiffen the upper part of the headstock, then they would need to prevent flex of the blade at the bottom of the plates. I'm sure this is a good idea, but now I'm thinking of just finding someone to make me new side plates about half again thicker than the existing, and still using a piece of teak as spacer material.
Any thoughts or comments you all have are welcome.
Uh-oh, now that I'm thinking of rebuilding the entire headstock, I'm also thinking of ditching the solid oak tiller, and getting a pretty laminated Ruddercraft tiller… It could we worse, a friend has some ugly white painted (aluminum?) pipe for a tiller on her 222… But I shouldn't really bother with this, the solid oak tiller works fine, and and also need to buy new side windows this winter. B.O.A.T.= Bust Out Another Thousand.
Thanks,
Brian
When motoring, the headstock plates on my stock 192 rudder get an obvious flex in them. I assume this is prop wash pushing against the side of the rudder foil. This indicates the headstock plates are probably too thin, and the spacer posts allow too much shear force. Also the rivets through the spacers could be loosening.
Also, I have been keeping the rudder foil down all the time in the dock, and locking the tiller side to side movement with my Tiller Clutch. Although I rigged an uphaul line, I have been reluctant to lift the foil out of the water, for fear it is more vulnerable to damage by other boats. But I have noticed more clacking movement by the end of the season. I figured this could indicate wear in the holes in the gudgeons (or pintles, but I don't see much…)
Finally, after I pulled the rudder off after haulout, I noted that the bottom pintle bracket mount is very loose, allowing the pintle to pivot fore and aft around the arc of the top rivet.
I will have to address these issues this winter. But as I formulate my plans, I wanted to ask you guys for opinions and experiences.
I have seen other boats at my lake that have apparently drilled out the rivets, and replaced the tubular SS spacers with blocks of wood and SS bolts. I'm not sure if these are a whole piece of wood the same dimensions as the side plates, or maybe just 1"x1" pieces up each edge. I guess if you're going to replace with wood, you might as well make it one big old piece of wood in there.
I'm hoping that replacing the loose rivet in my pintle bracket with SS bolts will remove the play I'm experiencing there.
What do you all think of the transom gudgeons? How much play do you think ought to be there? I'm loath to have to replace them, partially because of the trouble of having to add an access plate to the inside of the transom, and partially because a pair of gudgeon brackets from D&R is bloody expensive at $75. I really wish these brackets had some form of replaceable plastic bushing. Or even a bronze bushing would be good against the stainless pintles. I suspect that once I fix that lower pintle in position, the play in the rudder will lessen quite a bit.
One thing I did see on a "wood spacer" rudder was the addition of 2 more side plates, from the bottom of the headstock, up to about 1/2 way up the sides of the headstock. I'm sure the thinking was that if they were going to stiffen the upper part of the headstock, then they would need to prevent flex of the blade at the bottom of the plates. I'm sure this is a good idea, but now I'm thinking of just finding someone to make me new side plates about half again thicker than the existing, and still using a piece of teak as spacer material.
Any thoughts or comments you all have are welcome.
Uh-oh, now that I'm thinking of rebuilding the entire headstock, I'm also thinking of ditching the solid oak tiller, and getting a pretty laminated Ruddercraft tiller… It could we worse, a friend has some ugly white painted (aluminum?) pipe for a tiller on her 222… But I shouldn't really bother with this, the solid oak tiller works fine, and and also need to buy new side windows this winter. B.O.A.T.= Bust Out Another Thousand.
Thanks,
Brian
