33 Cherubini rudder post bent?

[EyeoCy]

Hey all, I just dropped sails and was motoring in to my harbor. I suddenly felt a thump thru the boat. I initially thought I bottomed out on something but then realized that the rudder is dragging midships. The wheel is hard to turn with rudder straight and frees up when turning port or starboard. I'm assuming I might have bent the rudder post and possibly the top rear of the rudder might be scraping on the hull. If memory serves, there is not much gap between the rudder top and the hull. I'm supposed to be taking it on a 4 day trip in 2 days time. I plan on pulling it out tomorrow to examine but I'd like everyone else's opinion on what I might be looking at. I'm not leaking any water thru the rudder shaft and I'm hoping it might be superficial so as not impact my trip. What say you?

 

[Tally Ho]

Did you drag the bottom, or hit something? Seems that an event that could bend the rudder stock would be memorable.

Could be some barnacles or snails built up in the space between the rudder and the hull (typically closest gap is amidships). Or bearing is going out.

Best to haul her out and see what is going on.

Greg

 

[MikeHoncho]

you didn’t put the year, is it a skeg hung rudder? Is it physically possible to ground going into your marina? I find it extremely odd that you could bottom out the rudder hard enough to bend the post while not bottoming out the keel. I would check on the rudder system in the boat. If it checks out then I’d grab a mask and dive on it to take a look.

 

[RoyS]

I have a 1980 C33. As Mike stated it is unlikely that you could bottom out the rudder with the much lower keel ahead of it. There are rudder system bearings visible behind the quarter birth. I suspect something broke back there inside your hull that allowed the rudder to slide up vertically. If I were you I would look there first.