Bombardier Rudder Gudgeon Bushings?

[Sixth Boat]

I am guessing this is a 4.8, as the LOA listed for that boat most closely matches what is sitting in my yard. One of the rudder gudgeon bushings (plastic) has fractured and cannot be repaired. I have spent multiple hours on-line searching for a suitable replacement, but as most replacements are for a specific boat, they don't list any sizing type specs that would help me determine of I could make do with them.

Does anyone have any advice on obtaining either OEM gudgeon bushings, or know of a bushing for another boat that would work? I am trying this before going down the self manufacture route... Thanks!

 

[Leeward Rail]

I had a 16ft Invitation.(similar in length but only has a headsail, like a laser)

If it is the same gudgeon (based on photos online it looks to be the same metal casting)...... I simply used some clear plastic hose.

I pushed it into the hole and reamed the internal diameter to size with a drill.

It took a few minutes. Likely less time than it would take to try find something that fits perfectly... And lasted for decades until I sold the boat.

The soft hose fit well enough that it gripped the hole and stayed in place, but could be pushed out if needed.

Post photos of the boat and it's gudgeons.

 

[Sixth Boat]

I really like that suggestion! I'll let you know once I get to the hardware store and get some hose!

 

[Sixth Boat]

I did not find any clear plastic hose that had the proper 1/2" OD. But I did find some 1/2" nylon spacers for furniture that looked promising. I had to bore out the ID a bit to get them over the pintles, but it works just great! Pictures attached. Note in the picture with the rudder assembly on the transom that the spacers are just slightly longer than needed. And the tight fit over the pintles will definitely prevent these from falling off. So your suggestion sent me to the hardware store thinking outside the box, and I found a solution. Thanks!

 

[Sixth Boat]

P.S. - this solution cost $1.17!

 

[Leeward Rail]

That works ! Glad it helped.

Post a photo of the complete hull. That transom looks like a Bombardier Invitation

 

[Sixth Boat]

Here's a shot with the rig in place. This boat measures right at 15'9" so it matches the 4.8 meter version.

 

[Sixth Boat]

I don't know if a previous owner modified this boat or not, but it has an unstayed mast and no headsail. This doesn't match with the rigging shown in Invitation manuals I've been able to find on-line.

 

[Leeward Rail]

That's an invitation 100%

The invitation HAS a single sail with unstayed mast.

Lord knows what manuals you found.
I will see if I have a scanned copy I made of mine.



The Bombardier 4.8 has 2 sails. You sit In it not on it

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[Leeward Rail]

As this Wikipedia page says.. the Bombardier Invitation was meant to compete with the famous Laser Dinghy.

It is more or less the same rig, just larger.
The hull is also larger than a laser.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bombardier_Invitation

BOMBARDIER INVITATION - sailboatdata

The BOMBARIDER INVITATION is a sailing dinghy with an obvious similarity to the LASER (INTERNATIONAL). A Canadian trademark was applied for in 1973, granted in 1974 and expunged (failure to renew) in 1990. Thanks to Adam Hunt for supplying clarification about this and the photo.

sailboatdata.com

----------

The Bombardier 4.8 has two sails. Instead of a small molded area for the crew to sit, the hull is deep enough to actually sit inside it.

BOMBARDIER 4.8 - sailboatdata

Spin. 140 sq. ft.

sailboatdata.com

 

[Leeward Rail]

Bombardier Invitation owners manual:

There can be confusion between 2 Bombardier boats that are basically the same except for the length.

"Bombardier Invitation" is approx 16ft long

"Bombardier 3.8" is 12.5 feet long

They are both rigged the same (like a laser). Just larger hulls.

The manuals are the same for the Invitation and the 3.8.

BOMBARDIER INVITATION TRISS RACER MANUAL Pdf Download

View and Download BOMBARDIER Invitation Triss Racer manual online. Invitation Triss Racer boat pdf manual download.

www.manualslib.com

Looks like my file server is down. When it comes back up, I will see if I have the older manual that only mentions invitation on the cover. (Pre 3.8 being made)

 

[Sixth Boat]

My confusion about what I have stems mainly from the fact that this boat measures 15'9". So it is clearly longer than the specs cited for the Invitation (13'8") in both the links you provided above and what I had been able to find before. You also clearly do not sit "in" my boat; you sit on the side decks, so not a "4.8."

At any rate I now have enough information, including some screen shots of the rigging pages from the manual, to get this boat sailing again. Thanks for your help!

 

[Leeward Rail]

is clearly longer than the specs cited for the Invitation (13'8")

The Bombardier Invitation is NOT 13.8". That size on the links is a typo that was likely repeated.

It's real length is just under 16ft. I owned one for decades.

Looks like I should contact sailboatdata and have them change it.

 

[Sixth Boat]

Well... You DID send me those links that both cited the shorter length! And I don't know about your power of measurement by observation, but I sure can't tell how big a boat is from a picture.

All of which is to say: I didn't get a manual when I bought the boat (I wasn't even sure I received all the parts!) so without any prior knowledge of Bombardier and/or the Invitation all I had to go on was my own measurement of the boat itself and the fact it says Bombardier on the hull. Neither of which would have primed me to know when several sources all have the measurements wrong.

And all that is irrelevant now that I know what I have, and know what the correct way to rig her is! Thanks to you. Have a great one and keep on keeping the record straight!

 

[Leeward Rail]

Enjoy the boat. They are great fun.

With 1 person in lighter winds it can easily plane. In strong winds it is a serious workout and handful.

My wife & I would go out whenever whitecaps were on the lake. Much better in those conditions.with two people.

Bombardier apparently designed it longer so you could have a second person onboard. Helps to have the extra weight when it gets windy.

I rarely reduced the amount.of sail, but when I did, I would wrap the sail around the unstayed mast until it had less area.

Look into how lasers are rigged. The performance improvments developed by laser racers work on the invitation

 

[Leeward Rail]

Well... You DID send me those links that both cited the shorter length! And I don't know about your power of measurement by observation, but I sure can't tell how big a boat is from a picture.

LOL I did do that... I meant the "look" of the hull in the photos.. not a psychic hull measurement.

The fact that they made smaller version, the 3.8, after a year or so. And even changed the logos on the hull makes it confusing.


I had a similar hassle when I bought mine ages ago. I live in Canada so more were.sold here but not enough for them.to be common knowledge. Finding parts was a pain.

There was a company in Ontario Canada that made custom covers and had leftover parts.