Dropping the Rudder on a C27

[Ajay73]

I want to change the cutlass bearing on my Catalina 27. I will have to remove the rudder I think. What will I have to loosen to get the rudder to drop? I would presume I just loosen the fittings at the top of the rudder post in the cockpit. Thanks for any info you can provide.

 

[Joel H.]

I've yet to do this, but on my boat there is a bolt through the rudder shaft on the tiller head as well as a pinch bolt . Other than that I know of no other fastener holding it in. Of course you need enough ground clearance to get the rudder and shaft clear of the shaft log. This usually involves digging a hole!
Joel H.

 

[Ajay73]

I've yet to do this, but on my boat there is a bolt through the rudder shaft on the tiller head as well as a pinch bolt . Other than that I know of no other fastener holding it in. Of course you need enough ground clearance to get the rudder and shaft clear of the shaft log. This usually involves digging a hole!
Joel H.

Thanks Joel for your reply. I was talking with the marina service tech and he said that it almost looked like the shaft could be pulled just by dropping the rudder to where the rudder tube was in line with the shaft. Just eyeballing it, it did look like maybe the shaft would clear the tube. The tube is a fair amount narrower than the rudder. I have about 2.5 to 3 feet between the bottom of the rudder and the ground. That almost seems like enough to get the rudder completely out. If I had to dig I don't think it would have to be too deep.

 

[Joel H.]

Good luck Ajay!
Please post an update when your done, I'll need to do this next winter and like all the input I can get. If you can, pictures would be great....... Just a thought!
Happy sailing,
Joel H.