URGENT Hi all I am currently in the Broughton Archipeligo in BC, Canada. I am on the uphill leg of my trip around Vancouver Island. While making my way up here I encountered some rough seas in the Johnstone Straits. The waves were rough enough to cause some slack in my rudder post where it sits in the fibreglass rudder column. There is about a 1/2 in of sideways play in the rudder post, and it is rubbing across the top of the column when a wave pushed on it. On the other hand it cannot be moved manually; it appears to take a fair bit of force to move it even that 1/2 inch. I am going to have the boat hauled in Port Hardy on Wednesday (Today is Monday). I intend to remove the tiller cap from the rudder post and do a visual inspection. If it is not too difficult I am going to drop the rudder out to take a look at the post. Has anyone done this before and do you have suggestions as to what I should look for? Thanks
Loose Rudder Post on C27
- Thread starter Richard McBride
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I posted this for you at another Catalina forum
I posted your problem at another catalina site. I don't know the answer as I haven't taken apart my tiller post yet. I'm hoping some if you don't get a response here, you might get something at the other forum linked below.
I posted your problem at another catalina site. I don't know the answer as I haven't taken apart my tiller post yet. I'm hoping some if you don't get a response here, you might get something at the other forum linked below.
1/2" ?!?!?!
1/2 inch at the rudder head is HUGE. I don't think the tube that acts as the rudder bearing is that thick. I'd look for cracks at the top of the tube where it exits into the cockpit. If the tube has come loose there, you should be able to get it aligned and glass the top of the tube back into the hull/cockpit.
1/2 inch at the rudder head is HUGE. I don't think the tube that acts as the rudder bearing is that thick. I'd look for cracks at the top of the tube where it exits into the cockpit. If the tube has come loose there, you should be able to get it aligned and glass the top of the tube back into the hull/cockpit.
Here is a response from the other forum
Below is a response from the other forum I posted a link to, I now quote the poster: "I recently dropped the rudder, partially, on my 1975 C27. Once you remove the bolt holding the tiller in place, and another clamping bolt, the whole rudder will drop out. Just make sure the boat is lifted high enough so that the whole rudder post can drop out of the boat. You will need to have the stern of the boat at least 5-6 feet off the ground to get clearance. As to what the problem is, I can't exactly understand from your post. The whole rudder area is fairly simple, there is a long tube running from the cockpit to the bottom of the hull that the rudder post runs through, and this is integrated into the structure of the boat. Perhaps the tube has cracked, or partially separated from the surrounding hull?"
Below is a response from the other forum I posted a link to, I now quote the poster: "I recently dropped the rudder, partially, on my 1975 C27. Once you remove the bolt holding the tiller in place, and another clamping bolt, the whole rudder will drop out. Just make sure the boat is lifted high enough so that the whole rudder post can drop out of the boat. You will need to have the stern of the boat at least 5-6 feet off the ground to get clearance. As to what the problem is, I can't exactly understand from your post. The whole rudder area is fairly simple, there is a long tube running from the cockpit to the bottom of the hull that the rudder post runs through, and this is integrated into the structure of the boat. Perhaps the tube has cracked, or partially separated from the surrounding hull?"
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