Loose Strut

[Frank7605]

I just purchased a C27 and duing the bottom inspection we noticed the strut which supports the prop shaft to be loose. It has a small amount of side to side play. I was told this is not a major concern and can be fixed during the next bottom job. I plan to pull the boat out in the next few months and wonder if anyone has repaired this problem.

 

[Peter]

Strut

I have not done this repair, but see attached link to c30 site that describes the fix. If you scroll down a little you'll find a jpg of a fax from the catalina factory showing some detail for the fix. You'll notice on the fax that the setup is the same on the c27 and c30.http://www.catalina30.com/TechLib/Cutlass%20Bearing/strut_repairs.htmPeter

 

[Bill O'Donovan]

Cutlass bearing

Peter is referring to the challenge of replacing the cutlass bearing, which has worn down over time and made the strut floppy. Depending on your boat, this can be an hour's work or a lot more. Check with a fellow sailor nearby in the marina for advice on your particular model. Hunters from the mid-90s are difficult to work on, to my surprise.

 

[Peter]

Actually Bill

Actually Bill, the link is to repairing a loose strut, not replacing the cutlass bearing. It shows how the strut is attached and how others have fixed it. But there's also a description of how to replace the cutlass bearing too somewhere on that site, although I think it's easier to have the yard do that for you.Peter

 

[saildriver]

Its gonna be quite a job.

Frank,I own a C27 myself and had it out at the Seabrook Shipyard a few months ago. While we had her out, we went over everything and found that the cutlass bearing was going out. In speaking with the shipyard folks I found out that on the C27's you have to remove the rudder and take the entire shaft apart to get it repaired. Additionally, you have to manually thrust the bearings in and out because most of the bearing jacks don't fit in the confined space around the strut.Why don't you call Larry at the Seabrook Shipyard, he can give you some more details. By the way my wife and I are out of Texas City, hope to see you on the water soon.

 

[Marc Honey]

is actually a really BIG deal and needs to be fixed immediately and correctily. Can cause all sort of problems all the way up the driveline. Hope it wasn't a surveyor who told you that, I'm guessing it was the owner/seller.