Pearson 303 rudder removal

Jan 8, 2011
5
Pearson 303 Christiansted Harbor, St. Croix USVI
1983 Pearson 303 owner
Need info related to rudder removal, repair or replacement. ...
 

higgs

.
Aug 24, 2005
3,736
Nassau 34 Olcott, NY
Removing a rudder on any boat is pretty straight forward. Block it up from the outside, remove anything that is attached to the rudder post and slide it out. They can be pretty heavy, so help is a good thing. Some boats need to dig a hole so the rudder post can clear the hull. It all depends on your boat.
 
Feb 26, 2004
23,349
Catalina 34 224 Maple Bay, BC, Canada
Dangerous. Unless you can figure out a FOOLPROOF way to support it. And I've not heard of one. Unless you know your rudder floats, it seems a real risk.
 
Jan 8, 2011
5
Pearson 303 Christiansted Harbor, St. Croix USVI
Not sure if it floats or not but if it doesn't then l guess I'll just plug the hole, dive down and lash a rope to it with 2 fenders to raise it. It's only about 9' deep here.
 
Jan 8, 2011
5
Pearson 303 Christiansted Harbor, St. Croix USVI
My main question is, what's needed to detach it from the skeg?
 

higgs

.
Aug 24, 2005
3,736
Nassau 34 Olcott, NY
You are going to have to get a good look at how that rudder is attached at the bottom to the skeg and figure out how to detach it from there. Does it lift up and out, do you have to remove the fitting at the bottom? These are questions you will need to figure out. It appears no one here knows that answer. Its a lot easier with the boat on the hard, but you know that.
 
Oct 6, 2008
857
Hunter, Island Packet, Catalina, San Juan 26,38,22,23 Kettle Falls, Washington
If you drop the rudder at the mooring and have to use a plug how do you plan to remove the plug to install the rudder when repaired? I will be very hard to control the ingress of water when installing it.
Ray
 
Jan 8, 2011
5
Pearson 303 Christiansted Harbor, St. Croix USVI
All good points raised, thanks, and I've been considering them all carefully. The only one that's unanswered still is how to detach it from the skeg. Once I figure that out I'll be good to go and I think it would be s

83P303-rudder.jpg



83P303-rudder.jpg

afer and cheaper to remove and reinstall it whilst on the mooring especially if it floats a bit. 2 bilge pumps onboard should handle the wata flo, I'm thinking. ...

(If only my bottom was as clean as these pics I found)!
 

Attachments

May 1, 2014
3
Hunter 30 Sanfrancisco
Tie a safety line to your rudder

Hi,

If you are thinking of removing / attaching the rudder while at the mooring, I strongly recommend that you should tie a safety rope to your rudder. So in case if the rudder slips from your hand, you can easily pull it up with the rope.

I do this on my Seabird boat! :)