Rudder and Skeg

[johnbhenning]

Does anyone have ideas or suggestions for a 1976 30' Hunter where the rudder will not traverse all the way to one side. It goes only about 80% of the full distance. The boatyard believed that the cables and mechanism for the rudder were "out of round." The rudder has a skeg. It also seems to be sitting unbalanced on the skeg.

Is there a do it your self fix replacing rudder or repositioning.

 

[braol]

Well, at first glance I would have to say that there is nothing "stopping" the rudder or post from turning. As far as your steering being "out of round" that's ridiculous. Anything being out of round would result in uneven rudder travel, but not limited travel. My guess is that the chain in your pedestal somehow jumped a sprocket or two. With the rudder deflected completly to one side, you should have at least one, if not two, links 'extra' that have not engaged the sprocket yet. It's possible that if you turn your wheel to the limited travel side you run out of chain links at the point where the rudder stops. Just a guess though.

Here is a good link for you: https://www.edsonmarine.com/support/PDFs/planning/EB381SteeringGuide.pdf

Good luck!

 

[Nelsonhow]

Try a painters tool

On my H-30 I get mussels growing between the skeg and the back side of the rudder each year. At the end of the season and before I go back in the water I use a painters tool which looks like a putty knife with a round side to run along a paint roller. The other side has kind of a point. You can get a cheap one any hardware store.

I use the flat side to knock the mussels off. They drop down to the bottom between the rudder and the skeg. Then I used the edge of the tool to crush up the shells into a power/slurry and a little at a time pull the ground up mush out . I think that if you don't do this each year the shells and junk will build up and eventually bind the rudder.

 

[Nelsonhow]

Try a painters tool

On my H-30 I get mussels growing between the skeg and the back side of the rudder each year. At the end of the season and before I go back in the water I use a painters tool which looks like a putty knife with a round side to run along a paint roller. The other side has kind of a point. You can get a cheap one any hardware store.

I use the flat side to knock the mussels off. They drop down to the bottom between the rudder and the skeg. Then I used the edge of the tool to crush up the shells into a power/slurry and a little at a time pull the ground up mush out . I think that if you don't do this each year the shells and junk will build up and eventually bind the rudder.

Its easy to check. If that's not it check to see if you jumped a link on the chain. But if you did the rudder would probably turn fully to one side and not the full turn in the other direction.

 

[braol]

Does it go all the way to one side but not the other...or limited travel in both directions??? It might be rudder stops hidden somewhere. Most rudders lose their steering authority beyond like 70*(can't remember exact # of degrees) anyways...and rudder-stops will prevent steering damage beyond these limits.