SJ 7.7 rudder post

[lost sailor]

Hello,

I am considering dropping my rudder to repack in effort to troubleshoot stiffness. The tiller feels solid under way, but is a bit sticky when maneuvering at docking speeds.
Has anyone ever done this, and if so, maybe provide a link to the assembly.
Thanks!

 

[tsheie]

Yes, been through that-- our rudder was waterlogged when we bought the boat, and had to drop it to get it dried out.. When you take the tiller off, there's a ring assembly right there on the cockpit floor that (after you take it off) allows the rudder to slide down and out of the sleeve. I'm guessing that once you get it out, some light buffing of the stainless rudder post will do the trick. (Ours is a bit loose, so we slide very thin PVC shims in there to tighten it up).. You probably can't do this alone!