VoyForums
[ Show ]
Support VoyForums
[ Shrink ]
VoyForums Announcement: Programming and providing support for this service has been a labor of love since 1997. We are one of the few services online who values our users' privacy, and have never sold your information. We have even fought hard to defend your privacy in legal cases; however, we've done it with almost no financial support -- paying out of pocket to continue providing the service. Due to the issues imposed on us by advertisers, we also stopped hosting most ads on the forums many years ago. We hope you appreciate our efforts.

Show your support by donating any amount. (Note: We are still technically a for-profit company, so your contribution is not tax-deductible.) PayPal Acct: Feedback:

Donate to VoyForums (PayPal):

Sat, May 11 2024, 00:36 [ Login ] [ Contact Forum Admin ] [ Main index ] [ Post a new message ] [ Search | Check update time | Archives: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, [7], 8, 9 ]

[ Next Thread | Previous Thread | Next Message | Previous Message ]

Date Posted: - Friday - 03/30/07 - 11:25am
Author: Steve B
Subject: Rudders
In reply to: Randall 's message, "Confused." on - Thursday - 03/29/07 - 6:05pm

I'll take some pictures this week and send them to you.

Until then I'll try and explain what I found on mine. You're right, the bronze bolts extend throught the rudder post and penetrate the entire length of the rudder, horizontally. There were 4 or 5 wooden plugs in the aft edge of the rudder, covering the nuts, the plugs are about an inch in diameter, the nut was a 9/16 or 5/8 inch, can't remember. The glue that was used on the plugs wasn't very durable as all of the plugs were either loose or missing. Every nut was either broken off, missing altogether or corroded beyond practical use. I'm a little nervous about this original design, but I may have the only Mariner with this problem. As you know, rudders have to work right all the time. I don't see any other posts about problems with rudders. I plan on sanding and painting the original rudder and re-installing it. I may fill the cracks with some epoxy after sanding and before painting it. I lost a rudder on a Santana once, had to drag an anchor off the port or starboard side to steer it back to the marina. No fun. I'll try and get some pics to you when I install it.

[ Next Thread | Previous Thread | Next Message | Previous Message ]

Replies:

[> [> [> Makes sense, thanks. -- Randall, - Friday - 03/30/07 - 1:52pm

That makes perfect sense. I've never taken the after edge of the rudder down to bare wood; thus, missed the plugs. Thanks much for the description.

Odd re the nuts at the end. Wonder what it implies? Extreme pressure on the rods at the bitter end? For boats of our size, the rudder is massive, but that’s counter intuitive. Electrolysis? Seems this would have attacked the lower gudgeon first.

Curious to know what you think as you keep working thru. How is the weld where the rod contacts the post holding up?

Do you have the rudder entirely apart? i.e. could you take snaps of the bronze skeleton itself?

Not sure I'd bother with the fill. I've tried to fair the leading edge of Murre’s rudder with epoxy, but after a few months it blows off from all the water pressure there.

Thanks again.

RR


[ Edit | View ]

[> [> [> [> RudderTalk -- Steve B, - Friday - 03/30/07 - 2:55pm

I have an annode bolted to the prop shaft, which has nearly disentgrated, looks like it's doing it's job. Unless the rudder is grounded to the boat, you may be right, it could be electrolysis. The thru bolts aren't welded to the rudder frame tubing. They have a beveled head on the fore side and sit into a tapered recess in the rudder frame. I had to drive them out from the aft side of the rudder using a long drift punch. I'll get you some pictures this week.

Steve


[ Edit | View ]


[ Contact Forum Admin ]

Forum timezone: GMT-5
VF Version: 3.00b, ConfDB:
Before posting please read our privacy policy.
VoyForums(tm) is a Free Service from Voyager Info-Systems.
Copyright © 1998-2019 Voyager Info-Systems. All Rights Reserved.