[alberg30] Solved the Rudder problem

[Michael Hay]

To:  Doug Wight & Richard Hazlegrove

Last week I hauled Rubicon out and spent 8 hours grinding out the fiberglass around the packing gland (stuffing box).  I used a dremel tool like Richard suggested (works great) and dug down as far as I dared.  I would have gone further but I wasn't sure of the exact length of the gland.  In any case I went down about one and a half inches aft of the box and about an inch in front.  I glassed in the first half one day and finished the job the next day.  There is now 2 inches of new glass behind the gland (a lot of cloth as well) and about 3 inches in front right up to the threads on the bronze.  It may have failed in the beginning because not enough glass was put in (a guess).  I put the boat back in after two days curing and it is absolutely dry.  This also gave me a chance to check out the prop shaft for leaks as well.  I couldn't before because of the water leaking over it.  It is dry.  

My biggest problem initially was to keep the glass from running down the hull into the bilge, so I put a dam of cardboard in the way until I got a bit of buildup.  After the initial buildup I used West System 404 filler to thicken the glass although I used straight glass with the cloth.  The result seems to be very satisfactory.  
I am also wondering if the stress of the Edson wheel system contributed to the failure.  The cables exert quite a pull on the quadrant and post.

Hope you get the message Doug, I don't have your address.

Thanks again gentlemen for your help.

Peter Hay
Rubicon  KC384
London, Ontario Canada
phay at netcom.ca
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Douglas Wight 
  To: alberg30 at onelist.com 
  Sent: Wednesday, May 05, 1999 10:16 PM
  Subject: Re: [alberg30] Rudder problem


  From: Doug Wight
            Owlet, #603    
  Peter:
  I thought that I was the only one with the very problem that you have described.  After I purchased my boat (without a survey) I very quickly learned that there was water gathering in the bilge which had to be pumped out every day and whenever I was under sail or power it took on considerably more water.  With a strong lantern I could see a steady stream of water running down from around the rudder stock gland.  When Owlet was lifted onto the hard in the fall and the rudder removed the entire bronze fitting had to be cut out and subsequently re-glassed in.
  When my hull was laid up initially there must have been a poor bonding of the hull to the gland.  It was a big job and I am quite thankful that I removed almost everything out of the boat because there was one deuce of a mess of fiber-glass grindings. 
  It is wonderful the things that you don't learn untill after you have closed a deal. It was then that I learned that my engineer friend, from who I purchased the boat, went down to the marina every day to pump Owlet out.  He had signed a legal affidavit that amongst several items listed the hull was in sound condition and there were no known problems.  He had sold the boat following open heart surgery and my better half would not hear of me pursuing the matter through legal channels.  Always get a survey and don't rely on a friends word.  
  Let me know how you make out.  Regards, Doug.
    ----- Original Message ----- 
    From: Peter Hay 
    To: alberg30 at onelist.com 
    Sent: May 4, 1999 7:43 PM
    Subject: [alberg30] Rudder problem


    From:  Peter Hay
              Rubicon  #384
              phay at netcom.ca
     
    Just put my boat in the water.  Discovered that I have a leak where the rudder shaft exits the inside of the hull.  My boat has Edson steering so the quadrant is attached to the shaft just above the point where the shaft exits the hull into the boat.  When the quadrant turns a crack opens up (very slight) in the glass where the shaft exits.  An intermittent stream comes in but stops (or slows) once pressure on the steering is removed.  

    I guess I have two questions.  1)  Will an underwater epoxy allow me to do a temporary repair until haul out in the fall (I have never used it).  
     
                                                2)  Does anyone have any idea of whether this might be a structural problem.  I am assuming that I can do a permanent fix after haul out by grinding down the glass and building the area up again. 
     
    The shaft is fine where it exits the cockpit, so the upper part of the shaft is well supported.  The lower pintles, etc. are fine.  
     
    Unfortunately I knew about the leak when I bought the boat, but I thought that the water was simply coming up the shaft.  Observation (albeit late) has now taught me to not take anything for granted.
     
    Hope someone has some ideas.
    Thanks
    Peter
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