[alberg30] Solved the Rudder problem

[Charles Haggart]

Hi Michael;

I see you are  from London On. where do you sail from? I bought an Alberg 30
(KC150) and motored her from Hamilton to Toronto last Saturday. I was
getting a steady stream of water coming into the cockpit from the rudder
post. From your description of your repair job there is a packing gland on
the bottom of the Rudder post if so I guess I can repair that fairly easily
by hauling out and repacking the gland. As a stop gap I have installed an O
ring on the rudder shaft just below the bronze sleeve that acts as the top
bearing for the rudder post. I don't expect it to stop the water just slow
it down a little.

Charles Haggart
  -----Original Message-----
  From: Michael Hay [mailto:phay at netcom.ca]
  Sent: Monday, May 17, 1999 8:43 PM
  To: alberg30 at onelist.com
  Subject: [alberg30] Solved the Rudder problem


  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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