[Public-list] Shaft Play, Crooked Tiller

[Mike Lehman]

No comment on your rudder. But your play in the prop shaft is mostly likely 
to be caused by wear on the cutlass bearing. There should alwyas be a small 
amount, but if you feel that yours has excessive play, then replace the 
cutlass bearing. If you can get a good look at it while it is in place, 
compare the ribbing to that of a new one. If the ribbing is nearly gone, 
replace the cutlass bearing.



Mike Lehman
"Gilleleje" #505

~~~_/)_/) ~_/) ~~





----Original Message Follows----
From: "Roger L. Kingsland" <rkingsland101 at ksba.com>
Reply-To: Alberg 30 Public List -- open to all <public-list at alberg30.org>
To: "Alberg30" <public-list at alberg30.org>
Subject: [Public-list] Shaft Play, Crooked Tiller
Date: Tue, 18 May 2004 10:12:09 -0400

Albergers,

When I wiggle my shaft (I'm not even going to touch that one) a get a fair 
amount of play (say 1/16" to 1/32").  A few weeks ago I was in a yard w/ two 
A30s on the hard and I wiggled their propeller shafts to discover one had a 
little less play than mine and the other almost none.  Any thoughts please 
on whether not I have a problem and, if so, how to fix it?

Second and more wierd, when I steer the boat straight, the tiller is about 
7% to the left of the center line 9(erhaps the previous owner sailed alot on 
port tack and wanted an aseire reach to the tiller).  I originally thought 
it would just be a matter of readjusting the tiller attachment to the rudder 
shaft (like the handle bars of a bike) but, NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO; it looks 
like the shaft was actually imbeded in the rudder crooked!  The connection 
to the tiller has one of those keyways and rather than being at the top of 
the shaft facing forward, the keyway is slightly to port.  When I showed him 
pictures, Towney noticed that my rudder is not stock.  Rather than the nice 
curve upward to the trailing edge, the bottom is flat and the trailing edge 
is almost vertical.  Leads me to believe someone modified/replaced the 
rudder to increase the surface area (yes, I know it is not race legal but, I 
hope to be able to turn on a dime while crusing).  After pulling her out, I 
also noticed water oozing out of the leading edge just aft of the prop .

Short of grinding out the shaft and reglassing it onto the rudder at the 
correct angel, I am not sure what to do.  One thought. I have to make a wood 
steaming box for the new toe rail.  I could steam and bend the tiller in a 
lazy, asymmetrical "S" to "straighten out" the problem.  Might make for good 
cockpit cocktail conversation (tripple C).  Plus, I could research obscure 
languages for the translation for "crooked stick" and, if one sounded neat, 
rename the boat.

I plan to grind out the part where I noticed water oozing just to see what 
the problem is.  I will also look for evidence indicating if the rudder is 
new or a modified version of the original. Has any one rebuilt a rudder 
sufficiently to learn what's inside and how I might fix the problem?  Does 
anyone know where I might find a stock rudder?  Are the stealers going to 
ever again win the Super Bowl?

Thanks,

Roger Kingsland
Chief Boat Boy
PERFECT intentions, A30 #148
on the hard at N40° 33.945' W79° 51.260'

Author's Disclaimer; This email was produced exclusively by the sender and, 
in the interest of expediency, without the benefit of editing by others.  
The sender, thank goodness, is a much better architect/sailor than 
speller/editor and, frankly, constantly laments an obvious flaw in "spell 
check," it does not know what the author is thinking.  Please accept the 
sender's sincere apologies for any "typos" that may appear in this document. 
  If present, they are certainly unintended and hopefully do not cloud the 
message, or spawn any unnecessary lawsuits.
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