[Public-List] Rudder construction (esp. Michael Grosh)

[dickdurk at atlanticbb.net]

Hi Rachel
Those drawings are dated 1969 and my boat's rudder 
construction is very close to the drawing (1967).

As far as I can tell, the difference between brass and 
bronze is mostly a question of alloy material and 
percentages; I don't know how a 'shade tree mechanic' 
would be able to assay what it really is, but it sure 
looks like 1" bronze shaft stock to me.

The rudder construction itself is fiberglass with some 
triangular shaped wood strips inserted-I don't know what 
the purpose of those strips were, but mine started to pop 
out at one point and I bonded them back in place with 
thickened resorcinol and havn't had any problems since. I 
havn't been in it any more than that, I'm guessing it's 
cored with something, but it could be solid 'glass. In any 
event, I have ground it down pretty good several times and 
have not noticed any stress cracks, etc.

I have replaced the bottom piece of stock (that holds the 
pin that inserts into the shoe. That stock showed evidence 
of elecrolysis, or perhaps tin (what makes copper 
brass)ions moving elseware. A straightforward repair. Kind 
of fun, actually. Bronze is a great material to work with. 
Bronze shafting is available from Jamestown Distributors, 
I believe.

MichaelGrosh
#220




On Tue, 8 Apr 2008 18:15:45 -0400
  Rachel <penokee at cheqnet.net> wrote:
> I found where Whitby's original rudder plans were kept 
>online at the 
> Alberg 30 website.  If I remember correctly, they were 
>from an early 
> boat (pre 100?) and were donated by Michael Grosh.
> 
> I'm curious as to how my rudder is constructed, and I 
>noted on the 
> Whitby specs that the rudder post and other bits were 
>specced out to be 
> brass, which of course is not a great metal to have 
>underwater.  I'm 
> hoping that maybe they changed that before they got too 
>many rudders 
> made that way.
> 
> I noted "especially Michael Grosh" in my subject line, 
>because I gather 
> from the archives that he has rebuilt his rudder (or 
>inspected it 
> closely), and his boat is just one number older than 
>mine, so his word 
> is probably as close to gold as I'll get for how my 
>particular rudder 
> was constructed at the factory (Michael has #220 and I 
>have #221).
> 
> So, my first question is whether my boat's rudder is 
>likely to match 
> those specs (Michael or other hulls close to mine?)
> 
> And my second is - if it DOES match those drawings - 
>what kind of brass 
> did they use?  I understand that Naval or Red are better 
>than some 
> others... maybe?
> 
> Has anyone with a rudder around my number taken a peek 
>inside?
> 
> Thanks ahead,
> Rachel
> 1967 Alberg 30, #221
> 
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