[Public-List] Rudder Romoval Problems

[Rachel]

Hi Mick,

Assuming your rudder is similar to my ex-#221....

I did not remove my rudder from the boat, but I did tear it down far  
enough to get a good understanding of how it is put together.

If you are trying to remove the blade from the post, I would first  
suggest that you look at the drawings (on the Alberg.org website)  
which are the metalwork drawings that Whitby sent out to the metal  
shop.  This shows the metal parts and agreed with what was on my boat.

To describe:

The rudder post is in multiple pieces.  The top piece, for example,  
goes from the top of the rudder (well, and on up into the boat) down  
to the prop aperature.  Then there is a lower section below that (or  
sections... can't remember offhand but I think it is one section from  
the aperature down to the bottom).

I'll describe the upper section, and you can extrapolate.

1) The post comes down and forms the leading edge of the rudder.

2) Attached to the post, are several brass "fingers" that go into the  
rudder like rays, on the inside.

3) About 5" aft of the post (NOT on the trailing edge of the rudder),  
there is a vertical, square keyway molded into the rudder.  These  
fingers terminate in that keyway, and the threaded ends have nuts on  
them.  This is what holds the rudder onto the post.  The keyway is  
then filled (in my case with a strip of wood, from the builder, on the  
lower section and with fiberglassy filler on the upper section) and  
faired. You can also see the slotted end of these finger/bolts on the  
forward edge of the rudder post.

4) The keyway can be "reamed" out - there is still a gelcoat surface  
behind it because the rudder was molded around something that formed  
the keyway (for example, I could see the grain of the wood strip that  
fills the lower keyway; it was probably used as mold AND later filler  
piece). Then you could remove the nuts.  What I'm not sure about is  
whether the fingers would slide free of the rudder molding.

5) There are additional brass bracing "straps" on both sides of the  
rudder that are riveted to each other (they sandwich the rudder), but  
these are not connected to the rudder post in any way, and I do not  
believe they would need to be removed (but again, I did not remove my  
blade).

6) The rudder itself is all fiberglass from what I could tell, except  
for the brass straps and the keyway filler.

If you would like a couple of photos, just send me an e-mail off-list.

Rachel
ex-#221
(and darned sorry I sold her!)


On Dec 3, 2009, at 7:52 PM, Michael Taylor wrote:

> The rudder on hull on #231 is proving to be difficult to  
> remove.  ...  I read that it is possible to separate the top section  
> of the rudder post presumably by removing the nuts buried on the  
> trailing edege of the rudder.  However, in the manual it appears  
> there are bronze straps secured to the rudder post internally which  
> would preclude the separation of the rudder post.  With the rudder  
> post separated things would be much easier.


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