[Public-List] corroded rudder

[Gordon Laco]

Good advice 

Gord
426 Surprise




> On Mar 13, 2021, at 10:29 PM, Michael Connolly via Public-List <public-list at lists.alberg30.org> wrote:
> 
> Stephen,
> The first A-30"s had wooden rudders. What followed were three or four different arrangements. My boat #133 has her rudder built as you might a wooden rudder. See the A-30 Web Page and look for the Lorrie Rose.  Someone stated that the large flathead bolts thru the rudder stock into the blade were just threaded into the fibreglass. I can not see how that is true.  My blade has nuts burried in the blade to accept the threaded bolts.  I would belive that there has to be some metal fixture in the blade for the bolts to screw into.
> Stephen, if you have not taken the rudder off the boat yet I would not.  I would especially not unscrew the bolts which go into the blade.  Have an assistant hold the tiller while you flex the rudder blade back and forth.  Examine the stock to blade juncture and if there is no relative montion then that is secure. It's not broke, so don't fix it.  Looking at your photos the middle journal has enough meat on it to suffice, though it looks like dezincacavation has taken place because it is reddish more like a copper color. The Zinc in the bronze has leached out via the salt water.  Take some emery cloth and burnish the shaft.  See if you can get to a normal bronze color. If so I would leave well enough alone.  Polish what is left to as round a shape as possible.  Mic the diameter and have a Derilin (R) bushing made with the inner diameter the shaft size and the outer diameter the gudgeon size. You can do this in one step or two. Using one or two telescoping bushings. split the bushings
>  and set them around the shaft. Then use Epoxy and cloth to wrap the outsie circumferance of the bushing. Clamping the gudgeon together will capture the bushing. The wear surface will be between the I.D. of the bushing and the O.D. of the shaft with water being the lubricant. 
> 
> The pin at the shoe is repaired as others have suggested.  I would not reccomend removing the upper stock from the blade if there is no movement there.  The stock is not the same part as the middle pivot pin as I recall.  The upper stock ends well above the middle pivot and would be 1" in diameter and the pin was no more than 5/8" in diameter, perhaps 3/4"
> This is the beginning of your sailing season, don't take on more than you need to.  Forget the yard and their back log you can do all of this yourself.
> Michael
>> On 03/12/2021 7:11 PM Stephen Gwyn via Public-List <public-list at lists.alberg30.org> wrote:
>> 
>> 
>> There's a lot of slop in the middle fitting.
>> 
>> Underway, it's more of a clunk when I tack and the load shifts
>> to the other side. When this happened 15 years ago, it was fixed by
>> putting a bushing in the shoe.
>> 
>> The yard is also not convinced there isn't more corrosion a long the shaft.
>> They reluctantly recommending rebuilding the rudder.
>> Reluctantly, because they're extremely busy right now and don't need 
>> extra work.
>> 
>> While a lot of the sailing I do is in light wind, I do seem to end up
>> pounding through 4 foot waves a few times a year. I've never fussed
>> about the boat breaking. Knowing I've lost that much metal a
>> key spot will not make me calm.
>> 
>> SG
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