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<P>I just dropped my rudder (<I>Brigadoon II, </I>A-275) to install a stuffing
box and quadrant for wheel steering. We found the gudgeon [the Mainsheet
calls it the pintle, but I believe this is the gudgeon] (2-piece as per
the drawing of the "newer rudder design " in the Mainsheet, May 1991) to
be deteriorated. The two bolts that held the halves together were entirely
gone as was one of the bolts that held the assembly to the hull. A couple
of brass wood screws had been sloppily installed near the clamp end, one
of the new holes in the gudgeon had broken out the edge of the thing. In
truth, the rudder was only hanging on the shoe and retained by the tiller
fitting. With so much slop, the gudgeon had bent open somewhat.
<P> Does anyone know of a source for a new gudgeon (the
female half of a pintle & gudgeon) for the Alberg 30? Though my boat
is an older one, the assembly looks like the "new" version described in
Main Sheet. This CAN be repaired if necessary...
<P> Might be worth a mention at the maintenance seminar
that I will not be able to make.
<P> Luck: We found the rudderpost (bronze) already had
a 1/4" keyway cut into it for a quadrant.
<P> poorer luck: older boats do not have a stuffing box
on the rudderpost.
<P>
- Gordon White</HTML>