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<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff face="Comic Sans MS"><SPAN class=60542201-18051999>Hi
Michael;</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff face="Comic Sans MS"><SPAN
class=60542201-18051999></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff face="Comic Sans MS"><SPAN class=60542201-18051999>I
see you are from London On. where do you sail from? I bought an
Alberg 30 (KC150) and motored her from Hamilton to Toronto last Saturday. I
was getting a steady stream of water coming into the cockpit from the rudder
post. From your description of your repair job there is a packing gland on the
bottom of the Rudder post if so I guess I can repair that fairly easily by
hauling out and repacking the gland. As a stop gap I have installed an O ring on
the rudder shaft just below the bronze sleeve that acts as the top bearing for
the rudder post. I don't expect it to stop the water just slow it down a
little.</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff face="Comic Sans MS"><SPAN
class=60542201-18051999></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff face="Comic Sans MS"><SPAN
class=60542201-18051999>Charles Haggart</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE style="MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
<DIV class=OutlookMessageHeader><FONT face="Times New Roman"
size=2>-----Original Message-----<BR><B>From:</B> Michael Hay
[mailto:phay@netcom.ca]<BR><B>Sent:</B> Monday, May 17, 1999 8:43
PM<BR><B>To:</B> alberg30@onelist.com<BR><B>Subject:</B> [alberg30] Solved the
Rudder problem<BR><BR></DIV></FONT>
<DIV><FONT size=2>To: Doug Wight & Richard Hazlegrove</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>Last week I hauled Rubicon out and spent 8 hours grinding
out the fiberglass around the packing gland (stuffing box). I used a
dremel tool like Richard suggested (works great) and dug down as far as I
dared. I would have gone further but I wasn't sure of the exact length
of the gland. In any case I went down about one and a half inches aft of
the box and about an inch in front. I glassed in the first half one day
and finished the job the next day. There is now 2 inches of new glass
behind the gland (a lot of cloth as well) and about 3 inches in front right up
to the threads on the bronze. It may have failed in the beginning
because not enough glass was put in (a guess). I put the boat back in
after two days curing and it is absolutely dry. This also gave me a
chance to check out the prop shaft for leaks as well. I couldn't before
because of the water leaking over it. It is dry. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>My biggest problem initially was to keep the glass from
running down the hull into the bilge, so I put a dam of cardboard in the way
until I got a bit of buildup. After the initial buildup I used West
System 404 filler to thicken the glass although I used straight glass with the
cloth. The result seems to be very satisfactory. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>I am also wondering if the stress of the Edson wheel system
contributed to the failure. The cables exert quite a pull on the
quadrant and post.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>Hope you get the message Doug, I don't have your
address.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>Thanks again gentlemen for your help.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>Peter Hay</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>Rubicon KC384</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>London, Ontario Canada</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>phay@netcom.ca</FONT></DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE
style="BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px">
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<DIV
style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: black"><B>From:</B>
<A href="mailto:doug@recorder.ca" title=doug@recorder.ca>Douglas Wight</A>
</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A
href="mailto:alberg30@onelist.com"
title=alberg30@onelist.com>alberg30@onelist.com</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Wednesday, May 05, 1999 10:16
PM</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Re: [alberg30] Rudder
problem</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>From: Doug Wight</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>
Owlet, #603 </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>Peter:</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>I thought that I was the only one with the very problem
that you have described. After I purchased my boat (without a survey)
I very quickly learned that there was water gathering in the bilge which had
to be pumped out every day and whenever I was under sail or power it took on
considerably more water. With a strong lantern I could see a steady
stream of water running down from around the rudder stock gland. When
Owlet was lifted onto the hard in the fall and the rudder removed the entire
bronze fitting had to be cut out and sub</FONT><FONT size=2>sequently
re-glassed in.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>When my hull was laid up initially there must have been a
poor bonding of the hull to the gland. It was a big job and I am quite
thankful that I removed almost everything out of the boat because there was
one deuce of a mess of fiber-glass grindings. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>It is wonderful the things that you don't learn untill
after you have closed a deal. It was then that I learned that my engineer
friend, from who I purchased the boat, went down to the marina every day to
pump Owlet out. He had signed a legal affidavit that amongst several
items listed the hull was in sound condition and there were no known
problems. He had sold the boat following open heart surgery and my
better half would not hear of me pursuing the matter through legal
channels. Always get a survey and don't rely on a friends word.
</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>Let me know how you make out. Regards,
Doug.</FONT></DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE
style="BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px">
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<DIV
style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: black"><B>From:</B>
<A href="mailto:phay@netcom.ca" title=phay@netcom.ca>Peter Hay</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A
href="mailto:alberg30@onelist.com"
title=alberg30@onelist.com>alberg30@onelist.com</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> May 4, 1999 7:43 PM</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> [alberg30] Rudder
problem</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#000000 size=2>From: Peter Hay</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#000000
size=2>
Rubicon #384</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#000000
size=2> <A
href="mailto:phay@netcom.ca">phay@netcom.ca</A></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#000000 size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#000000 size=2>Just put my boat in the water.
Discovered that I have a leak where the rudder shaft exits the inside of
the hull. My boat has Edson steering so the quadrant is attached to
the shaft just above the point where the shaft exits the hull into the
boat. When the quadrant turns a crack opens up (very slight) in the
glass where the shaft exits. An intermittent stream comes in but
stops (or slows) once pressure on the steering is removed.
</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#000000 size=2>I guess I have two questions.
1) Will an underwater epoxy allow me to do a temporary repair until
haul out in the fall (I have never used it). </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#000000 size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#000000
size=2>
2) Does anyone have any idea of whether this might be a structural
problem. I am assuming that I can do a permanent fix after haul out
by grinding down the glass and building the area up again. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#000000 size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#000000 size=2>The shaft is fine where it exits the
cockpit, so the upper part of the shaft is well supported. The lower
pintles, etc. are fine. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#000000 size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>Unfortunately I knew about the leak when I bought the
boat, but I thought that the water was simply coming up the shaft.
Observation (albeit late) has now taught me to not take anything for
granted.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>Hope someone has some ideas.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>Thanks</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT
size=2>Peter</FONT></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></BLOCKQUOTE></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>