windblown
Member III
I‘ve contemplated dropping the rudder for several seasons because I find quite a bit of water in the bilge after motoring, but I found the Idea of working with the rudder and the quadrant to be rather intimidating. Pumping lots of grease through the zerks kept the volume of water manageable, but on one of the last sails of this season, the wheel felt a little stiff. When I checked below, I found grease oozing out of the collar as though the fiberglass had separated from the brass collar.
So at haul out today, we asked for some extra time in the sling. I removed the plate in the cockpit over the rudder post using a spanner wrench. I loosened the tension of the steering cable on the quadrant. So far, so good.
Next, I removed the nut on the rudder pin while the admiral and a friend stacked wooden blocks below the rudder. I pulled the rudder pin, but nothing happeNed. I went to the cockpit and tapped the the top of the rudder post. It didn’t budge. Below, they moved the rudder back and forth.
I returned to the quarter birth and began the familiar contortions required to work behind the water heater, and below the binnacle. With some effort, I was able to ease the two bolts on the quadrant that I could see on the port side. I returned to the cockpit, but the rudder still wouldn’t budge.
Back down below, I could feel the two other bolts on the quadrant; they were very hard to reach, and it was even harder get the socket wrench angle right, but once I got a grip on them, I found they were well lubricated and I could get them to loosen.
Back in the cockpit, a light tap with the mallet, and voila! The rudder eased it’s way down.
As soon as the rudder post passed through the quadrant, the quadrant clunked forward off the brass collar, and so many mysteries were revealed.
I should have done this years ago.
So at haul out today, we asked for some extra time in the sling. I removed the plate in the cockpit over the rudder post using a spanner wrench. I loosened the tension of the steering cable on the quadrant. So far, so good.
Next, I removed the nut on the rudder pin while the admiral and a friend stacked wooden blocks below the rudder. I pulled the rudder pin, but nothing happeNed. I went to the cockpit and tapped the the top of the rudder post. It didn’t budge. Below, they moved the rudder back and forth.
I returned to the quarter birth and began the familiar contortions required to work behind the water heater, and below the binnacle. With some effort, I was able to ease the two bolts on the quadrant that I could see on the port side. I returned to the cockpit, but the rudder still wouldn’t budge.
Back down below, I could feel the two other bolts on the quadrant; they were very hard to reach, and it was even harder get the socket wrench angle right, but once I got a grip on them, I found they were well lubricated and I could get them to loosen.
Back in the cockpit, a light tap with the mallet, and voila! The rudder eased it’s way down.
As soon as the rudder post passed through the quadrant, the quadrant clunked forward off the brass collar, and so many mysteries were revealed.
I should have done this years ago.
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