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E29 in the water rudder removal

missalot

Member II
Besides the obvious issues of having to get suited up and in the water for the task, has anyone removed and installed a rudder on a E27 or E29 while the boat was still in the water? There is no stuffing box just a hollow tube that runs from bottom of the boat to the cockpit floor so there is not any incoming water issues.

Kyle
 

Frank Langer

1984 Ericson 30+, Nanaimo, BC
Kyle, I have read that looping a bosuns chair (or any other kind of sling) under the rudder and tying the ends off on deck cleats/pushpit allow you to better control dropping the rudder while the boat is in the water. I haven't tried this myself, but would be interested in hearing about your progress.
Frank.
 

windjunkee

Member III
We dropped the rudder on our E-32 while it was in the water. It was really quite easy with one issue.

First, we removed the emergency tiller attachment in the cockpit. Then, we went below and removed the quadrant. It wasn't hard to do, just awkward to reach all the bolts. Then we tied a line around the rudder and tied the other end around a cleat on the dock. Then, we used the handle end of a deck brush and just pushed the rudder shaft down until it cleared the shaft opening.

Here is the warning: When the shaft came free of the shaft opening, it immediately inverted and the blade of the rudder hit the hull, dinging both. The shaft is stainless and the rudder has a foam core so it floats. Even though the shaft was also filled with foam, its weight flipped the rudder upside down. Although I was in the water to wrap the line, I got out of the water to push the shaft through while my partner was in the lazarette watching to make sure it cleared the quadrant.

If I were to do it over again, I would be in the water when the shaft is pushed through, controlling the rudder to prevent it from hitting the hull.

Reinstalling the rudder was fairly easy but required some creative swimming to submerge the rudder and line up the shaft.

Jim McCone
Voice of Reason E-32 Hull #134
Redondo Beach, CA
 

Joe Benedict

Member II
Unless the rudder is completely waterlogged, it should float. There's another thread somewhere on the site that deals with this issue.
 

missalot

Member II
Thanks for the replies, it sounds quite feasible - now if only the water wasn't 50 degrees! I have carried the rudder and post around a couple of times, but never tried to float it - I would not have guessed that it would float - that takes some of the worries off.

Thanks - If I do end up pulling it, I will let you all know how it went.

-Kyle
 

NateHanson

Sustaining Member
Don't count on it floating! If it's saturated it will sink, and you're not likely to be able to keep it up without drowning yourself.

I'd tie something to it before pulling it out. (this might take some creativity, since the shape does not allow for any good attachment, but you can figure something out).
 

CaptnNero

Accelerant
Don't count on it floating! If it's saturated it will sink, and you're not likely to be able to keep it up without drowning yourself.

I'd tie something to it before pulling it out. (this might take some creativity, since the shape does not allow for any good attachment, but you can figure something out).

At the same time it might help to tie something like a 5 gallon bucket of rocks to it to reduce the potential buoyant force.
 

Dave Hussey

Member III
Here is a simple way to determine if it will float...
remove the tiller and push down on the rudder shaft crown, (or whatever the chrome plated brass cap should be properly called) If your E27 is similar to mine, there is a little slop in the shaft, in the vertival plane, and if it isnt waterlogged, it will resist because of its bouyancy...and that is a good thing.
As for pulling it out while afloat,all I can say is I was stressed doing it on the hard...so good luck.
 

missalot

Member II
Just a follow up.

After rigging a line to the rudder stock to keep hold of the works if it got away, and also to feed a line through from the top of the cockpit to the bottom. I was able to push the rudder out (with a bucket of rocks tied to the rudder) of the boat and was able to retrieve it. After I did "core samples" and let the rudder dry, I filled the holes will epoxy and fibers, and coated the whole rudder well.

I put the rudder back in today, got it back in - and no one had to get in the water!

Thanks for all the info!

-Kyle
 
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