Clonk noise from sterring gear

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asteven221

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I am on a weeks cruise on our new to us Bav 44. It was surveyed a month ago when we bought it and was ok in the report. However I noticed a distinct clonking coming from the steering. Steering gear is not something I know much about on yachts but on investigation the noise corresponds with a very slight but distinct lateral movement at the large nut on which the emergency tiller attaches. Sorry for the poor description!

The steering is light and positive and seems normal otherwise.

I would really appreciate it if anyone with experience of this sort of issue could advise me on what I should be checking and if a fix is feasible in the water eg tighten something. Or more worrying if I could lose steering altogether.

Thank for any advice.
 
Sounds like your top rudder bearing is worn. There should be no movement there. It'll need replacing. You can undo the top nut to visually check if there is play between the shaft and the bearing. The rudder will not fall out of the boat - it'll rest on the quadrant and bracket inside. Afterwards do up the nut (and the locking bolt that compresses it to lock) again. Check the quadrant is clearing top and bottom of its bracket!

Someone may advise you to just tighten up the top nut. This is incorrect - the shaft and bearing ball are not tapered and there is a very limited amount of space in the quadrant bracket.

When you next haul out, the bottom bearing will also warrant inspection, although as that one wears faster, it may have already been replaced before. Lots more info at bavariayacht.org by the way.
 
Richard10002 said:
Can the top bearing be replaced in the water... if so, it sounds like an easy fix.
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I've read an article about a crew who dropped their damaged rudder in the middle of an Atlantic crossing, with a rope attached to the top of the post, then retrieved it as it floated up aft of the boat. They jury-rigged a new rudder blade or something like that and then pulled it back into the boat and sailed the rest of the way. Some crazy stuff is possible if you're a bit daring and creative :-)

To replace the top bearing in the water, the rudder would need to be dropped only about 20cm, which requires removing quadrant, autopilot arm, rudder position sensor, etc. and then securing the rudder from falling out all the way. Certainly not impossible, but probably more sensible to let it clonk the rest of the season and then haul out afterwards to sort things and also check the bottom bearing, which may well be contributing to the clonking.
 
asteven221 said:
Thanks for the great replies. Appreciated.
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My upper rudder stock bearing on a tiller steered boat has clonked a little throughout my ownership of 24 years. It has never got any worse except two years ago when it turned out it was the lower one that had worn. Replacing that has restored the upper minor clonk to where it was. I would not rush to change yours, find out the full story when ashore.
 
Yngmar said:
I've read an article about a crew who dropped their damaged rudder in the middle of an Atlantic crossing, with a rope attached to the top of the post, then retrieved it as it floated up aft of the boat. They jury-rigged a new rudder blade or something like that and then pulled it back into the boat and sailed the rest of the way. Some crazy stuff is possible if you're a bit daring and creative :-)

To replace the top bearing in the water, the rudder would need to be dropped only about 20cm, which requires removing quadrant, autopilot arm, rudder position sensor, etc. and then securing the rudder from falling out all the way. Certainly not impossible, but probably more sensible to let it clonk the rest of the season and then haul out afterwards to sort things and also check the bottom bearing, which may well be contributing to the clonking.
Click to expand...

That'll be a No then? :)
 
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