Contessa 26 Rudder fittings

[Sea badger]

Hello

I have noticed that my rudder has 3 fixings. 2 gudgeon pins, on above the waterline and one at the waterline. There is also a fixing at the keel, via a pin in the rudder and a hole in a "heel" located at the keel.

Does anyone know if the lower fitting is there to just stop sideways movement, as the pin does not actually bottom out in the heel?

Thanks

 

[Tranona]

Sounds OK to me. That sort of rudder needs three supports. The bottom one should have a bearing material in it - either a bronze casting or an insert of acetal. The pin does not need to bottom as it is only required to turn in the bearing. Same with the other pins, but usually they do bottom and might even have a bearing material to run on.

 

[Sea badger]

Sounds OK to me. That sort of rudder needs three supports. The bottom one should have a bearing material in it - either a bronze casting or an insert of acetal. The pin does not need to bottom as it is only required to turn in the bearing. Same with the other pins, but usually they do bottom and might even have a bearing material to run on.

Thanks for reply. Makes sense. There isn't any bearing material in the hole, its all made of bronze (i think), there is a bit of play. So I'm planning on getting a bush made up. I was acutally thinking of tufnol. thanks.

 

[itchenseadog]

I think you will find that Tufnel expands ever so slightly under water and would make the rudder stiff to turn so acetal is
probably the best material. Unless the rudder actually vibrates or chatters whilst underway, I would leave it as it is.

 

[Sea badger]

I think you will find that Tufnel expands ever so slightly under water and would make the rudder stiff to turn so acetal is
probably the best material. Unless the rudder actually vibrates or chatters whilst underway, I would leave it as it is.

I will have a look at acetal. I havent seen the boat in the water, and have only just bought her. But noticed a slightsplit at the bottom of the rudder, and it looks like something has gone wrong at the location where the lower rudder pin is.

I have rubbed this back a bit and the split seems to follow the inner edge of the pin. Apparently the pin is 4" long in the rudder. I assume its had a knock or its just a stress fracture??

 

[Tranona]

Quite common in that construction of rudder. Grind back as you have done and remake with epoxy/glass. Acetal is the right thing for bearing inserts, but wear is common in bronze and not usually an issue unless it leads to excessive play and clonking. Would leave until you have the boat in the water to see how it behaves.