Feeling 36 rudder problem

[GrahamM376]

Anyone know anything about Feeling 36 rudders? A friend out here on a mooring is finding his rudder is getting very stiff, he's had the linkages off and it is a rudder rather than steering circuit problem.

2 years ago, the rudder was removed repaired (split after collision) in the UK under an insurance claim and within a year started to stiffen up, getting worse with time. Different insurer now so no recourse there. He's tried emailing the boat manufacturers for info but they don't even respond.

Anyone know what the bushing is? He'll be lifting out in the autumn if it lasts that long and advance info about what the job entails would help.

 

[30boat]

Quite probably a Nylon bush was fitted that has swelled because of water absorption.

 

[Rigger Mortice]

He's tried emailing the boat manufacturers for info but they don't even respond.

Sorry can't help other than to say that I've found them very helpful when I've had queries; but you have to write in French.....stand by for comments about French letters.

 

[maby]

.... He's tried emailing the boat manufacturers for info but they don't even respond.

....

Do bear in mind that Feeling went bust about a year ago. The current company manufacturing under that name is new. Earlier this year, we came close to buying a Feeling manufactured just before the old company collapsed but we were told that the current manufacturers were not accepting liability for warranty work on boats built before the crash.

 

[Spirit of Glenans]

There was a thread or two about this very subject within the last couple of months. You could trawl back and possibly find it without too much difficulty. A speedier way would be to google "stiff rudder bearing". This should bring up links to at leasty four threads on this forum.

 

[Plevier]

You don't say how old the boat is.
A friend of mine had this with a bigger 1990 Feeling. The rudder got stiffer and stiffer eventually virtually seized.
All efforts to remove it failed and in the end the the lower bearing had to be cut out of the hull. When cut apart it turned out to be a combination of swollen bearing and corroded shaft.
The rudder had to be rebuilt with a new shaft and the hull rebuilt with a new bearing housing. Total cost several k.
Work very nicely done by Cliff Mogridge winchservicing.com
Suggest your friend takes action sooner rather than later!

 

[GrahamM376]

You could trawl back and possibly find it without too much difficulty. A speedier way would be to google "stiff rudder bearing". This should bring up links to at leasty four threads on this forum.

Done that, mostly Bavaria rudder problems. My suspicion is that nylon may have been used but, as far as I know, they wouldn't have needed to re-bush for the repairs needed. Boat is, I think, around 10 years old.

 

[captainboo]

Stiff Feeling Rudder

A friend has just had this problem with his Feeling 36. His rudder was stiff last year and this year just before putting back in the water a couple of months ago it had seized solid and no amount of pressure would budge it. His bushing is a nylon one with a stainless steel retaining ring clamped above it to stop the rudder from dropping.

The quadrant and the collar were removed to take these out of the system but it still wouldn't move even with as much pressure as a person could apply to the blade. It was finally removed by a method that I was rather concerned at but only found out after the event.

The top bearing was removed and a large wooden mallet/hammer (similar to that used at a funfair!) was used to hammer the stock down and out of the bearing using suitable sized tubes as drifts. This was done by people who weren't too concerned about supporting the underside of the hull in the rudder stock area!

Thankfully the hull appears undamaged. The seizing appears due to salt/crud build up around the shaft as once it was out and cleaned it fitted back perfectly and moves without effort.

 

[GrahamM376]

Captainboo, thanks for the info, just what we needed.

 

[the woolman]

Feeling rudder problem

Captainboo, thanks for the info, just what we needed.

It was my boat they were hitting with the mallet...
In addition wedges were inserted between rudder and hull. Eventually with a lot of hammering and split wooden wedges it began to move down. The problem was the lower nylon bearing. We flushed it out and used some emery cloth on the shaft.
Once clean it slid back in quite easily. The problem is now I have to get used to the lightness of the steering.
This needs to be looked at sooner rather than later as it will only get worse, until you cant turn the wheel.