Water entering hull via the top of rudder shaft housing.

[noswellplease]

More sickening experiences when considerable water discovered in bilges during long passage when lack of wind dictated engine only. The boat is a long keeler where the rudder and prop are in close proximity.Anyway not being a marine whiz it appears to me that water is is being driven up the upper connecting tube which houses the rudder shaft and simply spills out at the top of the tube and into to the aft storage locker where it drains back down to the bilges. I noticed the previous owner had put some silicon around the top to this shaft housing but I guess the proper solution is not to be found in a tube of silicon.Without the engine running everything appears to be ok and no water in.
If anyone has any experience of this problem I would be interested in their solutions. I suppose the answer won't be cheap? Now that would be a first! Russ

 

[sailorman]

sounds to me like you should have a "stuffing box" just as the prop shaft does.
thats how mine is done

 

[Guest]

I had exactly same problem ... only my rudder shaft tube exits at cockpit bench level.

The reason mine started ... the bottom of the tube exits the hull and is proud about 5mm ... this has eaten away and is now jagged ..with aft edge still 5mm ... but fwd edge near gone ... so it has a lip that catches the water ... plus of course bernoulli effect ... or is it Venturi ... never remember which ... where a pipe at 90 deg. to a flow causes a suction in the pipe and draws fluid up ...
As long as I keep speed below 5kts on engine ... no problem ... edge it up a bit and it starts ..

Since dropping rudder and grinding away a part of the bottom edge - it has now near stopped. I did think of fashioning a rubber boot with jubilee clip around lower section ... still might ...

 

[oldsaltoz]

I suspect the water may entering the rudder stock tube due to pressure on the leading edge of the rudder and tube interface.

Gluing (Sikaflex) a simple strip of rubber strip bent into a 'U' shape with the open end facing aft and the rounded end covering the rudder stock at the point it enters the tube.

And.......not too expensive, just check and replace as required when pulled out at the end of your season.

If the above resolves your problem then you should consider moulding a simple shape with a faired leading and trailing edge from closed cell balloons or foam and fibreglass.

Avagoodweekend

 

[Guest]

Post deleted by danfoley

 

[Thistle]

Very neat! And thanks for sharing it with us - ideal use of the forum /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[orizaba]

i have done similar to above,my rudder tube went up through the aft cabin,well half way up so i glassed a bit of pipe ont o the original then bonded it to the underside of the deck ,so that was all sealed,i then got a rubber gaiter similar ti the ones used on minis on the drive joint fixed it to the deck and it has a tight fit on the shaft but allows the shaft to move inside it.there is a photo showing it on another post re tillers and rudderstocks.
one other thing i did was,i'd been concerned over galvanic corrossion etc on the shaft so when i extended the tube i made a small sq lipped hole in it and fitted a spring loaded brush from an old drill,the carbon rests on the shaft and the wire goes to the anode,a bit of tape round it to seal/keep it in place and hopefully its doing its job,i check it now and again and all seems ok,

 

[Billjratt]

gaiter sounds good if it's physically possible. the other thing you mention is the "only happens motoring" bit. Does the boat sit up and tuck it's stern down when motoring? Our bathing platform disappears when the revs are up, but not when sailing, if the top of the rudder tube is somewhere near the static waterline, it will 'drown' when you're zooming....

 

[damo]

Mine is sealed with a double-lip oil seal, but always lets a bit of water through. Since the prop is in an aperture (long keeler) directly below the rudder stock I reckon that motoring tends to squirt a bit more water up the rudder tube.

 

[noswellplease]

I checked with my boatyard and it was suggested to me that I re-fill the tube which takes grease, with the thickest grease that I can find. I guess thats what I will try. Not sure if its possible to get heavy grease that is sort of waterproof? Anyone know about this?