Bent rudder shaft

[LACI GALE 31jc]

Went to the hudson on Friday this is what happen to my rudder.

 

[F/V First Team]

That doesn't look all that great, is there a story to go along with it at least?

 

[j dandy]

I hope so , would like to here it

 

[CEShawn]

Hmm, we are all being held in suspense!

 

[sailor of fortune]

Ouch !! That Sucks.

 

[El Mar]

Yah, ouch!!

My guess is the lower bearing let go and the propwash blew back the rudder and bent the shaft??

I assume you needed to be towed?

We need the story.

 

[CEShawn]

Crap even being towed must have not been fun right? Wouldn't it still kick ya over? Please tell the story when you have time. We can all benefit from the story and how you got home.

 

[Blacktide]

No story, My dad was with him and they drove all the way home like that!!

 

[captainlarry84]

It appears to me that the lower shoe failed. The failure was do mostly to a repair, as the ss plate capping the lower shoe is not original JC work. The attached photos show standard JC lower shoe gear. If the fiberglass keel shoe is still in tacked I would replace the lower SS unit with the standard buck Alquin unit whish is still available. The rudder can the be re stocked & re peddled. I would also carefully inspect the stuffing box which must be removed for cracks just below the packing nuts. Even though you can remove the rudder the stuffing box must be removed to swing in the repaired rudder. I had my rudder reshafted by S&S. Reasonable pricing.

 

[MDI45]

No story, My dad was with him and they drove all the way home like that!!

What do you mean no story.........we know it didn't bend by itself

 

[LACI GALE 31jc]

Who ever welded lower shoe did a shity job it done with a stick weld.
We had 6-8'' following sea on the way out and 3-5 on the way home @ 14 knots. I removed the tiller arm and packing nut and the rudder fell out
and took it over to larry johnson shop in freeport be restocked. gonna remove the stuffing box in the morning and make up a new lower shoe like CAPTLARRYS. We also lost a 250 300# eyeball

 

[j dandy]

It appears to me that the lower shoe failed. The failure was do mostly to a repair, as the ss plate capping the lower shoe is not original JC work. The attached photos show standard JC lower shoe gear. If the fiberglass keel shoe is still in tacked I would replace the lower SS unit with the standard buck Alquin unit whish is still available. The rudder can the be re stocked & re peddled. I would also carefully inspect the stuffing box which must be removed for cracks just below the packing nuts. Even though you can remove the rudder the stuffing box must be removed to swing in the repaired rudder. I had my rudder reshafted by S&S. Reasonable pricing.

captainlarry, can't tell in the pics if your rudder is welded or brased to the shaft on top of rudder, but looks like two pins in rudder two shaft.
had mine the same way two pins but the pins snaped and rudder hit prop was not a good thing.may have been do to electrolyze on the pins.
took and counter sunk two holes bouth sides of rudder and brased to the shaft and also brased rudder to shaft at top of rudder. maybe yours is, like i say can't tell in pic. just a thought.

 

[captainlarry84]

The rudder was machined for new ss shafting a pressed in for a very tight fit. Next it was also pinned. A very solid job. It sounds to me that on your job the rudder stock post was no a tight pressed in fit. That left only the pins to prevent a rudder spin, which is not good.

 

[captainlarry84]

Who ever welded lower shoe did a shity job it done with a stick weld.
We had 6-8'' following sea on the way out and 3-5 on the way home @ 14 knots. I removed the tiller arm and packing nut and the rudder fell out
and took it over to larry johnson shop in freeport be restocked. gonna remove the stuffing box in the morning and make up a new lower shoe like CAPTLARRYS. We also lost a 250 300# eyeball

When you get the new lower shoe from Larry have him press in the cutlass bearing it gives a very solid fit

 

[blackdiamond296]

It appears to me that the lower shoe failed. The failure was do mostly to a repair, as the ss plate capping the lower shoe is not original JC work. The attached photos show standard JC lower shoe gear. If the fiberglass keel shoe is still in tacked I would replace the lower SS unit with the standard buck Alquin unit whish is still available. The rudder can the be re stocked & re peddled. I would also carefully inspect the stuffing box which must be removed for cracks just below the packing nuts. Even though you can remove the rudder the stuffing box must be removed to swing in the repaired rudder. I had my rudder reshafted by S&S. Reasonable pricing.

Wow that's an old photo Larry- I think that's me in the shot holding the Guppy for demonstration purposes... but that's for the electrolysis discussion

 

[LACI GALE 31jc]

Got the stuffing box and bolts out this morning and it was cracked like you said Larry

 

[captainlarry84]

Easy fix, that stuffing box is standard Buck Alquin.

http://catalog.buckalgonquin.com/vi...de-mount-square-flange?&bc=100|1423|1688|1555

 

[CaptDave]

Isnpection

Sorry about your casualty but by posting here lots of guys will be thinking of a better inspection of the rudder, shoe and bearing before going back in next season. I wish you the best of luck and once repaired properly you will not have to worry about it for many years.

Dave

 

[captainlarry84]

Once complete it is also important that each component be tied into the bonding system. With the packing around the rudder post the stuffing box will need a grounding jumper.

 

[LACI GALE 31jc]

After two weeks out of the water finally back in . Put in new rudder port ,rudder was restocked and i made up a new shoe. Had to dry fit the rudder,rudder port and shoe a few times to get it to line up just right the first time the bottom shaft of the rudder was out about 1"to the starboard stern from center of skeg i had to grind some glass under rudder port to get it where i wanted it to be.