Association Forum - Rudder and Tiller almost MIA

Assn Members Area · Join

Home.

Association Forum

Ships Store

Cruising

Racing

Technical Tips

Photo Gallery - New

Boat Search - Updated

Manuals & Brochures

Swap Meet

Links

Officer Flag Line & Staff

Bylaws & Constitution

Members Area

Join the Association

Notice:
The advice given on this site is based upon individual or quoted experience, yours may differ.
The Officers, Staff and members of this site only provide information based upon the concept that anyone utilizing this information does so at their own risk and holds harmless all contributors to this site.

Association Forum

Username:	Password:
Save Password
Forgot your Password?

All Forums

Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

Catalina 25 Specific Forum

Rudder and Tiller almost MIA

New Topic

Topic Locked

Printer Friendly

Author

Topic

Daren
1st Mate

Member Avatar

USA
81 Posts

Initially Posted - 06/10/2008 : 08:22:46

The other day a surge came through my marina off the Chesapeake Bay and one way or another, my rudder and tiller divorced themselves from the Prima Donna. When I arrived at the boat on Sunday, I immediately noticed something was not right and quickly deduced that the rudder assembly was almost gone. The only thing that kept the entire assembly from going in the drink was a bungee that I had used to lash the tiller to starboard when I left my boat a few days earlier.

I was able to retrieve the rudder and tiller from being askew off the transome and put back into place with the able assistance of Bubba - Thanks!

Unfortunately, the tiller was split from the rear where it is secured to the rudder. I detached the tiller and took it home for repair (which should be done by tonight).

The whole thing was really my fault because like all things sailing, it really is a school of hard knocks for me. Really. Everytime I go to the boat, everytime I sail, everytime I talk to someone about sailing, I learn something new. In this case, the rudder post that fits into the Rudder Gudgeon(again, I don't know the term for this item or assembly), has a small hole in the bottom of the post/pin to accomodate a cotter or ring. The boat didn't come with a cotter/ring to secure the rudder and I never thought to put one in. So as a temporary fix, I inserted a cotter pin to secure the rudder. Moving forward, what fastener is appropriate to secure the rudder?

Anyway, my quest

S/V Prima Donna
1986, 15 HP Universal Inboard Diesel, Fixed keel, Hull # 5362

Edited by - on

redeye
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

3477 Posts

Response Posted - 06/10/2008 : 08:48:57

I've always used what I called a cotter pin. The kind of pin that is used to hold the receiver clevis pin in place on a hitch. You see them also used on many clevis pins on different tractor parts.

You can find many different sizes at Tractor Supply.

Off hand I don't know which one is the correct size.

Edited by - on

Dave Bristle
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

Djibouti
10005 Posts

Response Posted - 06/10/2008 : 09:02:55

The "post" is called a pintle, and yes, a cotter pin is the ticket. What kind of damage did you have to the tiller? In a blow, there can be a lot of leverage on the tiller at the rudder head, especially if you don't have the balanced rudder. For safety, you might want to consider replacing it. Don't even consider WM for that--their price is about triple Catalina Direct's for literally the same tiller.

Edited by - on

Daren
1st Mate

Members Avatar

USA
81 Posts

Response Posted - 06/10/2008 : 09:14:51

The split was with the grain at the point where the screws go through the mounting bracket on top of the rudder. I think the repair will hold, but I did start pricing a replacement tiller from WM, Defender, and Catalina Direct. It really sucked because I had just installed a tiller lock on my tiller - not related to the damage at hand.

Edited by - on

Daren
1st Mate

Members Avatar

USA
81 Posts

Response Posted - 06/10/2008 : 09:16:22

Dave, thanks for your post! Pintle and cotter. I just need to make sure the cotter doesn't jab at the gelcoat.

Edited by - on

dlucier
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

Virgin Islands (United Kingdom)
7583 Posts

Response Posted - 06/10/2008 : 09:40:24

I use a small clevis pin with a split ring to secure the rudder pintle. I also use a stainless washer above clevis pin. In addition, I have nylon washers above the gudgeons that the pintles ride on to both minimize metal-to-metal contact and to slightly raise the entire rudder a wee bit to prevent contact between the tiller mounting bracket and the transom.

Edited by - on

farrison
Navigator

Members Avatar

USA
166 Posts

Response Posted - 06/10/2008 : 10:03:04

I use a SS cotter pin with the ends just slightly splayed open to keep it in place. I have put a 1 1/4" ring through the loop end, so I can reach down and pull the pin (and the rudder) in a hurry if I run aground. By boat has a wing keel and the rudder sticks down below the keel, so it will hit first in shallow water. This happened two years ago to my partner in the boat, and he bent the pintles and gudgeons and nearly tore the lower gudgeon out of the transom before he could pull the rudder. Fiberglass and gelcoat on the rudder and transom, new pintles/gudgeons and a new, third, center gudgeon later, I added the ring to pull the rudder before that happens again. The quick pull pin works great.

Paul

Edited by - on

tinob
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
1883 Posts

Response Posted - 06/10/2008 : 10:26:37

Daren, welcome to the LEAGUE OF LEARNERS, I've been sailing prit-neer seventy years now and I can't remember ever having the identical experience repeated. Its always different. Some are memorable for their peacefulness others for the their contrariness, all of which leads most of us to express the opinion that sailing is a learning experience. Amen!

You said it best ," anyway, my(our)quest"

Val on Calista, # 3936, Patchogue, N.Y.

Edited by - on

Daren
1st Mate

Members Avatar

USA
81 Posts

Response Posted - 06/10/2008 : 10:30:42

Paul, I like the idea of a quick retraction to save the rudder - good idea!

Edited by - on

Topic

New Topic

Topic Locked

Printer Friendly

Jump To:

Association Forum

Notice: The advice given on this site is based upon individual or quoted experience, yours may differ.
The Officers, Staff and members of this site only provide information based upon the concept that anyone utilizing this information does so at their own risk and holds harmless all contributors to this site.