Association Forum - Rudder cracks

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 250 Specific Forum

Rudder cracks

New Topic

Topic Locked

Printer Friendly

Author

Topic

Page: of 2

Tradewind
Admiral

Members Avatar

USA
531 Posts

Response Posted - 12/02/2011 : 14:52:14

Rick, no reason not to consider a new rudder from the factory, I looked on CD first and saw the HDPE.
The boat was out of the water for a year, the stern was to the north with the tiller hard over so the rudder was not in direct sunlight, also the crack was there before I put her on the trailer.
I have some experience with fiberglass, primarily repairing gelcoat blisters on a previous boat, so I'll probably attempt to repair it myself. Cosmetics are not that important, can't really see it when I'm sailing anyway.
The rudder is not original equipment, PO put on this 3rd gen rudder and he told me he got it from Catalina, didn't know the pointed front was not on all 3rd gen rudders. Maybe I'll call Catalina and inquire about the difference.

Edited by - on

Nautiduck
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
3704 Posts

Response Posted - 12/03/2011 : 13:13:16

If you go with a rudder from the factory check it very carefully. I tried to buy one last year. The first one they send was poorly made and had very poor shape. Ditto the second. I think they lost their rudder molds when they moved the C250 production to Florida. I gave up and went with the HDPE and, like I wrote, have liked it.

Edited by - on

Tradewind
Admiral

Members Avatar

USA
531 Posts

Response Posted - 12/03/2011 : 15:11:23

Thanks Randy, I remember reading about that deformed rudder. I think I'll try to fiberglass it myself, nothing to lose really, if it doesn't work I'll probably go with the HDPE based on your experience.
On a different note, Randy, do you work at HP? My sister and her husband have a C22 on Fern Ridge Lake, she works at HP and said your name was familiar when I mentioned your 250 on the same lake.

Edited by - on

TakeFive
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

2272 Posts

Response Posted - 12/03/2011 : 16:58:22

From the OP's picture, it looks like the pintle bolts were secured with nylon-insert lock nuts. Mine was installed with old fashioned spiral-type lock washers and standard nuts. I like the latter for this application, because the compression of the lock washer supplies a visual feedback of the tension in the bolt, thus preventing over-tightening. You tighten the nut until the washer is flat, then stop.

IMO, there is absolutely no reason to torque down hard on these bolts. It's like a clevis pin - all the stress is perpendicular to the bolt, so you want the bolt tight enough to not come undone, but tighter than that is unnecessary. However, this is only my opinion, so YMMV. But if you search back over the last couple of years, I think we've now seen a couple of examples of the damage that overtightening can cause to both the rudder and the pintle brackets.

Edited by - on

Tradewind
Admiral

Members Avatar

USA
531 Posts

Response Posted - 12/04/2011 : 06:01:46

Yes, the bolts are secured with nylon insert lock nuts. They were there when I purchased the boat in 2006 and I assumed they were original equipment though the rudder was not original. The PO installed the 3rd gen rudder. I never tightened the bolts and in 2009 the crack appeared.
I agree the bolts do not need to be torqued down, just secure.

Edited by - on

TakeFive
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

2272 Posts

Response Posted - 12/04/2011 : 07:37:52

Steve - I do realize that all this stuff was done by the PO. I didn't mean to suggest that you had done anything wrong.

My boat is on its third rudder (at least). All replacements were installed by various prior owners. I have no idea whether the factory used nylock nuts or lock washers on my boat.

Edited by - TakeFive on 12/04/2011 07:39:55

Nautiduck
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
3704 Posts

Response Posted - 12/07/2011 : 18:45:06

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Tradewind
 Thanks Randy, I remember reading about that deformed rudder. I think I'll try to fiberglass it myself, nothing to lose really, if it doesn't work I'll probably go with the HDPE based on your experience.
On a different note, Randy, do you work at HP? My sister and her husband have a C22 on Fern Ridge Lake, she works at HP and said your name was familiar when I mentioned your 250 on the same lake.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

I don't work at HP but maybe I'm famous around here!

Edited by - on

TakeFive
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

2272 Posts

Response Posted - 12/09/2011 : 21:33:19

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Tradewind
 ...The rudder is not original equipment, PO put on this 3rd gen rudder and he told me he got it from Catalina, didn't know the pointed front was not on all 3rd gen rudders. Maybe I'll call Catalina and inquire about the difference.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
I need to correct my prior misstatement. I just got another look at my rudder, and the front edge above the waterline does have a point. It doesn't appear to be as sharp as your picture, but that may be an optical illusion from your photography.

I also noticed some poor shaping similar to what Randy describes. It appears that one side is flatter than the other. Performance wise, this would translate into more lift in one direction than the other. I have never noticed a difference in performance on different tacks, so I don't think it is significant. But I can see the diffence with my eye. This rudder came with the boat, and I'm not going to replace it unless a structural problem emerges.

Edited by - on

Page: of 2

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.