Rudder pin

When we pulled the boat we noticed that the pin holding the rudder to the shoe was missing. The last post got the rudder off the boat.  It is now in my garage getting a new pin.  I referenced the Alberg 30 web site that has a library of repair and maintenance procedures.  The pin installed by the builders was a 1/2 inch bronze pin.  It was unclear to me as to how they installed the original.  My solution was to drill out what was there and replace it.  I started with a 1/4 inch drill bit for a pilot hole.  I then used a 7/16 in bit to finish the hole.  I drilled it apx one inch into the rudder shaft.    The next step was  a 1/2 x13 tap to put threads in the hole.   I found a 1/2 inch silicone bronze rod at Jamestown Dist.  It was expensive.  Thirty five bucks for a one foot section.    I used a die to cut threads.  I cut it to size and rounded the bottom.  Next post we'll do the reinstallation of the rudder.

          

    

                     Bottom of rudder. Bronze rudder shaft with tapped threads.

                                                              Pin in the rudder

                                                                    Test pin.

Rudder repair

Been awhile since I've posted here.  I got the boat mainly sorted out for sailing and we had a good summer.  One ongoing problem was the condition of the bottom.  The boat had been in the water for over 7 years with no bottom cleaning.  We lived with that for the summer but the boat was sluggish and actually not a very good sailor. A good example of this was the knot meter didn't work because there was so much crud on the bottom the wheel would not make contact with the water!
 All boats in our marina are stored in the yard for the winter.  Probably not a bad thing because the marina is on an unprotected body that gets some heavy weather during the winter.  The boat was pulled in November and the yard crew cleaned the bottom.  Didn't see that but the evidence from crustaceans told the story.  We are currently working on removing that residue.  After the boat was on it's cradle we had a good chance to survey the bottom.  Any residue of bottom paint had been removed.  At some point the bottom has had a protective layer applied.   Shane noticed the  big problem.  The bottom pin that holds the rudder onto the boat was missing!  The only attachment to the boat was the gudgeon at the mid station of the rudder and the pin that held the two together was worn in half.  The plan of attack was to remove the rudder and see how to fix the pin and renue the gudgeon. 

 Removing these screws became a big problem.  The biggest screwdriver was not big enough!  We went to HD and bought the biggest screwdriver they had.  That worked and we removed the 5 bolts that held the rudder to the post.

 Gudgeon were next.  Four bolts that came apart relatively easy.

 The two Gudgeon.  We don't have a Pintal. the Pin that held them together was worn in half.

  Rudder off and on to the next phase.  Fixing the shoe pin.