Danger, Will Robinson!!

mcrandall · Post by **mcrandall** » Sun Aug 07, 2011 4:35 pm

O.K. Guys, I posted a little while ago that I was searching for leaks via my thru-hull fittings. Well, I've pulled the three OEM placed fittings: sink drain, keel cable and rudder.

Now take a close look at the keel cable fitting:

That baby has just about worn through from where the cable has chaffed against the sides!

This is a fitting that's hard to get to and check, a little bit out of sight-out of mind. I encourage you all to give it a look so you know what shape yours is in--just in case!

Cheers Mates!

CaptainScott · Post by **CaptainScott** » Sun Aug 07, 2011 7:51 pm

OMG!
I about spewwed as I pictured the ole robot with his arms flailing around!
Most excellent post and a great way to get the folks looking!

GREAT info and photos! THANK YOU!
Scott

NYCSAILOR · Post by **NYCSAILOR** » Mon Aug 08, 2011 4:31 am

wow, that fitting should be brass or something more durable to handle the chafe of the cable... good find.. Looks like you found that jsut in time.. EVERYONE BACK IN THE SPACESHIP..

Capt. Bondo · Post by **Capt. Bondo** » Mon Aug 08, 2011 8:55 am

It would be great to know what the actual size is on all three of the thru-hull fittings and where we can get replacements.

mcrandall · Post by **mcrandall** » Mon Aug 08, 2011 9:20 am

The inside diameter of the Rudder fitting is 1.5 inches. I picked up a marelon fitting from West Marine off the shelf for about $25 and a bronz one from my local Torreson's Marine (they do web orders as well.)

Both will have to be modified as they have installation tabs (vice slots on the old ones) so you can get a hold of them while tightening the nuts. Easy to grind off, so not an issue.

Here's my delemma. The shaft of the rudder is alluminum, I believe. Bronz and alluminum are far enough apart on the anodic chart to cause problems. Any advice?

EmergencyExit · Post by **EmergencyExit** » Mon Aug 08, 2011 12:15 pm

This one can get to be like discussing lightning, different viewpoints sure do exist..so I can only repeat what I've read..

If I recall right bronze is more noble than aluminum, and will cause the aluminum to slowly disappear. Solution would be to introduce another less noble metal into the mix such as zinc bonded to the other two. Then both the bronze and the aluminum would eat the zinc. Once the zinc was gone (and if not replaced) the bronze would slowly attack the aluminum..

May not even be much of an issue on a dry sailed boat, but worth discussing for sure !..

gregcrawford · Post by **gregcrawford** » Mon Aug 08, 2011 12:31 pm

Please see my webshots album below. You can see that I carefully machined a nylon bushing to go inside the bronze through hull for the rudder. After all that, I ended up just using the original plastic one. It worked for 36 years, and it had a little flex to it. I just wasn't comfortable trying to outguess Halsey Herreshoff.

http://sports.webshots.com/album/575918556pvEVVg

I replaced the sink through hull with an honest to goodness seacock for my washdown pump. Best money I have spent on the boat so far. It allows me to wash the boat at the dock any time, plus squirt anybody I can catch.

EmergencyExit · Post by **EmergencyExit** » Mon Aug 08, 2011 12:40 pm

gregcrawford wrote:plus squirt anybody I can catch.

lol, perfect !

mcrandall · Post by **mcrandall** » Mon Aug 08, 2011 5:16 pm

Hmmmm. Turns out the plastic ones are not really 1.5 inch openings. 1 and 3/8 actual.

So, back to the drawingboard. I ordered the next size, 2-inch, that has inside opening sufficient for my rudder post. But that will require opening the hull a bit for it to fit.

Or I just go with the bronze fitting with sacrificial anodes--thanks EE.

Love the application, Greg!