Chrysler Sailors Forum

My rudder looked terrible, and wobbled side to side between the cheeks (no, it's not a medical problem). Anyway, after removal, I went ahead and removed the three layers of paint and a layer of primer, and was amazed to find a shiny white gelcoat like surface underneath! There are a few chips and scratches, but I think that I may be able to repair those with some gelcoat.

I thought at first that the rudder was plywood with a fiberglass and gelcoat surface, but on further inspection, it looks more like a molded plastic surface with a foam core. I can't see any fiberglass at the edges of the pivot and line holes.

The pivot hole is oblong, and I believe that is why the blade has so much slop. Since the small pivot tube just goes through a non-reinforced hole, I can see why this would happen. Has anyone had this issue, and what did you do to fix it?

My plan is to beef it up. So I am planning on drilling the hole out to about 1 1/2" in diameter, then inserting a high grade plastic bushing, and then using a short length of 3/4" stainless steel pipe as the pivot tube, with a large ss bolt. I will have to drill the cheek holes to 3/4" also, and use a large ss washer.

Any comments or suggestions?

My C-20 rudder is like yours, With 1 bolt going throu the checks an the rudder. Adding the bushing,will fix it an don't for get the bushing the the rope runs on. The rudder on my C-20 is biger, than the rudder on my C26 it has a 8'' diamater hole with a stanless steal sleve. 6 bolt make a circle an the rudder rols on the bolts.

You don't happen to have a picture of that, do you?

EE's is in the same shape (so to speak). The elongation on ours is vertical when the blade is vertical. Probably will do same repair as you.

I've also found there is a fine line when tightening the pivot bolt. A bit too loose and the blade will wobble in the cheeks. But just a touch too tight and it is difficult to lower/raise the blade with the lines. Was thinking of some sort of paper thin teflon gasket to act as a washer between the cheeks and the blade.

EE - Yes, the hole in my is verticle also. Is your pin full of grooves too?



I think what I am going to do is take a square block of 1 1/2" x 1 1/2" plastic(type still to be determined), and cut it to a maybe a 1/32" of an inch thicker than the rudder. (that would give me a 1/64" space for the rest of the circular part of the rudder to turn in the cheeks without friction)
I will then cut a square hole in the rudder to match and then 5200 the block in place. Then I can drill a hole through for my 3/4" ss tube.
The square hole would assure that the bushing will not rotate in the rudder. In addition, I will not have to find someone with a lathe to cut the outside diameter of the bushing to precisly fit a round hole.

I have a friend in the plastic industry that has recommended a few plastics that would work. I'll let you know what I decide on.

Like most of the projects on my boat, I will be taking pics.