s/v Natalie B: Removing the rudder

Monday, February 29, 2016

Removing the rudder

A few weeks ago I removed the rudder. Like all projects on this boat so far, it was a pain in the ... aft. Removing the rudder head seemed simple enough, loosen the bolts then pull the head off the rudder post.

Not so simple. First I had to spread the clamping part of the head with a slotted screwdriver.

Then I had to use a hammer (not my first choice) to tap the head up and off of the post.

The floor flange for the rudder post was also very snug. I suppose that's the best way to keep water in the cockpit from entering the bilge.

Next was to remove the packing nut.

And the flax packing.

Then outside to the rudder shoe. After towing the boat over 2200 miles last May, I was looking at the rudder and rudder shoe and removed by hand a little, partially threaded nub of a bolt that was resting loose in the rudder shoe. I am amazed that it didn't fall out completely during the road trip. I don't have a picture of the bolt, but in the picture below you can see where it is supposed to go, at the bottom of the rudder.

That bolt, or a larger version of it, is supposed to screw into the bottom of the rudder post, have the head cut off and the neck rests inside the rudder shoe.

The bolts that mount the shoe on the keel were in sad shape. In the picture below, you can barely see what used to be the head of the aft bold that holds the shoe to the keel.

I had to cut off the rest of that head to remove the shoe.

And even then it wasn't easy. I had to drill out one of the other bolts as well.

Then a pair of channel locks and a lot of wiggling, prying and pulling.

And some vise grips to remove the headless bolt.

In theory, the only thing remaining that is holding the rudder in place is the upper pintle assembly. Actually, I'm not sure if it is technically called a pintle, its more like a split bushing.