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Cutlass and rudder bearings


Battgirl

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Hi everyone

This year's jobs include replacement of the cutlass bearing and the bottom rudder bearing.

 

1.What material have people found to be really good ? - thordon and vesconite appear to be the latest and greatest things on offer.

 

2. The bottom rudder bearing is glassed in on the bottom of the rudder and fits onto a stainless pin attached to the bottom of the skeg running below the transom (the top 2 bearings are stainless transom mounted which stainless pins on the rudder fit into.)

The rudder rotates on a groove running the length of the skeg.

How can the new bottom bearing be fitted in a way that enables rudder removal at haulout time so the groove on the skeg can be cleaned and antifouled?

 

Your advice, ideas, suggestions appreciated

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thordon and vesconite appear to be the latest and greatest things on offer.

Hmmmm, must be new. Never heard of them, unless they are called something else like say, UHMWPE or somethinglike we tend to know these materials by in the engineering world. For instance, that one means "Ultra High Molecular Weight Polyethelyne".

But I wouldn't worry too much about putting too space agy materials in. In the end, how many years did that last one last?? So you need to weigh up if it is worth the expense of something new, that could be good, but you just don't how well it will wear in a situation like a what you intend. What i would go for is the Black Plastic Self lubricating material that mostly like was used in the first place. The big issue any of these plastics have to contend with is Grit. And even the best space agey stuff still has difficulty with that. And a very very imortant point to understand. You MUST have a material that sacrifices itself as against the Rudder shaft. Or the part that will end up wearing is the shaft instead of the bearing.

The cutlass, simply use the same again. If you are really lucky, someone will of used an off the shelf item, if not, you may have to have the centre machined slightly to suit the shaft.

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Thanks guys. The boat is still on the water, haulout later this year.

As you suggest Wheels, unless something new is proven to be significantly better I will go with a repeat of what is there which has not been touched in the 8 years I have had the boat.

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We replaced our rudder bearings. We used Mike Pearce boatbuilders. He outworks it to an engineer. Great result and the feel is far better.

Mike has done several of the Y88s recently

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I have not done a lot of shafts, but in every case so far, they have been a pressed fit. I have only done one trailer sailor Rudder shaft and that was also pressed.

They take some moving and need a puller to remove it.

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