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 Post subject: O.K., Rudder Dryfit; STOP ME RAY?
PostPosted: 04 Aug 2019 07:37 
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Joined: 09 Aug 2017 15:35
Posts: 725
Location: Maine/USVI
Ray, if you're bored over there in Castine, I have a 7" sander with your name on it and 40 years of bottom paint on the starboard side that's just dying to meet you. 41 minute drive from Dennet's to Mid Coast Marine in Winterport. (Just kidding).

The skeg top is over 1/4" thicker than the old remnant that came off when I removed the pintle plate. With a multitool and dremel, and what I foresee is hours of work, I could remove the excess thickness in that 4.6" space so the level of the bushing might come close. But my son says we have enough "play" whatever that means, at the top of the rudder post to avoid that strategy. He says the keyway dictates horizontal position and the quadrant merely clamps on. The autopilot arm is bolted in, but that can potentially be adjusted.

What does anyone think? All I can think of is the bushing, when the rudder "floats up", will expose an extra quarter inch of itself. I also am putting a delrin washer at the rudder/hull joint over the rudderpost to prevent direct contact with the hull.

The other thing I see, is the washer under the bushing does nothing. I managed to get a 1/8" delrin washer AND a 1/8" stainless washer under the bushing (by holding my tongue just right) and drifting the stainless pin back in. I keep looking at the pin thinking I'll carefuly throw some of the white filler West System (the hard stuff) thickened epoxy in the holes in each end to help prevent the pin from migrating either way. The old pin was a mass of rust when it came out. But if the rudder "floats up", which it should with all that foam and sealed tight, the pintle plate would never have any weight on it and the washers are just for looks. Why delrin, since the bushing doesn't move while the rudderpost moves around it? I AM going to clean (with dremel) up inside the rudder post at the pintle cutout so the washers fit squarely into the receiver rudderpost, since it ends about 3/8" UP INSIDE the rudder. This is the only reason I can see for the washer(s). To keep the rudder from directly contacting the pintle plate.

I got the skeg completely glassed in (the foam core) by leaving a 4.6" x 4" space at the top for the pintle bolts to fit in. Everything lines up thus far. I'm also going to clip about 1.5" from the top of the skeg before barrier coat it again (from the pickid end forward) because the width of the skeg lines up best to the receiver on the hull that way. Hopefully I'll be out of the shed this week (the barn swallows are frickin' killing me, shitting on everything), get the coach house and deck ready for paint and work on the mast. Moving slowly toward an October departure offshore to L.I. sound, then down the ditch. Got to get her home to the Virgin Islands before Thanksgiving. I need to go to the Coral Bay Thanksgiving Regatta and see if I can pick up another singlehanding win. It's been 10 years.


 
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 Post subject: Re: O.K., Rudder Dryfit; STOP ME RAY?
PostPosted: 09 Aug 2019 06:16 
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Joined: 29 Dec 2006 09:38
Posts: 656
I am not sure what you are concerned about. I am thinking this Fall we should look at each others’ boats out of the water. I dismantled and rebuilt my rudder, packing, bearings, pintle and gudgeons 20 years and probably 30K miles ago (we were cruising Central America for a few years) and I have very little play in anything, so I have ignored it since. My view of the issues I encountered the first time around was some incredibly sloppy work by the Tartan yard in North Carolina. Some of the important layup was done well at the bulkheads and the supports for the rudder post were good—but a lot of the fitting of details like the floor (it was erratically leveled with yard waste and splooge), the rudder fairings and external stuff —they actually sent it from the factory with the boomvang attached through the deck (no fill and drill) with no backing plate! The boat was designed well and mostly built well, but what I have learned after dismantling and rebuilding most everything on it over the last decades is that there was some poor quality work in places where it probably did not matter all that much. FWIW.
My boat will be at Billy Grant’s in Sedgwick this winter. I would welcome the opportunity to show it and would like to see yours out of the water. Your work on your boat is really first rate from what I see here.
Ray Durkee


 
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 Post subject: Re: O.K., Rudder Dryfit; STOP ME RAY?
PostPosted: 09 Aug 2019 06:48 
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Joined: 09 Aug 2017 15:35
Posts: 725
Location: Maine/USVI
I took advantage of the tropical deluge yesterday afternoon to scrub the hull and decks. Man, it poured. I'm going to do it bottom up from here on, take of the starboard stainless hull deck cover, compound the gelcoat, scrape the bottom, drop the centerboard (I think I've blocked it high enough and out of the way), use epoxy fillers on the bottom, barrier coat, etc. It's been in the shed all winter, so the barn swallows made their mess. Very dirty place. Some 1-parted a touch up paint job and slopped it all over the cockpit and around a couple of ports. Maybe I can clean it off and repair/match the gelcoat and paint the nonskid. Only a couple of cracks in the nonskid. The deck hardware (stanchions, etc.) are tight and I really don't want to strip everything. I'll be replacing all the running rigging and may take down some of the overhead liner to assure proper backing of some of the deck hardware. Good areas and poorly thought out areas. I will say my Bristol Alden was a tougher boat overall, but the bulkhead tabbing was nowhere near as good as the Tartan. Same with the Pearson 10M. In fact, I yanked most of the bulkheads in the 10M and replaced them. Of course, that one was racing and weekending in the Virgin Islands and we went down in weight, took out all the locker doors, fwd cabin door, table, etc., etc. I'll track you down one of these days. I'm sure you're somewhere near Kenny E.


 
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 Post subject: Re: O.K., Rudder Dryfit; STOP ME RAY?
PostPosted: 09 Aug 2019 07:59 
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Joined: 29 Dec 2010 10:24
Posts: 191
Good morning Maineiac ( sounds like something from Woodstock! ) Just some planning info for you. Sounds like it will be a rush south in fall. Last sept we were heading south from NYC, the left overs from a hurricane were coming up the coast, we went in Manasquan inlet and, after consulting with tow boat us operators,made it down to Atlantic City on ICW, eleven hour trip.Good luck.

_________________
Hull #6


 
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 Post subject: Re: O.K., Rudder Dryfit; STOP ME RAY?
PostPosted: 09 Aug 2019 08:35 
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Skipper

Joined: 09 Aug 2017 15:35
Posts: 725
Location: Maine/USVI
Yeah, I don't rush. I always loved sailing Maine in October, but gloves and gear is required. Brisk. I'll probably be looking at yards further south if there's anything else I want to get done after I get the majors winnowed out. Float, float, go forward, go forward. Used that mantra for 30 years and it has served me well. Good hull, good through hulls, tight underbody, standing & running rigging (including steering) and confidence in the W-50. Gawd, some of the things I've seen in the V.I. and down to Grenada that crossed the Atlantic . . . two guys in a 26 footer that looked like shit 30 years ago drifted in to Prickly Bay Marina in L'Anse Aux Epines coming from France. And proceeded to the bar. I wouldn't get on that boat in a mill pond.


 
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 Post subject: Re: O.K., Rudder Dryfit; STOP ME RAY?
PostPosted: 10 Aug 2019 06:45 
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Joined: 29 Dec 2006 09:38
Posts: 656
Speaking of poor quality boats that make long trips: Maineac: if you get to Frenchboro—the Harbor Island owner there is an 80 year old with a 40 year old beat up, stripped down Hunter 30 he has sailed back and forth to the Caribbean at least 15 times. I saw him again last summer. No autopilot or any equipment of the sort. Says he and his wife just leave the tiller at night and float and hope they are going the right direction in the morning. I actually believe his story.
I really hate the ICW for the trip up or down the coast. A lot of very ugly scenery in much of the way, idiot power boaters, and difficulty making more than 50 miles a day if you are trying to get somewhere. Going outside and coming in occasionally and thoughtfully makes more sense. But you have done the trip before.
I think your priorities are just right. I have a diesel forced air heater for sailing here in Maine in late September and early October—it is a requirement for me.
Ray


 
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 Post subject: Re: O.K., Rudder Dryfit; STOP ME RAY?
PostPosted: 10 Aug 2019 07:05 
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Joined: 09 Aug 2017 15:35
Posts: 725
Location: Maine/USVI
I haven't done the ditch to FL per se, I just know my way as far south as LI Sound and have been in many of the stops on the way down. My youngest brought a Fleming up from the Caymans about 10 years ago to NE Harbor. I'll go outside, come in, etc. no doubt. I get people telling me do the ditch one time, others saying absolutely not. It's more of a bucket list thing. Especially in Oct.-Nov. We live in the V.I. for 15 years and I have this inherent problem with things spinning off Africa.

Off to the yard. Nice overcast for compounding. Not before I get the grandson to stop licking the spoon he's feeding peanut butter to the dog with.


 
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