| Author | Message | ||
     Scott Corder New member Username: Pastcommodore Post Number: 30 Registered: 02-2001 Rating: N/A |
Lance, I think I posted on this topic a long time ago and it seems to have been lost in the web-site upgrade process, but that's irrelevant (regardless, Russ is still doing a great job on the board!). My remarks apply only to the nylon bushings, not the mounting hardware on the stern (John's note). Anyway, here's my experience: If my memory serves me correctly, I obtained replacement bushings for my rudder from the factory about 5-6 years ago. The replacement parts are a nylon washer/sleeve that slip over the existing stubs. Here's where I ran into difficulty: having removed the rudder (a very heavy object), I slipped the new nylon bushings into place on the rudder stubs and then hoisted the rudder back into position (again, very heavy object). The replacement bushings were VERY tight. Being unable to "seat" these into the back of the boat, I then tried inserting the bushings into the boat side of the connection (planning to "push" the rudder stubs down into them). In the end, I needed to resort to a large hammer and protective blocks of wood to "pound" the rudder back onto the new bushings. Quite frankly, I was a bit underwhelmed by the minimal improvement that resulted, given the effort required to return the rudder to its installed position. At the time, we were seriously campaigning the boat at Lake Michigan Class events and I didn't note any marked improvement in performance (as mentioned many other times in this forum, we've all proven ourselves very capable of making MUCH bigger tactical mistakes than the benefit derived from a tiny "tweak" such as this). I should mention that the old bushings still had at least 50 percent of their useful life left if thickness is the method of measurement. Also, we performed this task while hauled and sitting in the cradle. One last note (although it probably does not apply in this case), my boat is hull #2. Over the years, we have found several areas in which my boat has unique construction or problems due to the early stages of manufacture techniques, parts vendors and materials. Hope this helps, sorry for the patchy memory. Scott Corder Past Commodore "Scooter" 1983, hull #2 (ex Irish Rose as seen in the original brochure) |
