[Trevor Thompson]

I have found drawings that Fairey marine produced for a wooden rudder stock.

 

What I dont know is which (if any) boats were fitted with this arrangement. Does anyone have a wooden rudder stock which looks very similar to the alloy ones that everyone else seems to have?

 

Does anyone know which boats they were fitted to?

 

I am interested because Calista’s all welded mark 3 stock has been bent beyond repair in a motor accident. So I need to have another one made as part of an insurance claim. (The other driver ran into the back of the boat).

I am having problems finding a manufacturer to make a new welded aluminium stock, so wondered if the way forward would be to have the top gudgeon (drawing B24830) and the bottom gudgeon (drawing C24831) made in stainless and have the wooden stock made to go with it.

 

Any thoughts?

[murray reid]

Hi Trevor

A wooden stock sounds interesting and would certainly be less expensive (although if its being paid for as part of an insurance claim that is not necessarily an issue!) and possibly lighter than the aluminium one. Do the drawings specify solid wood or plywood? Either way if it is laminated and sheathed with FRP it would be pretty strong and less likely to rot.

Murray

[Trevor Thompson]

Murray

The drawings specify 18mm ply. I have priced a 1/4 sheet of the best ply at £65, which seems OK. So far I have only had one quote for the pintles on the rudder (detatched stainless versions of the alloy ones) and a new gudgeon for the skeg. The price is £900 plus VAT!

 

 

[murray reid]

Ouch! Is that having the pintles and gudgeon milled out of solid stainless? Why not get some fabricated ones welded up?

murray

[Simon Garratt]

Trevor,

Personally, I would be really cautious about using stainless under water or any where without contact with oxygen (ie buried in wood) especially if galvanic action comes into play – as I am sure you are aware Stainless & aluminium are poles apart galvanic wise. I have had personal experience (on a previous boat) to this effect – stainless looks ok on the outside but in the wrong circumstances crystallises & weakens internally. This is the main reason why I went for aluminium again on my pintle (though as with stainless you need to consider the grade you need for the job in hand). It’s also why I have taken steps to isolate the stainless from aluminium – at least a visual inspection of aluminium or steel etc tells you when its time to get a new one.

 

Regards,

 

Simon

[Dominic Dobson]

Sorry to hear of the accident you dont seem to have a lot of luck with other drivers! just a couple of thoughts have you tried contacting Martin Bennet re a welded stock he always seems to be able to fabricate stuff, or how about finding a trainee marine engineer to do one as a project Im sure the grey funnel line will have some spare alloy knocking about around the Clyde. The wooden stock seems like a good idea does it hold a standard alloy blade? At least a wooden stock will be quick getting you back on the water even if its as an interim measure whilst you source some one to fabricate one in alloy.

 

Dom

[Trevor Thompson]

Murray

 

That is for fabricated ones made from stainless. There are seperate drawings for the fabricated ones.
 
murray reid said:

Ouch! Is that having the pintles and gudgeon milled out of solid stainless? Why not get some fabricated ones welded up?

murray

[Trevor Thompson]

Simon

 

I would normally have said axactly the same. (probably have gone on a bit on the topic). However when I take things to pieces I realise that Calista has had a stainless bottom pintle burried in the skeg for many years. It was there when I bought her, and I put it into the new skeg I made some 6 or 7 years ago. I would have reused it again – there was no  sign of corrosion at all, but it was badly bent. I have sort of straitened it – but am worried about the stress it has been subjected to. I dont want it to fail at sea in bad weather!

 

I cant help using stainless on the bottom gudgeon attached to the rudder stock, so I might as well have a matching fitting made up to go into the skeg. That also fits in with what you said about different materials. All of the fittings on the rudder will be stainless, except for the rudder blade itself. That will be totaly isolated from the stock and the fittings. I will even insulate where they attach to the uphaul and downhaul.

 

I have actually ordered the three fittings!

 

 

Trevor
 
Simon Garratt said:

Trevor,

Personally, I would be really cautious about using stainless under water or any where without contact with oxygen (ie buried in wood) especially if galvanic action comes into play – as I am sure you are aware Stainless & aluminium are poles apart galvanic wise. I have had personal experience (on a previous boat) to this effect – stainless looks ok on the outside but in the wrong circumstances crystallises & weakens internally. This is the main reason why I went for aluminium again on my pintle (though as with stainless you need to consider the grade you need for the job in hand). It’s also why I have taken steps to isolate the stainless from aluminium – at least a visual inspection of aluminium or steel etc tells you when its time to get a new one.

 

Regards,

 

Simon

[Trevor Thompson]

Dominic

I cant get it done via that trainee engineer, he is now in the surface fleet, and working on a ship based in Portsmouth. I really want a proper invoice for the insurance as well. So I am going to try the wooden stock out.  It does take a standard blade by the way. It will need a new bush for the centre to go with a new nut and bolt in stainless. It will be good to get away from that horrible alloy nut and bolt – a different bolt is specified on the drawing for the wooden stock.

 

Trevor

Dominic Dobson said:

Sorry to hear of the accident you dont seem to have a lot of luck with other drivers! just a couple of thoughts have you tried contacting Martin Bennet re a welded stock he always seems to be able to fabricate stuff, or how about finding a trainee marine engineer to do one as a project Im sure the grey funnel line will have some spare alloy knocking about around the Clyde. The wooden stock seems like a good idea does it hold a standard alloy blade? At least a wooden stock will be quick getting you back on the water even if its as an interim measure whilst you source some one to fabricate one in alloy.

 

Dom

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