I recently bought a CD-28. On sea trials I noticed water squirting out of the area around the top of the rudder post and into the cockpit. Apparently this has gone on for some time as there is deterioration of the cockpit floor around where the rudder post comes through the floor. The leak appears to be between the rudder post and the tube in which it is installed. My question is: are there O-rings or some other sealing mechanism surrounding the rudder post to keep this from happening? The boat is 20yr old, how do I stop this. What's the procedure for unshipping the rudder? I may wait until fall then haul as usual but would like advice in the meantime. Thanks.
Rphscott@aol.com
Rudder Post Leak
Moderator: Jim Walsh
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Jon Larson
Re: Rudder Post Leak
Craig,
I have a CD30, so it may not apply, but I suggest looking under your cockpit, presumably you can get under there through the access ports in your cockpit lockers, and see if there is a stuffing box on the rudder shaft, much like the stuffing box on your propellor shaft. That is how my rudder shaft is sealed. You may just need to tighten the stuffing box nut a bit.
Good luck, I hope this helps.
Jon Larson
Cape Dory 30 PERI
San Francisco Bay
jon9@ix.netcom.com
I have a CD30, so it may not apply, but I suggest looking under your cockpit, presumably you can get under there through the access ports in your cockpit lockers, and see if there is a stuffing box on the rudder shaft, much like the stuffing box on your propellor shaft. That is how my rudder shaft is sealed. You may just need to tighten the stuffing box nut a bit.
Good luck, I hope this helps.
Jon Larson
Cape Dory 30 PERI
San Francisco Bay
Craig Scott wrote: I recently bought a CD-28. On sea trials I noticed water squirting out of the area around the top of the rudder post and into the cockpit. Apparently this has gone on for some time as there is deterioration of the cockpit floor around where the rudder post comes through the floor. The leak appears to be between the rudder post and the tube in which it is installed. My question is: are there O-rings or some other sealing mechanism surrounding the rudder post to keep this from happening? The boat is 20yr old, how do I stop this. What's the procedure for unshipping the rudder? I may wait until fall then haul as usual but would like advice in the meantime. Thanks.
jon9@ix.netcom.com
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Mike Wainfeld
Re: Rudder Post Leak
The rudder post on the CD Typhoon passes through a fiberglass tube from the hull through the bilge to the cockpit floor. I believe its the same for the 28. So you don't have to worry about a leak into the bilge. From the '82 Manual: "The rudder post on all CD yachts extends well below the waterline. and occasionally when heeling or in a sloppy and confused chop, water will enter the cockpit through the fitting at the top of the rudder post. This is not cause for concern. Maintenance of the tiller-steered CD system is simple: keep the bearing at the top of the rudder post lubricated with a good waterproof grease. Tilt the tiller upward and apply the grease to the top of the shaft and bearing. Inspect the condition of the key. Inspect the gudgeon, the heel fitting at the base of the keel where the rudder is connected. There should be very little play at that point. If the tiller cap is removed from the head of the rudder post, be certain to re-install the tiller cap properly. Both the rudder post and the tiller cap have machined keyways in them. Be careful that the key is in the keyway and that the tiller cap is installed correctly."
ripcord1@erols.com
ripcord1@erols.com
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Jim Giles
Re: Rudder Post Leak
Hi Craig,
Hope you're enjoying your boat as much as I enjoy mine.
I have a 76 CD-28 and suffer the same problem but to a lesser extent than you described. Mine does this only under power.
I haven't corrected it but have discussed it with a local repair yard that has a lot of experience with CD's having been a dealer for many years. They told me there are O-ring seals and a lock nut which loosen and crack through ageing and this sort of leakage is expected. They say prop wash puts a lot of pressure on these seals.
Their fix is to epoxy a grease fitting as high as possible under the cockpit floor into the rudder tube, and load it with water proof grease. This, they say , will stop the leak, is cheap, easily renewable and lubes the rudder shaft.
As I said, I haven't tried this and would be very interested in hearing your experience in correcting this problem.
Jim.
You wrote: : I recently bought a CD-28. On sea trials I noticed water squirting out of the area around the top of the rudder post and into the cockpit. Apparently this has gone on for some time as there is deterioration of the cockpit floor around where the rudder post comes through the floor. The leak appears to be between the rudder post and the tube in which it is installed. My question is: are there O-rings or some other sealing mechanism surrounding the rudder post to keep this from happening? The boat is 20yr old, how do I stop this. What's the procedure for unshipping the rudder? I may wait until fall then haul as usual but would like advice in the meantime. Thanks.
jsgiles@mindspring.com
Hope you're enjoying your boat as much as I enjoy mine.
I have a 76 CD-28 and suffer the same problem but to a lesser extent than you described. Mine does this only under power.
I haven't corrected it but have discussed it with a local repair yard that has a lot of experience with CD's having been a dealer for many years. They told me there are O-ring seals and a lock nut which loosen and crack through ageing and this sort of leakage is expected. They say prop wash puts a lot of pressure on these seals.
Their fix is to epoxy a grease fitting as high as possible under the cockpit floor into the rudder tube, and load it with water proof grease. This, they say , will stop the leak, is cheap, easily renewable and lubes the rudder shaft.
As I said, I haven't tried this and would be very interested in hearing your experience in correcting this problem.
Jim.
You wrote: : I recently bought a CD-28. On sea trials I noticed water squirting out of the area around the top of the rudder post and into the cockpit. Apparently this has gone on for some time as there is deterioration of the cockpit floor around where the rudder post comes through the floor. The leak appears to be between the rudder post and the tube in which it is installed. My question is: are there O-rings or some other sealing mechanism surrounding the rudder post to keep this from happening? The boat is 20yr old, how do I stop this. What's the procedure for unshipping the rudder? I may wait until fall then haul as usual but would like advice in the meantime. Thanks.
jsgiles@mindspring.com
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Bill Sandifer
Re: Rudder Post Leak
Edson makes a rudder stuffing box that you epoxy to the top of the rudder tube above the cockpit floor. This can be adjusted like a conventional stuffing box and will stop the water running up the rudder shaft and into the cockpit. Be sure this is where the water is entering as they are not cheap. My Pearson was built with fiberglass tube that starts a little below where the rudder stock enters the hull and extends above the cockpit floor. There is no internal rudder stuffing box inside the hull. A plastic bushing fits around the rudder shaft just inside the top of this tube keeping the shaft centered in the tube and free to rotate. Over time the bushing disintegrated and disappeared some time before I bought the boat. The Edson part solved the problem and works fine under power or sail, whenever the stern squats down and tries to force the water up the shaft.
Call Edson for a catalog. The stuffing box comes in several sizes.
wsandifer@cdicorp.com
Call Edson for a catalog. The stuffing box comes in several sizes.
Jon Larson wrote: Craig,
I have a CD30, so it may not apply, but I suggest looking under your cockpit, presumably you can get under there through the access ports in your cockpit lockers, and see if there is a stuffing box on the rudder shaft, much like the stuffing box on your propellor shaft. That is how my rudder shaft is sealed. You may just need to tighten the stuffing box nut a bit.
Good luck, I hope this helps.
Jon Larson
Cape Dory 30 PERI
San Francisco Bay
Craig Scott wrote: I recently bought a CD-28. On sea trials I noticed water squirting out of the area around the top of the rudder post and into the cockpit. Apparently this has gone on for some time as there is deterioration of the cockpit floor around where the rudder post comes through the floor. The leak appears to be between the rudder post and the tube in which it is installed. My question is: are there O-rings or some other sealing mechanism surrounding the rudder post to keep this from happening? The boat is 20yr old, how do I stop this. What's the procedure for unshipping the rudder? I may wait until fall then haul as usual but would like advice in the meantime. Thanks.
wsandifer@cdicorp.com
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Bob Ohler
Re: Rudder Post Leak
Section 6.2 of the Cape Dory manual addresses this issue:
"The rudder post on all Cape Dory yachts extends well below the waterline, and occasionally when heeling or in a sloppy and confused chop, water will enter the cockpit through the fiiting at the top of the rudder post. This is not cause for concern."
"Maintenance of the tiller-steered Cape Dory system is simple: keep the bearing at the top of rudder post lubricated with a good waterproof grease. Tilt the tiller upwardand apply the grease to the top of the shaft and bearing........"
Hope this helps! It worked on board the "Aloha Spirit."
Bob Ohler
bobohler@chesapeake.net
"The rudder post on all Cape Dory yachts extends well below the waterline, and occasionally when heeling or in a sloppy and confused chop, water will enter the cockpit through the fiiting at the top of the rudder post. This is not cause for concern."
"Maintenance of the tiller-steered Cape Dory system is simple: keep the bearing at the top of rudder post lubricated with a good waterproof grease. Tilt the tiller upwardand apply the grease to the top of the shaft and bearing........"
Hope this helps! It worked on board the "Aloha Spirit."
Bob Ohler
bobohler@chesapeake.net
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Russ Campbell
Re: Rudder Post Leak
On my 1977 CD28 I found that when I tried to go too fast when motoring water would leak out of the rudder post. This happened quite like you when I was trialing the boat and motoring. I was told that when you give the motor too much rpm's the hull tries to plane and squats down in the stern. I have subsequently found that over 2500 rpms I don't go any faster than hull speed anyway and it just wastes fuel. Since then I have never had any water come up the rudder post. Hope this helps
Russ
camroll@together.net
Russ
Craig Scott wrote: I recently bought a CD-28. On sea trials I noticed water squirting out of the area around the top of the rudder post and into the cockpit. Apparently this has gone on for some time as there is deterioration of the cockpit floor around where the rudder post comes through the floor. The leak appears to be between the rudder post and the tube in which it is installed. My question is: are there O-rings or some other sealing mechanism surrounding the rudder post to keep this from happening? The boat is 20yr old, how do I stop this. What's the procedure for unshipping the rudder? I may wait until fall then haul as usual but would like advice in the meantime. Thanks.
camroll@together.net