Help! typhoon rudder sheared from shaft

[Plyler McManus]

Thanks to all you guys help I now have a Typhoon. The problem is that the rudder is falling off. The rudder piviots on a shaft with the rudder somehow connected to the shaft. The rudder has seperated from the shaft at the top. I was told by the previous owner that there are bronze rods welded to the rudder shaft that protrude perpendicular from the rudder shaft. The rudder is then somehow fixed to these rods. It seems that maybe the rudder had holes drilled to match the rods and the rudder is somehow epoxyed to the rods. It seems that all but the bottom rod has broken away from the rudder shaft leaving the rudder dangling by only the bottom rod. Has anyone had this problem and how did you fix it? It appears that maybe I could grind the fiberglass away from the rods where they meet the shaft and reweld the rods. Then fiberglass back over the rods.

[Bob B]

Plyler,
Sorry about the problems with your Typhoon. I have never had this type of problem. My tiller arm attachment has been loose and I just tightened the set screw. There is a bracket at the lower part of the shaft that holds the shaft in. You may need to sand off the paint and do some gouging into the screw slots but it may be that you need to take this bracket off. Then you can look at the rudder assembly. It should have the 90 degree metal pieces that you speak of. The problem is that after being in salt water for so long there may have been some galvanic corrosion. Have them rewelded or make a new rudder by building it up with marine plywood or a composite material around the metal sections attached to the shaft. Then you can glass in the entire thing. I have a cousin that is producing a marine composite that is made to withstand the elements better than marine plywood. I don't know if he has a retail outlet yet but it is Coosa Composites, 105 Pardue Road, Pelham, AL Phone# (205) 663-3225

Hope it all works out and we can get you in the water.

Bob B.



BundyR@aol.com

[Brent Musolf]

It was a while back so check the old messages, but I seem to remeber that someone else had a simular problem and made a mold and produced a new rudder. They had offered the use of it to other owners.

Good Luck

brent



sailcovers@usa.net

[Dick Sisson]

I'll throw in my $0.02 worth, although you may already know this.

I believe that to remove the rudder from the boat you have to surgically remove the bronze fitting (is this the gudgeon?) at the lower aft corner of the keel, then dig a hole deep enough so you can drop the rudder and its shaft.

I sure hope this kind of thing dosen't happen very often. I am observing on my Typhoon that the shaft is necked down quite a bit where it wears in the gudgeon.



dickee03@rivnet.net