[C320-list] CHIPS BELOW THE WATER LINE

[Chris Burti]

Speaking from experience, if the rudder is bent sufficiently to cause
problems, you can probably tell without looking because it doesn't take
being more than a couple of inches out of alignment at the bottom to bind
the wheel. There is also a substantial layer of glass on the wing keel. We
had the misfortune of having Commitment make an unsupervised trip into a
cypress swamp during hurricane Ophelia without incurring any damage.
However, the efforts of the salvage crew dragging her out after the surge
subsided bent the rudder tube and dug a 8" x 3" gash in the wing as well as
adding some significant barnacle rash to the hull. We ended up replacing the
rudder in an abundance of caution, but I confirmed with Frank Butler that a
sleeve repair of the tube would be sound practice. The tube is massive and
requires a pretty substantial amount of force to bend it. In our case, that
was a twin engined tug dragging her backward through three feet of water
with a bottom littered with logs and the rudder hard over (can we say
duuuummmmbbbb).

On Thu, Jan 29, 2009 at 8:55 AM, Peter Clancy <SAILORPETE at msn.com> wrote:

> As a precaution, it's a good idea to check rudder alignment after a hard
> grounding. This is best done out of the water. It's possible to bend the
> rudder post from an impact on rocks or a hard bottom. The rudder's vertical
> alignment can be checked by viewing it from aft of the boat. You can also
> have someone turn the wheel lock to lock while you look for any side to side
> movement at the fulcrum point at the base of the rudder. Also, check the top
> of the rudder tube inside the boat to make sure the rudder post has not
> dislodged the bearing by being forced upward by an impact. These steps are
> quick and easy. If your rudder post is bent, call your insurance company.
>
> Peter Clancy
> 'AROBAN' #222 (former owner)
> Miami, FL
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-- 
Chris Burti Farmville, NC