[C320-list] Rudder

[Chris Burti]

Could have bent back then spun to 90 degrees causing the cable to come off.

I'm a big guy, it took all my strength to turn it and that clearly overloaded the steering system. It took two guys at the shipyard to budge it in the slings when they dropped it.

Thanks,
Chris Burti

-----Original Message-----
From: "Dprudden" <dprudden at comcast.net>
Sent: ‎6/‎7/‎2015 2:28 PM
To: "C320-List at Catalina320.com" <C320-List at Catalina320.com>
Subject: Re: [C320-list] Rudder

Chris, sorry to hear you had trouble too. I don't know if my rudder shaft is bent or not-it was turned 90degrees. It didn't bend toward the aft end of the rudder. 
I'm thinking that when the steering cable popped off the radial wire wheel the rudder free spun all the way over 180 degrees. Can it jamb if rotated too fast and unchecked? It would be tough to side-tow the boat to haul her with the rudder locked 90 degrees to how it should be.

Thanks,
David


Sent from my iPhone

> On Jun 7, 2015, at 12:27 PM, Chris Burti <clburti at gmail.com> wrote:
> 
> We just suffered a hard grounding in the Alligator River on our way up to the Chesapeake. Bent the rudder, prop and shaft bent. The aft top edge of the rudder was pushed up against the hull making steering difficult, but possible.
> 
> We hauled in Belhaven, NC. Prop shop straightened the prop, machine shop straightened the rudder and we are waiting for the new shaft to come in.
> 
> Thanks,
> Chris Burti
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: "Dprudden" <dprudden at comcast.net>
> Sent: ‎6/‎7/‎2015 12:07 PM
> To: "c320-list at lists.catalina320.com" <c320-list at lists.catalina320.com>
> Subject: [C320-list] Rudder
> 
> This is going to be expensive...
> 
> Launched the boat yesterday. No problems at all. It was too windy in the harbor I launched at to fully rig, so we motored the 7 miles up Buzzards Bay to the river where my mooring is. The tide was still falling a little so the pennant and pick up were setting down river with the current, so I passed the mooring on my port side, went past it about 20 yards, turned hard to port to approach the pick up heading upstream.....bang! The rudder hit something in the water. I was doing about 2.5 kts with the current. I tried to turn the wheel to straighten the rudder but I got resistance and a small grinding noise and a loose wheel. No helm at all. A passerby helped us to the mooring. Yes the cables are off but that's not the biggest issue. I tried the emergency tiller to at least straighten the rudder out but the rudder won't budge. I bent the tiller trying. I turned hard to port to approach the mooring, which means the leading edge of the rudder was on the starboard side. The rudder is stuck 180 degrees from where I hit something....the leading edge is facing port. My first thought before seeing how the rudder was facing was a bent shaft, but not with it facing backwards to how I had it. There isn't any damage to the rudder - one very small scratch in the paint (I dove under the boat.....cold water!).
> In striking something, could the impact have turned the rudder. 180 degrees without swimming the wheel? Any ideas how to get the rudder loose?
> 
> Thanks,
> David Prudden
> #787
> 
> Sent from my iPhone