I have a 1973 27' Ericson with wheel steering . Can anyone tell me if the rudder shaft has bearings or just a brass bushing or sleeve and also is there suppose to be a zerk fitting to supply grease to the shaft? I see a small hole on the aft side of the shaft just above the cockpit sole where the emergency tiller attaches that might be where a grease fitting use to be. If not , how is the shaft supposed to be lubricated . Has anyone done a replacement project with pics. so i can see what the guts of the shaft looks like? Last sunday just as i was coming into my slip , the steering froze up . I disconnected the cables from the quadrant and all the wheel and linkage was free but the rudder was still frozen . I checked the rudder under the boat , thinking i might have picked up some line from a crabpot , but all was clear. I sprayed some WD-40 in every place on the shaft i could get to and after a while everything was loose and working fine . What bothers me is that before the steering froze up everything felt loose and there was not a sign of tight steering or binding up.
Rudder question
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Morgan Stinemetz
Moderator
Rudder on a 73 E-27
Hi,
Shortly after buying my 1973 E-27, used, (in 1976)--it was steered with a tiller--I managed to put it on a beach down here in FL by hubris and a massive amount of stupidity. I didn't know enough to be cautious, so I anchored on a lee shore. The boat ended on on its side on the beach and the top of the rudder seized against the bottom of the boat's hull. The Coast Guard Auxiliary towed me home. And a guy in the marina, who was handy, went into the water and removed the rudder. We just undid the bolts on the shaft, and the rudder came down and out. My friend just shaved off the top of the rudder--a small amount--where it was binding against the hull and then put the rudder back in. And we were back in business within a few days. Learning how to sail took me a little longer, but I learned about lee shores the hard way.
I would assume that you could remove your rudder the same way. If it is locked up, as you say, you might have some difficulty getting it out. I can't guess what might be causing it to seize up. I seem to remember a bronze fitting down there. But that was 30+ years ago.
You mentioned, I believe, a grease fitting hole on the assembly at the top of the shaft. Mine, I recall, was missing when I bought the boat. I think I got a replacement at something like a NAPA auto parts store. It was threaded. I just screwed it back in and then used a manual grease gun to grease the shaft until grease came out the top. Cleaned the excess off with a rag. After that, I would do it once a year or so. No problems in the three decades I had the boat.
The rudder shaft, by the way, was slightly bent by the contact of the rudder with the beach. Straightened that out with a torch and a long piece of pipe the fit inside. A couple of years later, I had the rudder faired. That made a lot of difference.
Hi,
Shortly after buying my 1973 E-27, used, (in 1976)--it was steered with a tiller--I managed to put it on a beach down here in FL by hubris and a massive amount of stupidity. I didn't know enough to be cautious, so I anchored on a lee shore. The boat ended on on its side on the beach and the top of the rudder seized against the bottom of the boat's hull. The Coast Guard Auxiliary towed me home. And a guy in the marina, who was handy, went into the water and removed the rudder. We just undid the bolts on the shaft, and the rudder came down and out. My friend just shaved off the top of the rudder--a small amount--where it was binding against the hull and then put the rudder back in. And we were back in business within a few days. Learning how to sail took me a little longer, but I learned about lee shores the hard way.
I would assume that you could remove your rudder the same way. If it is locked up, as you say, you might have some difficulty getting it out. I can't guess what might be causing it to seize up. I seem to remember a bronze fitting down there. But that was 30+ years ago.
You mentioned, I believe, a grease fitting hole on the assembly at the top of the shaft. Mine, I recall, was missing when I bought the boat. I think I got a replacement at something like a NAPA auto parts store. It was threaded. I just screwed it back in and then used a manual grease gun to grease the shaft until grease came out the top. Cleaned the excess off with a rag. After that, I would do it once a year or so. No problems in the three decades I had the boat.
The rudder shaft, by the way, was slightly bent by the contact of the rudder with the beach. Straightened that out with a torch and a long piece of pipe the fit inside. A couple of years later, I had the rudder faired. That made a lot of difference.
I understand that there are a lot of similarities in the 27' and the 29', because in my manual, the rudder diagram says 27/29 rudder. So, there is a zerk fitting on my 29', in the rear,(aft), of the rudder post. My fitting was in there, but evidently the last owner had no clue that it was there. Now, in his defense, removing a panel would have been necessary, because it has an Edson wheel, and that part is not exposed. And never being happy until I've disassembled the entire boat, I pulled the rudder out. Good thing. It had nothing more than this hard, black crusty substance, that I think about thirty years ago used to be grease, that I literally had to scrape off. Unbelievable. So when the thing goes back in, I intend to grease it with my favorite, Superlube's teflon grease, until it runs out both ends. It may take some ingenuity to force it out the bottom, but it shall be done. The rudder tube by the way is 2 inch stainless pipe, which is 2 3/8" outside diameter.
I'm very particular about such things. I may can live with a malfunctioning fresh water pump, but the boat needs to steer...
I'm very particular about such things. I may can live with a malfunctioning fresh water pump, but the boat needs to steer...
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Yeah, I was pretty dubious about that little zerk way up at the top of the shaft. There's no way that pumping grease into that is going to lube anything but the top inch or two of the shaft. Unless it gets hot enough that the grease runs down...
Anyway, my shaft was all greasy when I pulled it out. The PO wasn't much for maintenance, but I did pump some into the zerk last summer. I rubbed the shaft with a greasy rag before reinserting it.
Anyway, my shaft was all greasy when I pulled it out. The PO wasn't much for maintenance, but I did pump some into the zerk last summer. I rubbed the shaft with a greasy rag before reinserting it.
Can anyone elaborate on the function of the bushing, how it is supposed to work, and how it is installed? (Eriscon 27).
I had a run in with a lee shore recently and the shaft of my rudder was very bent. Additionally, the brash bushing was deformed where the rudder post bent and is now stuck fast. I can't get it off, and even if I did, I think it is deformed so as not to be usable. (The bushing came out with the rudder).
I am working on getting a new rudder. I think I will need a new bushing. Does anyone have advice about this?
Was the bushing attached to the hull?
As to the fitting for grease, mine has one, too.
I had a run in with a lee shore recently and the shaft of my rudder was very bent. Additionally, the brash bushing was deformed where the rudder post bent and is now stuck fast. I can't get it off, and even if I did, I think it is deformed so as not to be usable. (The bushing came out with the rudder).
I am working on getting a new rudder. I think I will need a new bushing. Does anyone have advice about this?
Was the bushing attached to the hull?
As to the fitting for grease, mine has one, too.
Chad and Sandy
Member II
I was just wondering if it would be easier(?) ,or safer, to just hang a rudder off of the transom and do away with the through hull rudder post.
Another benefit would be a tiller that wouldn't dominate the cockpit so much. I had to make a kick-up rudder for my E25 due to the shallow
lake I sailed in and didn't find it too hard to do. Any ideas?
Another benefit would be a tiller that wouldn't dominate the cockpit so much. I had to make a kick-up rudder for my E25 due to the shallow
lake I sailed in and didn't find it too hard to do. Any ideas?
Chad and Sandy
Member II
You might be right but there are other boats with outboard rudders with more severe angles than the E27-29 and the transom could always be beefed up. I was just thinking that inspection and maintenance would be easier with an outboard rudder. It might have been easier for Morgan to fix his rudder had it been on the transom. I don't know if I would do it on a whim but if I had to do a major refit on the rudder I might think about hanging one on the back.
Fair winds,
Chad
Fair winds,
Chad