I spend nights and weekends from the end of March through the middle of May making repairs and upgrades to the Redwing. This included repairing my busted combing and reconfiguring my traveler system, replacing sanitary and water lines, painting the head and lockers including the bilge, installing a receptacle and distribution panel for AC shore power, installing a DC to AC inverter, installing a pump for a cockpit shower, greasing my rudder stock, and varnishing bright work.
Hi Mark,
ReplyDeleteI've enjoyed your posts of the restoration. An amazing amount of work!
We bought hull # 73 here in Camden Maine last fall. You made reference to greasing your rudder stock. Ours is very stiff, likely due to the fact that it has been out of the water for six years. There is no grease fitting (that I can see) found on other C&C boats. Do you know much about the design of the rudder stock?
We've applied penetrating oil from the top, and have been working it in as best we can. I assume there are seized bushings. In any event, we're unable to drop it it to inspect and repair. Any insights?
Thanks!
Grant (William)
wgrantg@localnet.com
The bronze rudder bushings are probably worn out after 45+ years. Replaced mine with Harken rudder bearings, and it's like power steering
DeleteThe zebra mussels got to the lower Harken rudder bearing, so I replaced it with a Delrin bearing made at local machine shop.
DeleteHi William
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on getting your Redwing! The first season I sailed mine I found my rudder to be very sloppy and without my tiller constantly in hand, it steered of in the wrong direction.
Over that first winter I removed the rudder and managed to remove the two bushings. The top bushing was brass and the bottom was plastic. A pin through the rudder stock rides on the top of the brass bushing. The top of the brass bushing was severely worn by that pin with deep recesses that made the rudder steer off in the wrong direction.
I went to a machine shop and had two new bushings made. They were sized tight to allow for future wear. Well two seasons later and I still had a very stiff rudder.
To answer your question, no there was no grease fitting. I removed the tiller and the pin again and partially lowered the rudder enough to expose the inside of the top bushing. I could have removed the rudder completely again which would have been better, but it was not easy getting the rudder stock into the new bushings so I avoided that. I greased the bottom of the rudder stock where it goes in the bottom bushing and the inside of the top bushing. Then I pushed the rudder back and forth with a floor jack underneath to get the rudder all the way back up. Oh..I also took a file to the top of the brass bushing because it was starting to wear by the pin like the old one. Eventually as the top of the brass bushing wears more, I'll put a sacrificial washer between the pin and the bushing. There isn't enough room for that yet.
The grease has helped quite a bit to loosen my rudder. Now I don't feel like I might break my tiller when I steer.
Hope this helps!
Mark
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ReplyDeleteThanks very much Mark, this is all very helpful. It's a lot to ask of a brass bushing, and I think your solution is a good one.
ReplyDeleteI did some surgery in the area where the post enters the cockpit sole, and freed it up for the summer. I'll keep lubricating during the season, and then get deeper into it this winter. It's launched now, and time to go sailing!
Have a great season,
Grant
I've recently purchased a Redwing 30 through an auction and I'm doing the normal fixing, upgrading and replacing. Unfortunately the fresh water tank and all lines were either removed or cut. Your images have verified where I thought the fresh water tank belonged. So, thank you!
ReplyDeleteAlong with the fresh water system being buggered up, so is the grey/black water system. I have what appears to be a built in fiberglass tank under the couch seat just aft of the head. It has a flat topped pyramid shaped protrusion. At the top of the f/t pyramid is a piece of clear plexiglas with 2- 1/2" holes in it. Did your's have anything similar? Do you have any pics of the finished system? Including where the tank is, how the lines are run and how they are set up with the thru hulls. Anything will help.
I will try to post pics. Unfortunately the blogger app doesn't work well, so it difficult. Thats why I haven't updated in a while.
DeleteThe fresh water tank is pretty well shown above. The fill line runs off the top into the forward compartment were anchor line is stowed and up through the deck fitting. A vent line does the same but vent is just below the rubrail. A tee fitting comes off the bottom with line to feed both sinks.