Swift 18 Owners

Hi Dave
My rudder stock pin sounds the same as yours but didn't have a hole in. I found that it used to slowly work its way out. After almost losing my rudder I drilled a small hole just under the top hinge and put a split pin through.

David mclardie wrote:Hi all ..i was checking my boat last night and found that the rod holding the rudder onto the stern has snapped .its a stainless steel rod with a bolt welded on top with a locking ring at the bottom but near the top of the rod it had a hole drilled in it what looks to be a shear point and this is where it snapped is this a standard rod or an after market retro fit

thanks for any help

Regards

David

Hi terry thanks for that

mine had two holes one just under the top hinge and one under the bottom hinge but it snapped clean on the top whole ..i will get a new rod made with just one whole on the bottom to stop it working out ...

Thanks

Dave

Hi, the rudder stock has just a lenth of s/s rod as the main pivot. Make sure you get the right size.!! Mine is a bit thicker, as it was free,! and in case I wanted to sail across the atlantic!! Some other swift owners have had the same issues.! ....Will see if I can get a photo of the boat on my site, had loads on a disc ,but temp missing,but still looking.! Costs for sailing on the river orwell, make my eyes water.!!!!! No public slips, all marina owned....£28.30 per day,to launch and re-cover, to temp moor your boat, fix sails,load gear etc ,£8.00 max stay 4hrs. Park your car and trailer?£3.60 wk day,weekend days£6.20. Want a meal in the local restaurant,?BIG dent in your pocket.!! Anyway regards to all in sunny Norfolk, MIKE

Hi Mike,
Swings & Roundabouts, Norfolk = Sunny but expensive V Wales = Free slipways but rainy (well some anyway).

mikeprojectboat wrote:Hi, the rudder stock has just a lenth of s/s rod as the main pivot. Make sure you get the right size.!! Mine is a bit thicker, as it was free,! and in case I wanted to sail across the atlantic!! Some other swift owners have had the same issues.! ....Will see if I can get a photo of the boat on my site, had loads on a disc ,but temp missing,but still looking.! Costs for sailing on the river orwell, make my eyes water.!!!!! No public slips, all marina owned....£28.30 per day,to launch and re-cover, to temp moor your boat, fix sails,load gear etc ,£8.00 max stay 4hrs. Park your car and trailer?£3.60 wk day,weekend days£6.20. Want a meal in the local restaurant,?BIG dent in your pocket.!! Anyway regards to all in sunny Norfolk, MIKE

Perhaps the rod could be used in two halves top and bottom if cut and bent save bothering getting another rod and you would have enough left over for a couple of spares. I use insulation tape around the rod to prevent it coming up out of the hole. >:\

I use stainless steel nuts and bolts, no p[roblem.

John


On 18/08/2010 13:54, CHERRY PIE wrote:

Perhaps the rod could be used in two halves top and bottom if cut and bent save bothering getting another rod and you would have enough left over for a couple of spares. I use insulation tape around the rod to prevent it coming up out of the hole. >:\



GARY & RUTH CHERRY PIE

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Thanks for the help i think i will chop the rod into two and use it that way..

regards

Dave

Thanks for all the tips and comments.
My new rudder stock was a good copy but underweight, as a result it bent so I had to strengthen it by riveting alloy plates on either side.

My original blade had a leak and became too heavy to lift so I made a blade out of half inch marine ply which has worked well.

As I am on a mud mooring with very little swinging room I also converted the gudgeons on the hull to pintels and made it possible to lift the rudder and stock off when my dau's sailing was over.

Now that I'm off the water I'm pricing a new stock in marine grade stainless steel.

My only other problem is stress crazing round the mast step. I know that the boat lost its mooring and grounded before I bought it which broke the original rudder, forestay and pulpit. The damage may have been caused then. Does anyone know how the deck is trengthened below the mast step?

Apart from I've had a good season. She's a good boat, sails well and can take the weather.

Cheers John

You may remember I was having problems with my rudder's weight. I modified the gudgeons so that I could lift both it and the stock off when I leave the boat. I eventually discovered that the rudder was full of water and when I split it found that the ply inner was sodden. As a temporary measure I made a ply rudder with very little leading edge. The advantage is that I no longer round up when leaving the tiller to go to the mast, the disadvantage is that I have increased the weight on the helm. I will probably repair the old blade when the temperature allows the exoxy to harden. I have beefed up the stock which was under weight and am in the process of making a replacement, any comments on pros and cons of wood v alloy v stainless would be welcome.
Otherwise she sails well and the thrust bearing on the keel works a treat.

Cheers John H

John,
I too have found that my rudder blade was full of water. I took it off to bring the boat home and left it upside down in the boot of the car. It seems that there was rather a lot of water inside it!
How did you go about splitting your rudder blade as no doubt I will have to do the same?
Dave H

Dave H,

Could your rudder not have a few strategically drilled holes to let the water out? then let it dry out and epoxy fill when dry. Could that be a solution?

Gary