bound rudder post bearing?

[megalops]

The hynautic steering on my 1973 gulfstar trawler has gotten very stiff (hard to turn either helm). When we disconnected the steering arm the rudders are really hard to turn by hand. It has bronze rudders and posts in bronze tubes. Here is the history:

In 2005 my boat was badly damaged by hurricane dennis. I had to replace both props, both shafts, both struts and one rudder. The other rudder (port side) was removed and the bent post was straightend.

When it came time to put the port rudder back in, it was very tight, neccesitating the use of a sledge hammer by the yard to get it in. At relaunch the steering was very stiff. The yard advisded me to run the boat for a while and see if it loosened up. After 6 to 8 months, it didn't so I brought the boat back to the yard.

they pulled the rudder, honed down the post a little and put it back in. It steered much easier.

Now, 5 years later it is tightening up again. Could this be a frozen bearing maybe that was damaged by the heavy handed intial installation of the rudder?


Any other thoughts?

[Hirilondë]

This is indeed strange, at least to me. I have heard often of bearings wearing out and the rudder developing a wobble due to a sloppy fit of the post within the bearing. I have never heard of constant seizing like you are experiencing. What material is the rudder post, and what material is the bearing?

[megalops]

Rudder post is bronze, not sure on the bearing. Calder states that some materials used in bearings can occasionally swell under water, causing the bearing to bind. But this seems strange that this would happen over a period of 5 years. Everything else I've seen says that when the bearing fails the rudder post gets loose, like a prop shaft with a failed cutlass bearing.

For right now I am leaning toward hauling the boat and dropping the rudder to see what is going on.