Back to Tiller Steering

[galleywench]

I'm in the process of converting my Alberg 35 back to tiller steering and have a few questions. The original boat was tiller steered, but was converted sometime in the 80's to pedestal steering. During this conversion, the rudder shaft was cut so it was below the cockpit and a quadrant was fitted to the shaft. I assume that the original configuration had a solid glass tube extending into the cockpit for the tiller, but now there is a stuffing box located about 5 inches above where the rudder shaft enters the boat on the bottom.

My plan is to cut off the stuffing box (it is nearly inaccessible for maintenance) and glass in a new fiberglass tube that extends up into the cockpit. The tube will be structurally tied into the cockpit sole to support the cockpit and to handle the forces imposed by the rudder. The fiberglass tube I am specing out is 3" outer diameter and a 2" inner diameter. My shaft is 1.5". I plan on using a cutlass bearing for the top rudder bearing at cockpit level, but I'm not sure that I need one where the shaft exits the boat because it is keel hung and there is a bearing along the bottom of the keel and several gudgeons/straps along the rudder.

So my questions are:
1. Does this sound like a valid plan?
2. Do I need a bearing where the shaft exits the hull given that the other supporting structures along the rudder (bottom bearing, gudgeons/straps)?
3. Does anyone foresee a problem with having a 2 inch inner diameter fiberglass tube and a 1.5 inch diameter shaft? I could spec a tube with a 1.5" inner diameter, but it seems like there would be too much friction.

Any help would be appreciated.

[earlylight]

How about a Teflon bushing (2 inch OD and 1.5 inch ID) at the bottom of the glass tube where it exits the hull. It could have a 2.5 inch or so OD shoulder which could be fastened to the hull with a couple of machine screws into tapped holes in the hull to keep it from possibly turning and riding up into the glass tube?.

[OldCreek]

I'm curious...

How are you extending the actual rudder shaft itself? (As it was previously cut.) Are you replacing the shaft in its entirety? What is it made of?

[galleywench]

I'm curious...

How are you extending the actual rudder shaft itself? (As it was previously cut.) Are you replacing the shaft in its entirety? What is it made of?

I will be dropping the rudder and replacing the shaft entirely with a longer one. Edson makes shaft extenders so I could bolt a shaft extender on to the existing rudder shaft and add another 6" or so, but it just strikes me as 'cobbled' together and using an extender would eliminate the possibility of a tube that runs unbroken to the cockpit (thereby eliminating a hard to reach underdeck bearing/stuffing box).

The current shaft is 1.5" stainless steel and I'll probably stick with that choice. I could go with bronze, but it is significantly more expensive.

[mdidriksen]

I faced some similar questions in the course of my rudder replacement project (detailed in this thread: viewtopic.php?f=4&t=5346.

Is there not a bearing already where the shaft enters the hull? I would think a bearing there makes sense. In my setup, there was a bearing at this point, and then an edson packing gland installed at the top of the rudder tube. There is also a bearing at the base of the skeg and a bearing in the cockpit (so three bearings total). At some point in time, my boat had been modified from tiller steering to wheel steering, with a quadrant installed under the cockpit. I don't know if the tube originally extended up to the cockpit or not, but when it was converted back to tiller steering the prior owner left the edson packing gland in place.

I decided I wanted to get rid of the packing gland, but chose not to extend the tube up to the cockpit, as I wanted to preserve the possibility of having a below deck autopilot installed, in which case I would need access to the rudder shaft. I think the existing packing gland was just above the water line, but I wanted to be sure, so after removing the packing gland I sourced some fiberglass tube from McMaster Carr and just glassed about 8 inches of that on to the existing tube and installed a simple rubber, conical gasket that I made myself. The larger part of the cone is clamped around the top of the rudder tube, and the smaller part is clamped around the rudder shaft. This is above water line, so its purpose is just to keep out water and it doesn't have the resistance of a packing gland. I don't seem to have any pictures of this (sorry). If I didn't want the option of the below decks autopilot, I would have just extended it to the cockpit.

BTW, if you haven't ordered the tube yet, let me know. I had to order 8 feet of it and only used a foot or even less. I'm pretty sure it is 3 inch O.D. and 2 inch I.D. I could lop off a piece and send it to you.

MD

[galleywench]

Thanks MD,
Unfortunately I already bought and cut the fiberglass tube from McMaster Carr. I used the same 3" OD 2" ID tubing and now have some rather expensive leftover tubing. I guess if I want to build a cannon I'll be all set. It sounds like your setup was very similar to mine (except for the skeg hung rudder). I never considered adding a below deck tiller pilot, but that would be a good case for leaving the tube cut below deck. I plan on having a delrin bearing fabricated for where the shaft enters the hull and I may put another up top in the cockpit (or install a cutlass bearing).