Willy's rudder

"Got to haul in the spring anyway to work on the rudder."

What's wrong with Willy's rudder?

I've got some vibration in my boat and for a long time had rattling going on aft sounding like it's coming from the lazerette. The noise was somewhat tolerable when it was heard only at idle but it's gotten worse. I have a light infection now and am on an antibiotic and it's giving me some side effects so i'm not going to make the trip now. It's 24 to 30 hrs running time 2/3s of it is in Clarence Strait and Sumner Strait. Being sick out there is not something to be chosen. I need to figure out how to remove the rudder and replace the bearings. I'm going to confer w Dan Peace first as I think he's done it. My rudder has been out several times since I've owned the boat but it's been done by a yard in Washington when I was'nt present. With the coming ice the boat will be warmer in the water anyway.

Trust you and Willy will get well soon.

Eric--- A couple of years ago we had a "rattling" sound that was coming from the back of the boat. There was no vibration in the rudder and no vibration in either of the shafts. It was one of those "has that always been there?" sounds. I was pretty convinced it hadn't but.....


After a few months the dive company we use did their routine check the bottom, change the zincs dive and discovered that one of the cutlless bearings had worked its way half out of the strut is was in. This was the source of the noise. We had the boat hauled, the shaft pulled and trued, and the cutless bearings on that side replaced. End of noise.

Don't know if this could be what's causing your noise but it might be worth considering if you're not getting any visible or feel of vibration from the rudder.

I'm not sure this applies but...* We had a single engine boat that we sold.* A couple months later*I got a call from the new owner wondering if we ever had any transmission problems.* He said that in reverse he had rattling noise.* What it turned out was the shaft zinc had come loose.* When he went in reverse it slid against the hull.* Why it didn't slide against the strut in forward I don't know.* Sure was a simple fix.

Larry/Lena
Hobo KK42
La Paz, BCS, MX

Larry, Marin,Yes and yes. Had both problems some time ago. See in the photo I took the disc zink off the center of the rudder and put a different type near the top. It won't rattle when it gets a bit consumed. It's no longer in the propwash either. And recently I had the cutlass bearing slide about 1" aft. Pushed it back in, checked the dimple, pulled it back out and drilled the dimples over half way through the bronze cutlass sleeve. It ain't go'in nowhere now.