Still working on my stiff rudder, !!!
Question…?? How many inches of thread should be showing above the rudder post nut ?
Wonder if the prior owner has torqued up the rudder post too much. Im showing around 1 1/2 + inches. Have user several lubricants to try to loosen the tightness around the bearings, with some success… but still kinda tight.
I removed the cables and I am just moving the rudder using the emergency rudder bar… Examined both the top rudder bearing, under the nut and the bearing under the large fly wheel… both look good., from what I can see…no obvious signs of corrosion.
Question ?? What type of rudder bearing / is on the bottom of the post , under the water line.
There were no signs of a bent rudder post during the dry dock survey.
Seems as if you have checked all the easy stuff so far. If the bearings are free then it must be an issue of alignment. If you are currently on the hard you might remove the rudder and have the shaft checked for deflection. The rudder is quite vulnerable to damage from collision or other mishaps including mishandling by a yard crew. If the shaft is true, then it must be an alignment issue with the tube. These sound too obvious, but you can’t assume anything when dealing with a boat that has seen multiple owners over many years.
Good luck isolating the problem. It can be frustrating but at the same time it’s rewarding considering the knowledge you gain and the confidence you’ll have in your vessel when you know that it is in good order.
If I remember correctly there’s also a grub screw in the large bronze nut that prevents it from unscrewing itself. I’ll check and photograph when I’m next at the boat.
Bob Illingworth
Nonsuch Luck 30U #367 (GBR1262T)
Moored Brightlingsea, Essex, UK; cruising the rivers of East Anglia, and, the North Sea.
I have four threads showing above the nut, the same as in Joe’s photo. This gives about 1/4" vertical clearance between the top of the rudder and the bottom of the rudder tube. Half of this clearance is taken up with a nylon washer which probably is there to prevent the top of the rudder from hitting the rudder tube if it bounces upwards
The lower rudder tube/bearing is made of wound fiberglass. I got this information from Dave Harris, the Nonsuch expert from Harris-Ellis
I also have a stiff rudder. The Edson steering system is fine but the rudder motion is stiff when I use the emergency tiller. Occasionally it is okay but the stiffness returns. It also seems to improve for a while after greasing. I suspect Joe’s suggestion of dirt, old grease, etc. jamming the shaft in the rudder tube could be the problem. This fall I probably will lower the rudder.. Does anyone know the approximate weight of a Nonsuch 26 rudder?
Here are two good drawings of the steering system.
I agree with Ed that it’d be nice to get the pictures you posted onto the INA web site, and I’m happy to see to it.
I recognize “Rudder and Steering System 2.pdf” as being an annotated copy of the 72nd page of the Nonsuch 26C manual available via Nonsuch.org.
However, I can’t place where “Rudder and Steering System 1.pdf” originally came from, although it looks somewhat familiar.
Would you mind letting us know? If this goes on the website, we want to make sure that everything’s accurately attributed and cross-referenced.
Thanks,
– Bob
Robert Neches
Co-President, International Nonsuch Association
Solar Wind, Nonsuch 26C #143 (for now – in the process of buying a 26U and putting Solar Wind on the market)
Weight of a rudder? This is a substantial piece of stainless, glass and foam. I would guesstimate 150 + pounds, probably more.
The rudder is also awkward to maneuver due to its shape and weight. When I had mine out last year it required two people to move it around successfully. Reinstalling the rudder took a good deal of teamwork with one person on the boat and three people below. The crew at RCR were very helpful both with the removal of the rudder and the reinstallation.
There’s a memo on on “Rudder Removal and Repair” written by Bob Cole on the Nonsuch.org website which might be helpful.
Start at the home page, click on “Members”, select “Maintenance” in the menu that comes up. On that page, it’s the first of five documents under “Rudder Technical Information”.
– Bob
Solar Wind
Nonsuch 26C #143 (for now – purchase of another one in process)
These drawings are on the nonsuch.org site under members>maintenance>rudder technical information.
Rudder weight at 150 lbs sounds about right but that can go up if your rudder has water in it or if it was repaired at one point.
The rudder weight should all be taken by that plastic bushing under the tip nut, there should be no weight on the rudder tube from the steering quadrant.
