Well, I ordered a new steering assembly

[Vectordirector]

Hello Eclipse Guys and Gals,

Yep, I couldn't take it any more.  The rudder just would not stay down no matter what I tried. Thanks to all who replied to my questions, my neighbors who looked at it, and the guys at the local dealer.  The pics posted here show a very different control arm, one that appears completely straight.  Mine has a couple bends.  I've tried different ways to hold it down, it just doesn't work.  It has been an issue off and on since I got the boat.   I think maybe the control bar is bent too much and in the wrong way.  The bushings are failing, the blade is pretty beat up, the wing nut is seized on the bolt, and it just feels too loose.  I figured the original (guessing it is original) 10 year old rudder assembly was worn enough that piecing it back together replacing parts just isn't worth the time.  So I emailed the fine folks at Hutchins and asked about a total replacement.  Everything that attaches to the transom, except the tiller.  My tiller is fine.  Guess the total price...... an even $1000.  Some may recoil in shock.  I feel it is a fair price.  If it lasts 10 years and performs like it should, I feel it is worth it.  Just a cost of boat ownership and necessary at some point on every boat.  Matt has been great and is working on putting it all together for me, probably a couple of days.  I requested minimal assembly on my part and he is going to ship it.  I could go get it, but a 4 hour round trip can get much longer in season, so I'll just have it shipped.  Looking forward to sailing with it.  More as this story develops.   

Vectordirector

[Bob23]

Sounds good, Vec. Sometimes you just have to bite the bullet. I did when I bought new sails and never regretted spending the money.
Bob23

[Eagleye]

Vec,
I really wish I was closer to you.  I could have possibly helped you with the problem and It has to be near 80 degrees warmer!  It was -5 at 2 am when we got called out to a car fire.

Anyway please be sure to post some pics of the latest and greatest setup that the Hutchins boys have to offer.

Good Luck,
-Allen

[Vectordirector]

Thanks Allen, I'm sure the boat was repairable, but I figure an all new system would be best.  I don't know, and I'm not sure that even the factory knows, how the systems have changed in 10 years.  The pic posted in my other thread shows a much different control arm.  Of course, that is a diesel boat, so that might be part of it.  Is your arm bent or straight?  Mine has a major S curve in it and I think I've managed to bend it wrong trying to get it to lock down under the delrin piece.  I'll post pics of the entire process of removal and installation.  I've been playing around with the rudder since I got the boat, it just never worked very well.  Hopefully the new one will.

I don't miss the weather in Chicago, that's for sure.  Getting up at 4am, driving to work in a snow storm, then dealing with O'hare and Midway traffic during a snow storm, only to then drive home and have to remove all the white stuff from the driveway in below zero windchills, was a major pain.  It was 76 here today with 10 knots of wind.  My wife is here this weekend and we went out on my neighbour's Corsair 24.  Tough life, but, someone has to do it. 

Are you a fireman?  One of my friends back in Chicago was a fireman/EMS on the north shore for years.  He has some wonderful stories of calls to mansions in the middle of the night, breaking windows of cars parked in front of hydrants to snake the hose through, etc..  He then went on to working on a Flight for Life copter as a flight nurse.  He's retired now, lots of stories about that too.   

Come on down!  The sailing is the best.  I've been out more down here in 3 months than I was in two years up north.  Charlotte Harbour is a big protected shallow piece of water.  Com-pacs were designed for sailing the waters of SW FL. 


Vectordirector

[Eagleye]

Are you a fireman?

Vectordirector

Yeah...43 years of service as a volunteer.  This was last Saturday's structure fire.  We sure could use some Florida weather.  What's for dinner?



 
]


-Allen

[Vectordirector]

BRRR.  Looks like no fun at all.  Reminds me of the year I worked as a ramp agent servicing airliners in St. Louis.  Nothing is more fun than hanging out of a cherry picker 80 feet off the ground, in below zero wind chills,de-icing the tail of a 747.  That glycol tasted real good when the wind blew it back in your face.  At least it was heated up.  That water stuff you deal with has got to be pretty dangerous in cold weather.  My daughter is a senior at Hamilton College in Clinton, NY.  I've heard from her repeatedly about the weather, and digging her car out of the blizzards.  You would think that she would be used to it, but no.  Hope the worst is behind you.  Only a couple of months left, right?

My wife is in town for the weekend so dinner was pasta at a nice Italian place in downtown PG, but I'm just as happy throwing a steak on the grill.  Fellow Eclipse owners are welcome any time. 

43 years, wow.  That is some dedication.  You must be much more in shape than I am considering the physical tasks you are required to perform.  Sitting behind a radar scope for 30 years mixed with crazy shift work does a number on ones health.  I'm working on it. 

Rudder update and pics when it happens. 



Fair and warm winds,

Vectordirector

[alsantini]

Installation complete?  I hope you kept the pull up and push down rod for reference.  I would like to look at it and compare it to mine.  Been out sailing much?  I seem to always be under the gun with limited time and wind up putting in at the Venice Train Station, sailing out the Venice inlet and the Gulf.  Great sailing to date.  Hope to get down to Charlotte Harbor Mon or Tuesday. 

[Vectordirector]

Hi all,

Parts arrived late Wednesday, all appears to be in order.  Planning to install this afternoon with Arthur's help.  Anyone is welcome to attend.  We are starting at 1.  After I ordered the parts I decided to not sail until the upgrade  is complete, so I haven't been out since Saturday on the Corsair.  Weekend weather looks ick, all next week looks good.  If all goes well with the upgrade, I'll be out quite a bit next week.  We should meet up. 

Vec

[Vectordirector]

Well, that wasn't what I call fun. It took Arthur and I, neither of us terribly mechanically inclined, a little over two hours to get the rudder assembly unbolted from the transom.  First up was the inspection plate removal.  Should just be 4 screws and off.  Nope.  They glued it on.  10 minutes later with a putty knife and a hammer, I had it off.  The resulting hole was much smaller than I had imagined.  3-4 inches max.  I could get my hand in and then it was fine but the bolts were long and the sockets I had weren't deep enough to work.  I'm sure that with the right tool it would have been a piece of cake.  We got the nuts off and called it a day. 

Installation will continue tomorrow, weather permitting.  I'm not an early riser so I don't expect to get going until noonish.  The removal tomorrow will be the most difficult part as it is heavy and I really don't want to drop it in the canal.  Any locals who want to drop by and give me a hand?  Shouldn't be more than an hour to finish it up.  2845 La Mancha Ct, Punta Gorda, 33950.  Call or text 815-355-zero seven four nine.  Free Beer!!!

Vectordirector

[Vectordirector]

Wow, nobody wanted free beer.  Arthur and I hit the boat about 10:30, tied the tiller to the arch with a dock line, removed the bolts and off she came.  Not as heavy as I thought it would be.  40 pounds, maybe.  We maneuvered it to the dock and set upon finishing assembly of the blade and control arm.  I also had to drill a 3/8" hole through the casting for the tiller bolt hole.  Solid aluminum about 2 inches thick.  I did it in stages with lube spray and it took about 5 minutes of drilling with my new Hitachi cordless.  Filed away the shavings and it fit perfect to attach the tiller.  When all was ready, we set about attaching the smaller casting (pintle?) to the transom.  The new bolts were too short!  By about 1/2".  WTF!!  Maybe the new boats are thinner, or maybe Matt put the wrong ones in, whatever, we reused the old ones and it was another hour till we got them tight.  Next we held the fully assembled rudder system on the pintle and slid the bolts and washers in, from the bottom, as they didn't have room to go the other way.  Then locknuts, fiddled with the control arm and it is ready to go after I add a line on the tiller to the control arm.  All in all, about 6 hours to complete.  Next time, with the right tools, and help, I'm thinking 3 hours max.  Doing it in the water wasn't that big a deal, don't know if it would have been quicker to pull the boat out and work while on the trailer, definitely not necessary to do so.    I'm too tired to post pics now, I'll do them later.  Thanks Arthur.  I couldn't have done it without the knowledge and help of this most generous man.  Wow, I'm out of shape, my knees are killing me.  

Vectordirector