rudder slop

[steve c.]

hey everyone, new cp 16 owner here..question is: my rudder has some play in it at the housing where the two bolts allow it to swivel left and right, is this normal? are there bushings in there to replace?  thanks for your help and glad to be here....steve.

[Paul]

As far as I can tell, I'd say it's abnormal.  A little give ought to be OK.  Mine is negligible.  Is it noticeable during sailing?  If not, then you might just keep an eye on it.

As for bushings, they don't come stock on the 16.  One way to take out the slop would be to re-drill the gudgeons and replace the bolt with a slightly bigger one.  Use a dry lubricant during the replacement.  I'd avoid silicone.  I think SailKoat is one to consider.  Maybe a graphite lube.  Also, note whether there is corrosion damage.

Hope this helps.

[steve c.]

thanks paul, i'll check to see if the gudgeons are wallowed out or not and go from there.
thanks

[saillover]

Steve,  My CP16 also has "slop" in the gudgeon. The problem is caused because the gudgeon is a cast aluminum and the pintles are stainless steel bolts. The stainless is much more wear resistant than the aluminum and as a result the gudgeon is worn.  In my opinion the best solution is to line bore ( a process of using a long straight drill to insure that the holes line up on the same center line)  the gudgeon and press in bronze bushing. These bushings will still wear but more slowly and can be replaced when needed. The slop probably doesn't affect the boats handling as much as it just feels loose which annoys me. I am in the process of doing this repair over the next couple of weeks and I will post some photos when I finnish.

[Paul]

Good show, Saillover.  Let us know.

Thanks