F33 Swing Keel Rudder Bearings

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BriSail
Posts: 5
Joined: Thu May 22, 2014 9:06 am

F33 Swing Keel Rudder Bearings

Post by BriSail »

I am suffering some slop in the lower (underwater) pintle/gudgeon fitting, which is obviously due to corrosion. I assume the pintle within the rudder is monel or stainless, and the two piece gudgeon is obviously bronze. Hopefully the bronze (being less noble than stainless, with the boat in salt water...) is the part that has opened up, rather than the stainless pintle within the rudder being reduced in size. The point is I would like to start preparing for repair while the boat is still in the water, since I'm not sure when I'll be hauling, and I sail regularly. I've only greased that u/w fitting a few times in the 35 years (I am original master/owner) that I have owned the boat. Please let me know about any experiences with the barn door hung old rudders, their construction, design and potential re-build details such as materials, and suppliers/servicers. Meanwhile, I'll try the Naval Arch who did this boat for Hoyt/Freedom/J Boats in the US.
kind regards, Brian (brisail@bellsouth.net)

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1980raven
Posts: 101
Joined: Mon Feb 15, 2010 8:50 pm
Location: Warwick Cove, Rhode Island

Re: F33 Swing Keel Rudder Bearings

Post by 1980raven »

I spent 3 years refitting a Hoyt F28CK. When I purchased Raven in 2010 she needed the lower gudgeon on the full keel replaced as one side of the gudgeon had broken off. Hoyt used only Gudgeons with removable hinge Pins connecting 2 Transom Gudgeons with a Rudder Gudgeon between. I took the parts to a local marine fabricator and he built a replacement unit out of heaver stainless. I suspect the original unit failed due to crevice corrosion on the reverse side of the bracket. If your bracket is intact you may want to remove it and re-bed that way you can inspect the reverse side for cracks or corrosion (much better to find out on land than in a seaway). As far as play Raven had two plastic (some kind) bearings on each rudder gudgeon. The pin was inserted thru the bearings and were snug when I first installed them in 2012 and remain so today. The bearings looked like top hats. I found replacements at a Igus (http://www.igus.com). You will need to provide the measurements for them or select online. You will require 4 bearings two above and two below the water line. I think the bearings cost less than $40 total.
Freedom 28 CK Hull# 14, centerboard, wrap around sails with WB booms
Narragansett Bay, RI

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