I bought my B31 a year ago and this is the condition of one of my rudders...tried changing the packing but it only works for about two outings and then water comes in......I'm using 1/4 packing........I have bertram 37 rudders...my aft bilge pump blasts every 15 minutes......questions:
1) Should I haul out and check for corrosion?
2) Is the 1/4 packing to small?
3) Should I forget about the B37 rudders and change it for a Capt. Patrick's set?
If the rudder stocks are not clean, the packing is not going to last to long because it is trying to seal against a rough surface. Rudders that have been leaking badly for some time tend to have this problem. The only way I know of dealing with it is dropping the rudders and polishing the shafts up with some fine sand paper.
As previously said, the rudder bearings have to be in good shape, too much rudder play and the packing won't stand a chance.
I recently dropped a rudder that was leaking even after a repack, turns out the shaft was bent and had worn out the rudder port. (lower bearing surface)
This boat had lots of crud on the shaft from years of leaking.
I had the same thing happening on my B28. The former owner had put in new packing, but failed to use the locking nut. I took it all apart and cleaned and polished the shafts and put in the Gortex packing and after a couple of adjustments and using the locking nut, I have had nothing but bone dry sailing since.
Thanks guys....hauling next week, probably Monday.....just in case of, I paid my insurance premium today.................they kill you down here in Puerto Rico.............
One thing to check before you haul out is where the leakage is occurring. Shambala had one rudder post with a packing problem and the other had fasteners that had been attacked over the years by galvanic corrosion. They were leaking as well.
hauled out today and this is what I found.............a falling rudder and worn out bushings......cleaned the tunnel and tomorrow everything new in the rudder package.......hope to get it bone dry......
