RUDDER SHOE DISCUSSIONS

[Hull376]

I just had the bottom done on 376, and what do you know? The Zinc I put on the rudder shoe two years ago was gone. I also had a zinc attached by wire to the tiller head fitting when at the dock, but not much gone from it. I have one of Frank's beautiful new rudder shoes in inventory ready to be installed when needed.

[commanderpete]

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/NEW-R...3A1%7C72%3A317

Brand New Cast Bronze replacement rudder shoe to fit Pearson Ariel, Commander. Vanguard and Alberg 35. These have also been used to retrofit Pearson Triton, but a new rudder stock and keel modifications were required. MAY also fit/be adaptable to the Pearson Coaster but am not sure.

This is a raw silicon bronze casting and requires finish machining to be installed on a boat.

Copy of authentic Pearson drawing with machining dimensions and specs is included.

[ebb]

C'pete, great find. good starting bid price.

If it's correct to the specs then it is a real goody. Pg171 A/C Manual.

Added expense is getting the ruddershaft hole (3/4"X3/4"D) milled.
Has to be accurate.


Side pins can conceivably be drilled while mounted to the boat, but really easier and more accurate to do on the drill press with holding jig. And a breeze to add the chamfers for peening into.

How do we tell one bronze from another?
Is there some provenance with this casting?


Finishing the bronze is more a matter of fit than removing the casting marks.
Sandcast surface is not rough and makes a good surface for paint. Not that S.B. needs paint.

[Tony G]

That is an unreasonably good price! The windlass has my attention too! Now if I could just figure out how to service the rudder and shoe while she's still on the trailer... That was a major oversight in trailer design on my part.

P.s. good to see you back in action CPete. Missed your input around here.

[commanderpete]

The shoe sold for $146. Must have been one that Fred built

Thanks Tony. I didn't supervise the haulout of my boat closely enough last Winter. This is what happens when they start to lift the boat out of the water, by the rudder

Lucky I had a spare rudder

[Tim D.]

They did that at a yard.

[CapnK]

Wound up being $172 w/shipping, near enough. Anticipating the worst - I'm not *positive* that I need it, but wanted it on-hand just in case I find 'bad stuff' down there when I pull the boat. Bronze rod can be ordered fairly easily, not so a shoe. And with the price climbing above 3BoatBux over three years ago, figured it was a good deal not to be passed up...

That said - I don't see why a shoe couldn't be made of composites - heck, shoe and rudder combined - no more worry about electrolysis ever. Spent some time looking at McMaster and such for materials. Found that you can fairly easily procure 1" OD solid carbon fiber rod somewhat cheaper than a good bronze alloy, though only in 4' lengths (so far - more searching might find a source for longer rod stock). Hollow tube stock can be found in longer sections, but I don't know how much faith I could put into that, considering stresses and whatnot... I imagine that abrasion could be an issue, would probably be *the* issue. But could also be accounted for in designing and constructing. Some well placed sacrificial Delrin might do the trick. A shoe might be made from sheet material glued up and then milled to a proper rudder-post-base accepting shape that could be attached to the after part of the keel...

Food for thought, anyway.

Thanks for the heads up on that auction, C'Pete! I had good eBay fu yesterday - spent all my birthday money. Also scored a set of 8:1 Harken mainsheet blocks for just over a $100 - retail would be $450+! I got them to use during rigging jobs, should be able to hoist myself aloft easily now, without needing to procure the help of a deckhand winch grinder. And though you don't need that kind of purchase on an Ariel, I could still use them in that way, or as a handy billy.

Hate that the yard did that to your rudder. Did they pick up replacement/repair costs?