A-376 Afloat

[ebb]

Congratulations on reinventing the wh.... Original rudder. Only better!
The original has only 3 thru the two main planks -- you've doubled
that. And you couldn't guarantee a rudder more likely to never come
apart, ever again. How you managed to drill them straight and 90 is
beyond my comprehension and.. ability -- amazing. A family Ariel gets
a traditional rudder. Couldn't be better. And flawless to boot.

Your mahogany looks like Sepele to me. An African variety that's
twice as hard as Honduras. Or could it be a plantation variety?? Not
knocking, it to me doesn't look dark enough, the crowds of thin dashed
lines I'm used to seeing. Spelle has a great reputation as a true
mahogany.

And just to say: Don't forget the copper electrical tape that Pearson
used (halfway up the stock to hold the rudder straight.. So that when
you run aground and lift the rudder out of its shoe, it will drop back
'down again into the hole. (I say 'tape' because I think it is a three-
fold pure copper strip that will take bending without hardening.

Once looked down the rudder tube to the rudder shoe, Noticed the
tube was a little OFF CENTER, crooked. Cussed Pearson and forgot
about it Recently installed a two piece gudgeon that is meant to
release the rudder by removing one half of the gudgeon. The fitting
is held on by three bolts (and six nuts). So I had to disassemble the
tillerhead as if to remove the rudder. So, lifted it out of the shoe and
discover the rudder removes from ONE SIDE ONLY.

As you and I know there is no bearing in the entrance to the bustle
where the rudder tube lives. The rudder stock merely enters the hole.
Good reason, because when you lift the rudder up you have to aim
it port or starboard to drop it by the rudder shoe. It dawned on me
that the slight off center cant to the tube is to facilitate the drop. The
shaft on my rudder won't go starboard, it only drops to port, easily,
as it obviously is meant to.
Thus, you may want to make it easy to remove and replace the
machine screw in an embedded piece to of threaded s.bronze.
Seriously I don't think they make a sex bolt in s.bronze. Could try
a piece of tapped G-10 embedded in the hull. Don't know, but G-10
would epoxy in better.

Will you celebrate with a bit of ceremony? I admit to buying two
bottles of Proseco (yet to find a sour one at reasonable prices) put
one in an old heavy sock to do the honors, and in the cockpit, open
the other for strait toasts -- or 1/2n1/2 with fresh oj for mimosas.
Your marvelous rudder deserves the moment.