Rudder noise solution?

The gemini forum is regularly speckled with entries complaining about rudder slap when at anchor. This is a consequence of the raising rudder design

The Bearing Casing (pictured below) is the part that swivels and this sits in a slot. That slot has a fairly generous amount of clearance, about 2 -4 mm. In certain tide / wind conditions or even the wash from passing boats is enough to make the casing "slap" within the slot. Now if you reduce the clearance then you will have the danger of seizing the mechanism. There are various workarounds, the most popular being thin wedges pushed into the slot. Well here's my attempt at a solution. I have attached to the casing some rubber cups which bridge the gap without seizing the casing in the slot and at the swivel point some rubber tube again either side of the casing. These rubber cups are the items you place in the feet of your furniture to protect your polished floors.

Until we get back in the water theres no way of knowing how effective this will be and I'm guessing I might have to employ stronger rubber but then we are back to the problem of siezure

Jobs on the boat

At long last I have been able to get to the boat to some work on it. I resecured the shore power socket. Cleaned the rear port cabin as there was some mould building up in there. Re - installed the water tank and tightened all the water connections. I have long suspected one of the joints has been leaking as I get water in the port bilges. As there are no though hull connections below water line in this side it must be rain water or water from the tank. Investigations continue.


As the weather was dry I decided not to delay and got the antifoul applied. Blakes Tiger plus did a very good job last year with only a small layer of slime evident at haul out at the end of the season. it was a bit of a rush as light was fading towards the end of the job. Not perfect , as the masking tape didn't stick in a couple of places. Ooops! Waves on the waterline.

It's been a rainy Weekend

It's been a miserable weekend and now it's over I can get down to some work on watanga. Lots to do as launch time is looming. I want to get it back in the water as soon as possible. The wind speed seems to have given up, the rudders are going to get a hush kit. Hopefully I have thought of a modification to silence them. Theres water tanks to refit all the soft furnishings to go back, and I still have to find out where the rain water comes in although I now have a couple of ideas. The stanchion bases are a favourite leak site and also where the shroud plates pass through the cabiin roof. so there a bit of work ahead.