Rudder and Steering System - 2010

Here is a picture of the cutlass bearing.

I am using a prop shaft cutlass bearing and housing turned upright and then sitting the rudder shaft inside. I used bushings in the bearing housing and the keel plate.

This stainless plate you see is what the rudder shaft will ride on.

The washers are used to shim the plate so it sits even. I ended up using 2 washers on the forward right side, none on forward left side, 4 under aft right side, and 2 under the aft left side. It took all day to shim them up so the rudder is balanced.

Here it is all snugged up into place. You can move the rudder with a fingers touch.

Would you believe it took over 6 hours the get it like this !!

   
Here is the rudder bolted on to the through-hull shaft. Full view of it hanging in there. It took me a while to balance it, but now you can move it with 2 fingers.
I need to put stops inside the ship so the wind doesn't blow it around.
   
Before installing the large zinc in front of the rudder and under the prop, I needed to touch up the bottom paint. Here we are zinc plate in place.