RESTORATION
| Keel, rudder and trim tab
Photograph by James Bates
Although the keel is of a fully encapsulated lead construction and the previous repair work had been finished to an acceptable standard we wanted to enhance the work to, as good as, or better than, the original build.
The work on the keel required the constructing of a new top cap section to separate the keel from the bilges. New 5mm plates were installed slightly above the original with three 1inch bsp filler caps. A new 5mm shaped plate was installed on the length of the keel bottom.
It was impossible to fully inspect the condition of the trim tab stock tube which is encapsulated in the very aft end of the keel. We decided to replace it by removing the interior section and boss, and then using a new smaller diameter 5mm wall tube which we fitted inside the original and welded at both ends creating a new fully sealed keel section. After completion we refilled the keel with pitch.
The trim tab itself is a fibreglass rudder on a stainless stock. It only needed minor repairs to the fiberglass. We reinstalled the tab on the original hanger which is bolted to the keel's bottom. The stuffing gland box is the original prop shaft gland box as this was of better condition, and both prop shaft and trim tab stock are 1inch.
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The lower part of the rudder stock tube was in bad condition. Instead of replacing the stock tube which is quite a complicated piece being tapered in the middle, we cut and removed the lower part and extended the top part with a new stainless tube.
The rudder is steel on stainless stock with a hollow construction. It only needed minor repairs and was painted the same as the hull. The main work was to adjust the way it is hung to the skeg. The pintal is separate from the skeg allowing the rudder to sit very close to the hull above when at centre it only has 2/3 mm clearance. This piece was missing and with no detail plans we had to fabricate a new pintal and bearing set. The piece is solid steel, with one piece with the pintal milled directly onto the piece. It has been shaped by hand to give the best fairing connection from skeg to rudder. There is a bronze bearing fitted over the pintal which sits into a socket on the rudder, at the top of the post there is another bronze bearing below the stock with a pin that secures the stock and a threaded section at the top of the post with a nut above the stock which allows an adjustment for most of the weight of the rudder to hang on the top bearing.
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