CSY 33 rudder noise

[c.K.]

Recent haulout , replacement of shaft prop, bearing ,and coupling, did not reduce the noise that I heard before
The prop gives out a pleasant "hum" but the bottom hinge of the rudder has play in it (I guess) and is quite noisy
any ideas how to fix this or where I can find construction details of the bottom hinge
Thank you
ck

[tkeithlu]

C.K., give us some more information -a picture would help. We don't know whether you are talking about a day sailor or a 60' monohull.

[Bill O]

Couldn't find an exact pic of your rudder but if yours is like the CSY 37 then you have a heel plate/shoe to accept the bronze rudder shaft. This may be worn, causing some wobble.

Most heel plates are bolted up into the bottom of the skeg and should be easy to remove (unless they also used 5200). Once removed would take it to a machine shop to have the hole reduced to eliminated the slop.

[Bill O]

Originally Posted by tkeithlu

C.K., give us some more information -a picture would help. We don't know whether you are talking about a day sailor or a 60' monohull.

See title (I almost missed it also)

[c.K.]

Thanks very much for all the speedy answers, I don't have a closeup picture but it is a 33foot CSY 1979
May have to haul it out again and do the work
(don't want to open up a can of worms so to speak)

[Bill O]

Check to see if you have a hollow skeg and you can possibly see the nuts down in the bottom that hold the shoe/heel plate. If so, could try to tighten them w/an extra long socket extension.

[c.K.]

thank you Bill
The skeg is solid and as far as I can see the bolts are on the side not under neath

[Bill O]

Ok, sounds like it would be fairly easy to remove when you haul out again if that is the issue.
When you were hauled out for the shaft, did you happen to grab and push/pull on the rudder to see it there was any play?
I believe you have an Edson helm w/cable steering. When was the last time you inspected it? Could the rudder clunking be coming from that?

[c.K.]

thank you Bill
and yes there is play at the bottom end
the cabels were redone not too long ago
recently I added a capehorne wind steering mechanism so I checked the quad etc a month ago
The noise was there for a very long time and I always thought it to be the cutless bearing

[onestepcsy37]

i owned a csy 37 for many years. built like the proverbial brick sh*thouse.
never had your problem but you seem to be on the right track. the skeg really is solid, unlike those plastic bathtubs they make nowadays and call yachts. dont think you will find a replacement fitting, might have to have one made, if you can find someone who still works with solid bronze. or it might be possible to put a bushing of some sort in the hole but that would eventually wear out too.


before you haul i would check a few things. because everything is so accessible, including the steering gear, i would check that first. it has chain and cable steering. the chain is in the housing behind the wheel where it wraps around a cog gear that the wheel turns and drives a pulley just under the deck that has the cable attached to it. might be soime slack in either the chain or the cable. because the cable is new it might have stretched a little but it can be taken up with the turnbuckles that are in the system.


by the way, we used a cpt autopilot which is easy to install, uses little power, and can steer that boat particularly well because of the keel configuration. absolutely loved our cpt and highly recommend it.

[Bill O]

Originally Posted by c.K.

thank you Bill
and yes there is play at the bottom end
the cabels were redone not too long ago
recently I added a capehorne wind steering mechanism so I checked the quad etc a month ago
The noise was there for a very long time and I always thought it to be the cutless bearing

Sounds like you narrowed it down to the heel plate. Once hauled out it shouldn't be much of a job to fix.
Really like the Cape Horn wind vane as a solid piece of equipment. We talked to them for one for our boat and we had too many things against us (too big, hydraulic steering and CC were the major issues).