Main rudder seal leaks on Dufour 50 glass yacht

[aberglas]

The rear seal on my rudder leaks a few litres a day with waves. (It is just above the waterline.) The rudder is an unsupported fin, with a large bearing where it meets the boat, a quadrant just above that, and a smaller bearing above the quadrant.


No obvious reason.


Any way to seal it up without pulling the boat out? And what is involved in fixing it if that is needed? Are these types of bearings even available?


https://photos.app.goo.gl/w5V3CguqUmNJabSQA


Thanks,


Anthony

[Sailorboy FIN]

Looks like you have a self aligning JP3 bearing. I have similar setup on my boat.

There is a possibility that you can get away by just rebuilding the bearing and changing the seals, but based on the volume of water coming through, you most likely need to replace the whole bearing.

Regardless of if it is just a rebuild with new seals or brand new bearing, you will need to haul the boat. For both operations you will need to drop the rudder and remove the bearing.

Obviously rebuilding is significantly cheaper than a new bearing. If you need a new one and it is a JP3 bearing, they are mostly custom made, expensive and have long delivery times.

[aberglas]

Thanks. So if water is getting into the bearing itself, I suppose it will rust. Smooth for now, hopefully will not catastrophically fail before I get it out.


But what you are saying is that my boat may need to be on the hard for a long time. Not good.