Rudder Problem/Question

[TRBenj]

I see things like this as something that's just waiting to bite you in the ***. Personally, I can't see how anyone would think it would be better to wait until it fails

I would love to know exactly what the presumed "failure" would be that would "bite you in the ***". Im a preventative maintenance guy too, but this isnt a cracked head or a degraded steering cable here. Its a non-load bearing, non-sealing backing plate- a glorified fender washer.

Not that Im against swapping out the backing plate if its cheap enough and gives you peace of mind. But replacing the entire $250 port because of this is just silly.

[j2nh]

We had the exact same cracks in one of our 05 196's rudder ports. Our dealer talked to Correct Craft and the failure was blamed on a bad casting and replaced under warranty. I will see if I can find the pictures and post them.

[Zach@n3]

I am telling you its because the bed that the piece sits on is not a 100% flat surface. Doesn't matter how good the casting is cast metal does not bend... Hence cracked blocks when un winterized.

[j2nh]

05 rudder port

Cracked 05 rudder port.

[BrickBrock]

Here is a side view of my backing plate. You can see the curvature of the hull. A new backing plate would show cracks within the first two seasons.

[j2nh]

Ours was cracked we suspect from day 1. This was a club boat and once it was broken in we pulled everything to check bolts, screws etc. and that is when we found it. I am guessing a little too much torque on the impact at installation.

[charlesml3]

I would love to know exactly what the presumed "failure" would be that would "bite you in the ***".

I'm not presuming anything. I'm saying it's cracked and that's just not something I want in my boat. If you're cool with leaving your boat this way, by all means please go forth and do.

Hypothetically, I could see where this crack could allow something to move out of place and bind the rudder. Or perhaps in a tight turn this crack shifts the load from where it was intended over to the fiberglass in the hull and starts a crack there.

Regardless, I'm not leaving MY boat that way. I've owned one boat or another now for more than 30 years. I developed a discipline around fixing small problems before they become big problems and it's served me quite well. Your mileage may vary.

-Charles

[AirTool]

I am telling you its because the bed that the piece sits on is not a 100% flat surface. Doesn't matter how good the casting is cast metal does not bend... Hence cracked blocks when un winterized.

This is generally correct (although I know of casting material stronger than the glass LOL).

When I close my eyes....I think I can see the cracks in mine, too.

They are fine the way they are ...but what they need is the washer to be machined out of plate and it be somewhat thinner so it can flex over that glass. Several thin ones stacked might be a good idea also.

I will say though....that if anyone takes theirs apart, have a new one ready. I bet it's not fun to put the cracked one back in correctly...although I'm sure its possible.

ps - where is that "ignore" button?

[Zach@n3]

Agreed for a non flat surface a plate would be better than a cast piece. Apples to apples. Generally the older boats don't crack because there is a flat piece of wood between the hull and the cast piece.

[TRBenj]

I'm not presuming anything.

The statement below sure sounds like a presumption to me.

I could see where this crack could allow something to move out of place and bind the rudder. Or perhaps in a tight turn this crack shifts the load from where it was intended over to the fiberglass in the hull and starts a crack there.

And therein lies the problem. The above statement indicates a clear misunderstanding how the rudder and port work. There is no credible scenario that I can think of that would cause binding. Cracks? Maybe. But that is a very serious stretch based on the damage thats been presented in this thread.

Preventative maintenance is all well and good, and fixing small problems before they turn into big ones is a good practice. That said, claiming that a $250 rudder port is the required prescribed fix for the aforementioned cracks in the backing plate is like saying "fix that gelcoat chip or your boat will sink". Yes, it is an imperfection, but it is one that is not going to have any appreciable effect on the performance or reliability of the boat.

Yes, I would most likely replace the backing plate on my boat if it were cracked. Assuming the replacement part isnt outrageously priced, at least. But, you wont catch me losing a minute on the water due to a problem like that. It can wait until the offseason.

[cjohnsen1611]

After looking at the bedding that holds the rudder plate I did notice it is not entirely flat. I am going to change out the plate just because I don't want to piece the original plate back together. Does anyone know the torque setting for the bolts? Or where I can find the proper torque. Thanks for all the comments and information!

[charlesml3]

but it is one that is not going to have any appreciable effect on the performance or reliability of the boat.

Again, if YOU want to leave YOUR boat this way, please, by all means, go forth and do so.

But here's what I have: Some design engineer Correct Craft specced out this part, had it made, and built hundreds of boats with it in there. This engineer had some reason to believe it needed to be there or they wouldn't have bothered. I've toured the factory a couple of times and met with their materials specialists and designers. They don't design and install parts just for S&Gs.

On the other hand, I have some random post from unknown sources in this thread saying "...no appreciable effect..."

I'm sorry but the qualifications of the design engineer at Correct Craft trump you. Nothing personal, but you just don't have the credibility to come out here and say this. Most likely you eyeballed it, decided it wasn't worth fixing and you're rationalizing this decision with "it's never been a problem so it'll never be one." If I'm wrong, and you are a trained and experienced design engineer then I'll quickly apologize and retract my statement.

And your analogy between a gel-coat chip and a cracked rudder plate is completely flawed. Even you have to see that.

[AirTool]

....I'm sorry but the qualifications of the design engineer at Correct Craft trump you......but you just don't have the credibility to come out here and say this.

....Nothing personal, .......

I'm thinking its personal. just sayin'

....ps - where is that "ignore" button?

I take it back...I don't want to ignore anymore...front row please.

[TRBenj]

If I'm wrong, and you are a trained and experienced design engineer then I'll quickly apologize and retract my statement.

I veered off on a different engineering path (EE) so I wouldnt quite call myself a trained ME... but I did well in my statics class if that counts. I work with some very talented mechanical designers on a daily basis on products that are a bit more complex than a rudder port backing plate. I also have a little bit of experience taking these boats well beyond the factory capabilities- so I do appreciate the importance of strong, straight running gear. I am harder on my boats that most.

I still maintain that its just a backing plate. None of the ones on my CC's are broken, and yes, Id probably replace one if it were- I probably have one laying around somewhere after all. If one can be obtained from a dealer separately for less than a king's ransom, theres no harm in replacing it. Still, there is absolutely no need to replace the entire port as was suggested earlier. That is perfectly analogous to the gelcoat comparison.

Based on the number of responses in this thread alone (remember that active participants here represent <5% of Nautique owners), this appears to be a pretty common occurrence. If it were a real issue, it would have been raised long before this. CC has been using this same style of rudder since 1970. There are probably a number of them broken out there, with completely oblivious owners/drivers... because theyre not resulting in any problems beyond cosmetic.

Also, the older, smaller boats that used smaller rudders did not utilize backing plates, if memory serves. I know the pre-'69 boats certainly didnt, and Im fairly certain the 69-early 80's boats with the 27 A didnt either. Some of the fastest, most severely overpowered CC's that I have seen have these style rudder ports and miraculously, none have suffered any dangerous consequences that can be attributed to a lack of a backing plate on the rudder port.

[Zach@n3]

I have some random post from unknown sources in this thread saying "...no appreciable effect..."

Your "unknown source" Is one of the most reputable resources for Correct Craft and inboard boats running safely in excess of as much as 20mph of their intended "designed for" speeds. You might take a listen. He isn't saying the piece shouldn't be replaced for good measure just stating that it will have no adverse effects on anything related.