Grease cup question and small leak near rudder shaft N22OB

[Brooks]

I finally got An B'ad (Gaelic for "The Boat") launched last Friday, sailed twice and it's true love already. 

This is a twofer because they seem they might be connected.

Tiller is a little stiff; I can move it with just index finger pointed down straight (finger tip toward tiller) but takes second finger if I use back of fingers. It's gotten easier with greasing described below. Yesterday it seem like it might be slightly less hard.  I gather there is no adjustment for this like wheel steered boats have ( I had an N30U 7 years ago - Solitude).

Grease cup

I read all the posts I could find on grease cup, stiff rudders, etc. Wish I had read them before launch.

While on the hard, I found grease cup had old looking grease and appeared unused for ??? I cleaned all out as best I could, replaced with new grease, screwed it in over days and weeks (moving tiller from time to time), reloaded grease cup, repeated. Tiller seems easier to move now (as described above)  If I leave it for a few days, the cup turns very easily maybe most of one revolution. Then it gets hard. I then turn it gripping with paper towel as tight as I can, then leave. I have not  seen any grease exiting anywhere, including just above rudder (outside).  Should I just continue doing adding grease and screwing cup in?

Leak:

If you look at picture near bottom there is a small dark spot down from the grease cup,

 right where the rudder housing and vertical rudder tube supports join the bottom of boat.

About 1 drop per second is coming out. Bilge has collected about 1/2 inch since launch Friday morning so 6 days.

Is this something that will quickly cause serious damage or something I can put up with for up to a year and a half. Will continuing to turn grease cup maybe eventually stop leak?

Brooks Bridges

NS22OB

An B'ad

Cambridge MD

[ernest...@gmail.com]

Brooks, fear not - she won't sink. When I have a sec, I'll fill you in on how I dealt with a lot of the same stuff. NO big deal - promise !!

Ernie A. in Toronto

[Roger Mongeau]

I agree with Ernie, fear not.  I did the following when I bought my NS22:

At the cockpit level, use Q-tips to clean under the soft ring on the rudder tube, add new grease every week for a few weeks.  I use winch grease which is easy to clean.

Under the cockpit, slightly turn the grease cup every week or more often at first.  This is easier in summer.  I use waterproof grease here.  The grease finally appeared on the shaft above the grease cup.

Roger Mongeau

Magog, Canada

NS22 #27   27° Celcius 

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[Ernie Abugov N22 #56 "Moustaches" EYC-Toronto]

And Roger is absolutely correct. He gave me the same info around 2 years ago.

Brooks, I'm out of town. I'll be able to email you and forward all sorts of info and emails in a few days with regard to all of this.. Your water leak is the result of water oozing in thru the tiny gap between the rudder tube and "hole for the rudder tube". When she's on the hard, you'll put a car jack under the rudder, remove the bolt holding the "cap" at the top of the tiller (allowing the tiller to drop). You'll lower the tiller around 10 - 12 inches, allowing you room to clean and re-seal the area you'll need to. This will also allow you to clean/grease the rudder shaft, etc.

This job is a piece of cake. Nothing to stress about. Chat soon.

Ernie A. in ??????

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[Brooks]

Thanks Roger,

Mostly concerned with water getting into plywood. Sounds like leak might stop if I just keep adding grease via grease cup. It's going somewhere. 

Now about this: "At the cockpit level, use Q-tips to clean under the soft ring on the rudder tube"  All I see is a very hard black piece - flat like a very large fender washer. I haven't taken off tiller bracket to see if there is somewhere to grease something underneath it.

I wish I had known about dropping rudder while on the hard. But that was a crazy period - kept thinking I'd splash boat and something would come up so never knew I'd have the time. Thanks to your advice I did get all winches lubed.

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[Brooks]

Thanks Ernie. As just told Roger I was mostly concerned with water getting into plywood over next year or so. Hoping if I keep adding grease via grease cup it may eventually seal. The little leak is trivial otherwise except I do like a dusty bilge. At least it won't be mixed with diesel fuel. If still still dripping next year when I pull I do the rudder drop thing - salted your instructions away.