• From: Alabama Gulf Coast
  • Registered: 2006-06-30
  • Posts: 60

Topic: Gudgeons and pintles for a Contessa

Help help!
I hauled my Contessa out for a bottom job. The travel lift strap got under my rudder
and broke the rudder off dropping the boat back in the water.
My lower gudgeon sheared off where it entered the keel and was lost in the water. the lower pintle lost the lower half of the pin. The top ones appear to be okay.
Anyone have an idea where to locate a new gudgeon and pintle for a Contessa?
The boat yard guy said he'd fix it and has an idea to secure the lower gudgeon with a stainless steel strap around the keel. He hasn't come up with a method as to how to secure a new pintle within the rudder.
Any suggestions?
Desparate Dennis

The cutworms are in the hollyhocks, again!

tubatooter1940's Website

  • Registered: 2006-09-20
  • Posts: 175

Re: Gudgeons and pintles for a Contessa

I presume you have a JJ taylor boat.  If you have a J Rogers boat, I had a similar problem when the surveyor was tapping around and the casting on the keel for the pin on the rudder heel broke.  I was lucky enough to be able to buy the last raw bronze casting Jeremy had left from the original production and had that machined and pinned and glassed in place.  My rudder is solid hardwood so the heel pin is on a stainless strap and the badly corroded pin was replaced by a local stainless shop.

If its any help to anyone, I saved all the parts of the broken casting and it wouldn't be too tough to epoxy it together well enoughand build up surfaces that will need machining,  make a mold and then just about any foundry that does one offs or art bronzes could make one. 

Unfortunately I am in London UK so even if you have a J  Rogers boat, if you are stateside, it isn't worth pursuing this unless you are desperate .

3 Reply by tubatooter1940 (edited by tubatooter1940 2008-11-01 07:08:42)

  • From: Alabama Gulf Coast
  • Registered: 2006-06-30
  • Posts: 60

Re: Gudgeons and pintles for a Contessa

Thank you for responding, Ian.
I am glad to see you overcame your problem and I am feeling better about mine.
I own a J.J. Taylor 1980 Contessa, hull#248, not in bad shape for her age.
Bad things happen but a good way to take a measure of a man is to see how he responds after the disaster.
The boatyard employees have high confidence in the owner ( who dropped my boat and apparently his son has been teasing him mercilessly about it ever since) and he appears to be competent and a man of his word.
He assured me that his machinist will have me sailing by the first of the week and not to worry about charges for extra days on the hard. This gives me a few more days to knock out some additional projects while she's high and dry.
Optimistic at this point,
Dennis Gray

The cutworms are in the hollyhocks, again!

tubatooter1940's Website

  • From: Alabama Gulf Coast
  • Registered: 2006-06-30
  • Posts: 60

Re: Gudgeons and pintles for a Contessa

Followup report:
The yard had a machinist cast a stainless steel gudgeon and bracket that bolted to the keel. This may obstruct water flow slightly but is so much stronger that I prefer it to the original system. They did a tight job that does not leak and charged me only for a haulout and splash - $260.
Sailed her home yesterday. She's fast with a clean bottom.

The cutworms are in the hollyhocks, again!

tubatooter1940's Website

  • Registered: 2006-09-20
  • Posts: 175

Re: Gudgeons and pintles for a Contessa