• Registered: 2013-10-04
  • Posts: 1

Topic: Position and fastening of gudgeons

I am the relatively new owner of JJ Taylor hull 330 built in 1983. There are four gudgeons - one above the waterline, one at the waterline, one below the prop and one very near the bottom of the rudder. The lowest gudgeon is poorly attached to the keel (one small loose leaking bolt, no nut, not visible in bilge).
I'm wondering if this bottom gudgeon is original, and how it ought be fastened to the keel.
I've attached a (not very clear) picture of the present configuration.

Advice on a lobster-pot-line shoe would also be appreciated.

Many thanks in advance.

Post's attachments

IMG_20131001_122209.jpg 747.5 kb, file has never been downloaded. 

You don't have the permssions to download the attachments of this post.
  • Gadget
  • Veteran Member
  • Offline
  • From: Burlington, Ontario
  • Registered: 2005-06-12
  • Posts: 63

Re: Position and fastening of gudgeons

Hi Peter
I've always thought a rubber strip, cut from an old tire for example, fastened to the bottom of the keel and overlapping the rudder gap would be the best solution to prevent catching a rope. The rubber, unlike anything metal, could not be permanently bent and would not interfere in the rudder operation in the case of a grounding.
My older Contessa has only 2 pintles/gudgeons, 1 above the waterline and 1 midway between the prop and the bottom of the keel. I believe your Contessa came with 3 and the one at the bottom of your keel was added by a previous owner.
John

.                               ,,,,,
                               (o o)
------------------oOO---(_)---OOo------------------
  • Registered: 2006-09-20
  • Posts: 175

Re: Position and fastening of gudgeons

My very early J Rogers boat has two gudgeons, above waterline, above the prop  + a heel fitting on the keel that a pivot pin on the bottom of the rudder locates into.   The heel fitting is a shoe over the last 3" of the keel which is recessed to take it,  bedded in on epoxy and with bronze rivets right through it.   All the below waterline rudder fittings had to be replaced when I got the boat and I was lucky enough to be able to buy the last heel fitting Jeremy had left over from the original production run.   As there are fairly large external stainless straps holding the fittings on my rudder, I have various 2" diameter anodes on the heel fitting and pintle strap to reduce the risk of electrolysis which had contributed to the original failure.

In your case, I would look at getting a lower gudgeon made up that wraps around the sides of the keel a bit.  If the bottom corner of the keel isn't solid, you don't want to through bolt or pin - too much risk of an inaccessible leak. I'd look at lacing Kevlar roving throgh a matrix of holes in the sides of the fitting then epoxying it into place and glassing over to fair and reinforce.

  • From: nyc toronto
  • Registered: 2012-01-04
  • Posts: 163

Re: Position and fastening of gudgeons

I used a six-inch piece of left-over fibreglass batten to prevent lines from catching in the rudder. I drilled two holes in the keel and attached it with sheet metal screws. Works fine.

Some Contessas suffer a lot of wear in the pintles. A machinist friend discovered that you can sweat out the worn-out pintle and replace it with a new one. That sure beats replacing the entire unit.