Oceans 510

[Les george]

Hi I have a problem with my Oceans 510 rudder. Real hard to turn, boat was setting for a long time before it was purchased. Does anyone have any knowledge of rudder problems with these boats the year is 1998 and has not moved a lot. Thanks

[Boracay]

Has the steering been serviced?

As the major components are wire related some riggers may know how to do this.

[Ianriley]

Hi if you rule out the obvious like marine growth then open the hatch in the cockpit area to gain access to the sytem, try lubricating with silicone sprey.

[Les george]

I have checked all the rigging and sheves going to Rudder quadrant and have even disconected the cables going to the quadrant. All cables ond sheves are smooth and free. I tried moving the rudder with the Emergency tiller and it is really tight!!! Just dont know if there is rudder bearings that can be replaced and was wondering if anyone had any idea how big of job to get them out. Or if this is a common problem with these boats. Thanks for your reply.

[Les george]

I also lubed with silicone spray and also tryed to free up with JB blaster. No luck. Think the boat is going to have to be pulled and have the rudder pulled. What do you think? Thanks for your reply.

[Boracay]

The rudder on Boracay is also very tight and cannot be moved by hand. I pumped it full of grease using the existing grease nipple and it made no difference.

I had my steering serviced as it was difficult for the autopilot. By hand it was OK but stiff.

The two major issues that my serviceman found were that an incorrect cable thickness had been used (see if you can find a manual for your steering) and that the major bearings in the pedestal were dry.

With the correct size wire and lubricated bearings the wheel moved freely, I was almost (but not quite) able to spin it. The autopilot also worked.

Before hauling your boat and pulling the rudder I strongly recommend the you get someone with extensive experience in servicing steering to check your setup. Pulling the rudder is going to be unbelievably expensive and it may not go back together as well as you would like.

[gjordan]

Not sure what an Oceans 510 is but since you have already disconnected the cables, that only leaves a few options. Possibly the previous owner put way too much pressure on the packing gland to stop a leak( if the boat has a packing gland). Loosen the gland and try again. Or the boat may have warped a little from being cradled for a long period of time (not likely, but possible). Or the rudder is bent from a previous grounding(yes, good possibility). Or there are some types of plastic bearings that if lubricated with the wrong type of lubricant, swell up and bind. I have not run into this myself, but have heard about it. What type of rudder do you have. Keel attached, skeg hung, naked spade? Spade rudders are the most likely to be bent. Did your surveyor say anything at all about the rudder? Have you sent a diver down tio see if there is anything around the shaft that might bind it? Good luck with it and keep us posted if you find the solution._____Grant.

[Jim Cate]

Can't help with specific info on your boat since I have never heard of that model!

But, many boats use delrin or other plastic sleeve bearings to support the rudder post, and these are often enclosed in a rigid tube of metal or FRP. Delrin and many other plastics slowly absorb water when immersed, and when this happens the plastic expands slightly. Since the bearing is inside a rigid tube, it can not expand outward so instead it is forced inward, reducing the clearance and eventually gripping the rudder post, causing a lot of friction. The only cure is to pull the rudder and either replace the bearings or ream out the extant ones.

Incidentally, I speak from experience here -- our previous boat had this very problem, and twice during the 18 years we owned her I was forced to do the reaming process.

Cheers,

Jim

[stacy]

I agree with Jim. We had a Leopard 46 and the delrin bearings in both rudders swelled up and had to be replaced. Once replaced the wheel was finger light.