Skeg hung rudder bearing issue

[pmagistro]

Ok folks, I need some advice. My Bristol 29.9 Tanager is in the water in Rio Dulce, Guatemala, and the rudder is making a loud thumping noise when we take waves or wake at the dock.

I've investigated a bit and determined that the noise is coming from the bottom attachment, to the skeg. There is almost no play in the rudder post at the top (though I will eventually replace those bearings, hoping to avoid doing so right now).

I can shift the rudder fore and aft about a quarter of an inch on the bottom end, and that makes the thumping noise I noted earlier. The rudder seems to be attached at the bottom via a bolt. I can feel the play in the bolt head (reaching up from underneath).

So how do I fix this? I would like to leave the boat in the water until our haul out next year, but am willing to haul if it is a safety concern.

My thought is to remove and either replace the bolt or insert some type of spacer (perhaps made of plastic cutting board or PET water bottle).

Thanks everyone!

(Photo for reference from a few years back, but looks the same except the prop shaft is back in now.)