Suspect plastic bush has swollen on our
rudder post making the
helm tight and difficult to turn. Had the same problem a year ago in
Greece and had a new bush made, being sure to explain the new bush must not be made from nylon. Sadly I cannot determine exactly what the new bush is made from and the language barrier in
Greece may mean it did get made from some sort of nylon.
Now in Sri Lanka about to
head to
Thailand in a challenging SW monsoon with sub optimal
helm. Sri Lanka is a dodgy place to be hauled out, would probably end up with additional
boat damage so only a last resort.
So... does anyone know how to get a swollen nylon bush to let go of a
rudder post? Currently wondering if there is a way to dry it out.
For info:
steering set up is Whitlock binnacle with solid rod to quadrant,
aluminum rudder post to spade rudder with plastic bushes top and bottom. Note - the bottom bush has not been replaced only the top one.
Foolishly, I did not properly protect the top bush from the harsh elements it would have been exposed to between Greece and Sri Lanka. So possibly the heat, rain and humidity has caused the problem to get worse.
In addition I know I can resolve this when I get to
Thailand, but would have to hand steer the 1300 odd nautical miles as I wouldn't like to risk damaging the
autohelm. Also like to know what other risks you all think i might encounter by leaving as is.