Cal 35

[unbusted67]

I love my cal 35 mkII. We are currently
Cruising her South on the Icw. She has a five foot draft and we've still managed to run her aground a couple of times. It's par for the course on the icw. She's an awesome boat and I know her in and out. Let me know if you have questions.

[gjordan]

In the mid 90s I delivered a Cal 35(dash 2, or maybe dash 3) from Hawaii to SF. It had been raced over in a cruising class. About 4 hours out of Honolulu I turned around and went back because the rudder post was flexing so bad that I thought something major was wrong. I had a surveyor come to the boat, and he said "They all do that, dont worry about it". At the time, I was used to sailing larger boats, and any flexing felt weird, and the Hawaiian channels are some of the roughest sailing in the Pacific. I left again the next morning, and it was still flexing, but I trusted the surveyor, and continued on. A day out and conditions calmed enough that I never felt it flex after that. Had a really nice delivery, and the boat sailed very well, and seemed to be well built other than the rudder post. If I owned one, I would do some kind of stiffening to that area, but. Most people can sail a lifetime and not get beat up as much as one can in the Hawaiian channels, so maybe it is not necessary to beef it up, but I would. Overall, a very nice sailing boat. Just my 2 cents worth. _______Grant.

[unbusted67]

Originally Posted by gjordan

In the mid 90s I delivered a Cal 35(dash 2, or maybe dash 3) from Hawaii to SF. It had been raced over in a cruising class. About 4 hours out of Honolulu I turned around and went back because the rudder post was flexing so bad that I thought something major was wrong. I had a surveyor come to the boat, and he said "They all do that, dont worry about it". At the time, I was used to sailing larger boats, and any flexing felt weird, and the Hawaiian channels are some of the roughest sailing in the Pacific. I left again the next morning, and it was still flexing, but I trusted the surveyor, and continued on. A day out and conditions calmed enough that I never felt it flex after that. Had a really nice delivery, and the boat sailed very well, and seemed to be well built other than the rudder post. If I owned one, I would do some kind of stiffening to that area, but. Most people can sail a lifetime and not get beat up as much as one can in the Hawaiian channels, so maybe it is not necessary to beef it up, but I would. Overall, a very nice sailing boat. Just my 2 cents worth. _______Grant.

It's funny you should mention this because right after my above post we cracked our rudder post on our 35. I'm not sure how this happened. I like to back into a slip so I'm wondering maybe if I accidentally had it hard over and just put too much strain on it or if it was a system breakdown after too much wear and tear.

I should clarify that when I say rudder post I am referring to the fiberglass tube that the rudder shaft goes into. G Gordon is this tube what you were referring to?The tube was leaking just a little bit where it met the hull and I just reinforced it like crazy with fiberglass. It's bullet proof now.




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[Capt'n Ricko]

Originally Posted by unbusted67

It's funny you should mention this because right after my above post we cracked our rudder post on our 35. I'm not sure how this happened. I like to back into a slip so I'm wondering maybe if I accidentally had it hard over and just put too much strain on it or if it was a system breakdown after too much wear and tear.

I should clarify that when I say rudder post I am referring to the fiberglass tube that the rudder shaft goes into. G Gordon is this tube what you were referring to?The tube was leaking just a little bit where it met the hull and I just reinforced it like crazy with fiberglass. It's bullet proof now.




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Did you by chance document your repairs with any pictures?

[gjordan]

Of course the shaft came up through the tube, and the whole thing flexed much more than I was comfortable with, but I dont think it was the actual shaft bending. It was just the pressure from the shaft moving the tube. It didnt leak, and I didnt see any sign of fractures or cracks. It only did that under some real rough conditions, but if it went on for long enough it could cause damage. I would figure out some way to beef it up. Just my 2 cents worth. _____Grant.

[unbusted67]

Originally Posted by Capt'n Ricko

Did you by chance document your repairs with any pictures?

I'm sorry. I didn't. That thing is buried in a dark place in the stern.

Thanks for the info gGordon. If we do any offshore work I might beef it up even more. I have some questions about the main bulkhead and how it isn't fastened to anything at its base. It just kind of rests in a groove that the hull liner forms. Kind of a weird construction method.


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[josh123]

What does everyone have as a bearing at the top of the rudder? I just have a couple of pieces of teflon with a hole cut in the middle and I am thinking of replacing it.

[Nicholson58]

Originally Posted by josh123

What does everyone have as a bearing at the top of the rudder? I just have a couple of pieces of teflon with a hole cut in the middle and I am thinking of replacing it.

Most rudder bearings are cylindrical straight or flanged plain plastic bushings. I replaced my original crappy cheap lower one with a delrin or other engineering polymer from these guys. igus® - iglide® Plastic Bushings It was very cheap at 7.50 for a 2 1/2 inch bore bearing.

[mortoe1]

Hi All,
Have enjoyed reading the former posts immensely. I live aboard a 1981 Cal 35 MKII in Seattle, WA. After a year of craigslist browsing and saving, my gal and I purchased the vessel in a state of neglect March 2015 and are now working towards cruising her South. Would like to post more soon or start a blog. Just nice to see others online with the same make model and wanted to drop a line!
All the best,
Elliot

[model 10]

Originally Posted by Nicholson58

Most rudder bearings are cylindrical straight or flanged plain plastic bushings. I replaced my original crappy cheap lower one with a delrin or other engineering polymer from these guys. igus® - iglide® Plastic Bushings It was very cheap at 7.50 for a 2 1/2 inch bore bearing.

This should be the forum's automatic answer to the rudder bearing question. These people are great.