[Can anyone comment of the current disposition of SEA WISDOM, and what failed in her steering in the recent SHTP? There's an ongoing story there we haven't heard.]
After we completed the repair in Hanalei Bay, Will sailed Sea Wisdom to Nawiliwili.
He plans to return soon with crew to sail her to Oahu and have the upper bearing replaced and the Hydrovane reinforced.
Delivery to commence after.
The cause of the problem appears to be the way the rudder stock was secured to the upper bearing.
The stock, being held in place with 4 set screws through the inner race of the bearing pressing against the shaft, managed to drift down over some time until the steering quadrant below rubbed on it's stops and the screws were rubbing on the boss for the E-tiller on the top of the stock, making quite a racket.
Another problem, one of the lower mounting bolts for the Hydrovane went AWOL causing it to move around and not steer correctly.
Will managed to stabilize it with a series of dyneema loops, line and purchase. This is what he used to steer the boat the last few hundred miles.
We used the manual tiller on the Hydrovane to steer into the anchorage.
Next morning at anchor, Brian, Cliff, and Greg evaluated the situation, found no danger of losing the rudder or water incursion, and devised a plan to lift the rudder back in to place and re-secure it.
In the process we found a recess in the rudder stock that we believe is where the set screws should have been located so as to capture the stock and prevent downward movement.
The inner race of the bearing is aluminum and the threads for two of the four set screws were compromised, unable to hold torque. Reason enough to have the bearing replaced.
Unfortunately I don't have any after photos.
Will sent these upon discovery of the problem.
All men dream: but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds, wake in the day to find that it is vanity; but the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they act their dream with open eyes, to make it possible.
T.E. Lawrence