Rudder, Rudder Bearings and Steering Gear Inspection (Sailboats and Inboards)

Turn the wheel or tiller from lock to lock with the boat in the water. Notice:

• Stiffness or tight spots, which can mean a failing bearing, a bent stock or misaligned cables
• Clunks, grinding or squeaks
• Play: the wheel moving a little before the rudder responds
• Whether the rudder hits its stops before the wheel reaches the end of its travel

SpinSheet's steering guide notes that the rudder stops should engage before the wheel stops on both sides. If the stop engages on one side only, the chain is off center on the sprocket.

Out of the water, have a helper hold the wheel or tiller still. Grab the bottom of the blade and push it side to side, then fore and aft. Watch where the stock enters the hull. Note any clunk or visible movement of the stock in the tube. A little movement at the bottom of a long blade is normal on many boats, but a clunk, movement you can see at the hull or anything that has grown since last year means the bearings need a professional look. Your builder or a surveyor can tell you what is acceptable for your boat.

Also try to move the blade while holding the stock still from inside the boat (with a helper on the quadrant). If the blade moves on the stock, the internal plates may be separating from the stock. Good Old Boat calls this an early warning sign.

Finally, stand behind the boat in line with the keel and rudder and sight forward. BoatUS's self-survey article notes that a bent rudder post often shows up this way, and that a rudder canted to one side of the keel can mean a bad repair or a hard grounding. Spade rudders are also easy to damage while trying to spin a grounded boat back toward deep water, so check yours after any grounding.

Right after haul-out, look along the edges and the bottom of the blade:

• Water still dripping from seams or the bottom days after haul-out
• Rust-colored weeps, which can mean the metal inside is corroding
• Bulges or blisters, which suggest water has soaked in and the skin is separating
• Cracks or splits along the leading and trailing edges

Practical Sailor's advisor column points out that most rudders eventually let water in, that the welded web inside can corrode where it stays wet, and that trapped water can freeze and split the blade in cold climates. Draining a wet rudder treats the symptom, not the cause, so have a yard look at where the water is getting in.

Tap both faces of the blade all over with a small mallet or a screwdriver handle. Good Old Boat describes the difference: well-bonded areas give a sharp ping, while delaminated or waterlogged areas give a dull thud. Mark dull areas with tape and photograph them for your yard or surveyor.

Look where the stock comes out of the top of the blade and where it enters the hull. Look for cracks in the fiberglass, rust stains, pitting or a groove worn into the metal. Stainless stocks can suffer crevice corrosion where they stay wet without oxygen, and Safe Skipper notes that seawater sitting in the bearing tube can corrode a stainless stock over time. Bronze and aluminum stocks have their own corrosion issues, especially if dissimilar metals are mixed. A Practical Sailor editor's own rudder failed after dissimilar metals were used in the stock.

Open the locker or hatch above the rudder. With the boat in the water:

• Look for water around the tube, the stuffing box or the hose/bellows seal
• Check hose clamps for rust and the hose or bellows for cracks
• Look for cracks where the tube is glassed to the hull
• Push the top of the stock side to side; the upper bearing and its support should not move

A rudder stuffing box should not drip much at all, since the stock barely turns compared with a propeller shaft. Tighten or repack it following your builder's or packing maker's instructions, a little at a time, so the rudder still turns freely. If the tube or its support is loose or cracked, stop and call a yard.

With the cockpit sole or locker open, follow the cable from the pedestal to the quadrant.

• Broken strands: SpinSheet suggests running a cotton ball along each cable. If it snags, there are broken strands ("meat hooks") and the cable needs replacing. Don't run bare fingers along the wire.
• Chafe: look for wire rubbing on the pedestal, throttle linkage, sheave brackets or the hull.
• Tension: with the wheel hard over, the slack cable should just begin to droop, not hang loose or be bar-tight. Loose cables can jump off sheaves; very tight ones cause stiff steering and wear. Adjust at the tension eyes evenly on both sides if your system allows it, following the maker's guide.
• Chain: look for rust or stiff links where it runs over the sprocket inside the pedestal.

Many steering makers publish yearly inspection checklists and recommend specific lubricants. Use what your steering maker specifies; some lubricants damage plastic cable conduits. If your cables run inside conduits (common on smaller boats), check them for worn spots and tight bends. Edson's checklist suggests replacing conduit that is worn, or older than about 10 years on saltwater boats.

• Sheaves (pulleys): they should spin freely, with the cable centered in the groove. Metal dust under a sheave, a wobbly sheave or a cable riding on the edge means wear or misalignment. Check that the sheave brackets are firmly bolted.
• Quadrant or radial drive: check the clamp bolts on the stock are tight and the key (if fitted) is in place. Look for cracks, corrosion and cable grooves worn deep.
• Stops: make sure they are solid and the quadrant hits them on both sides, not the cable ends. If the stop has a rubber bumper, replace it when it is missing or crumbling.
• Pedestal and fasteners: Edson's checklist also covers tightening the pedestal bolts and cable clamps, checking the wheel brake, and looking for water leaking in around the pedestal base (reseal it with bedding compound if it leaks). Take photos and log the date and any parts you replace.

• Hydraulic steering: look for fluid leaks at the ram, hoses and helm, and check the fluid level as your manual describes.
• Autopilot drive: check its tiller arm or linear drive is tight on the stock and its mounting base is not cracking. See our autopilot guide.
• Inboard powerboats: check each rudder's tiller arm, the tie bar between twin rudders and its rod ends for play or rust, and the rudder ports (where each rudder stock passes through the hull) for leaks. Grease fittings on rudder ports and rod ends get the grease your builder specifies.

On wheel-steered sailboats, find the emergency tiller and the deck plate it goes through. Practical Sailor's advice: make sure it is easy to find and fit, store it where crew can reach it, mark the deck plate, and make sure the deck plate key or winch handle that opens it is aboard. Then test-fit it at the dock:

• Does it actually fit your rudder stock? Practical Sailor warns that some boats leave the factory with a tiller from a different model, or none at all.
• Can it swing through enough of an arc without hitting the pedestal, the cockpit seats or the backstay?
• On hydraulic or autopilot-equipped boats, do you know how to disconnect the ram or drive so the rudder can turn?

Do a short drill on a calm day: disconnect or let the wheel go free as your system allows, fit the tiller and steer a few circles. Most people are surprised how much effort it takes. Have a plan for extra leverage, such as a line led from the tiller to a winch. Practical Sailor also suggests knowing a backup: a socket or wrench that fits the top of the stock plus a boat hook can work if the tiller breaks.

Good Old Boat suggests dropping the rudder a few inches (or fully) at bottom-painting time to see the stock and the top of the blade. Dropping a rudder usually means loosening the steering, supporting a heavy blade and sometimes digging a hole under the boat, so it is a yard job on most boats.

If your checks point to worn bearings, Safe Skipper's bearing-replacement article lists what to sort out before haul-out: order or have parts machined early (some can only be measured once the rudder is out), work out how much clearance under the hull the rudder needs to drop, find out roughly how heavy it is (much of the weight is in the stock), and agree with the yard who supports the blade. Small yachts usually have plain plastic bush bearings (often acetal, sold as Delrin); larger yachts often have roller bearings, so get expert advice on the type before ordering.

Photograph the rudder, stock, tube and steering gear every season and keep notes in BoatMend. Changes over time are what matter most.