Rudder Carriage bolt

If memory serves me correcty, the bolt with the wing nut that goes through the lower keel mounted bronze fitting the the deck mounted bronze deck fitting and the brass "spring plate" is a 1/4" brass carriage bolt of approproate length with threads on about the last inch of the bolt. Finding one at your local Ace Harware store may prove to be a bit of a challenge but you are more likely to be able to find a 1/4" brass machine screw with threads the whole length of the screw. One way to adapt it would be to buy such a screw with brass wingnut and one brass bolt with lock washer and bolt the lower end of the screw to the lower keel fitting with the bolt (so the lower end doesn't move) and then use the wingnut on the top to tension the kick-up feature of the rudder fittings. You can also use a regular chrome plated steel carriage bolt and wingnut, but the steel bolt will rust in short order and would have to be replaced often.

Regardless of what you do, this old style rudder set-up will never work as well as the newer fittings, and a retrofit to the newer design is the best, albeit a rather expensive, solution. There are kits available for such a retrofit.

Alan Glos
Cazenovia, NY
 
Hi Alan,
The length is 7 1/2'' It obvioulsy has to br brass or stainless.
If all else fails I have a used one for $7.00 plus shipping
Herb
 
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