Report on IdaSailor: rudderblades, other parts, etc.

Posted By: Bob Pr. S2 6.7 #81, "The TARDIS", Topeka, KS
Date: 7/13/04 10:59a.m.

Report: outside forum guidelines

Here's an update on IdaSailor < http://www.idasailor.com > dealings. Joel Santarone is their general mgr and the primary person I've talked with. Joel has been very pleasant to deal with -- seemingly candid in telling me what they can and cannot do well or competitively, e.g. My black, hi-modulus (lo flex) rudderblade is finished and ready to be shipped but I've asked them to hold off a bit for two reasons -- one is that this Friday and for the next 4-6 days (hopefully not longer), I'll be away and I don't want it to arrive when I'm not here to get it. The other reason is (dope slap!!) I should've sent them my rudder head also. Our rudder assemblies, as they came from the factory, have a thin plastic washer (about 7" dia.) on each side of the blade next to the interior surfaces of the rudder cheeks. Blades made from HDPE do NOT need this (Joel says), they're sufficiently slippery against metal. For this reason, the top (pivoting end) of the blade could -- SHOULD -- have been made slightly wider since the washers are not needed. [BTW, Law Powell suggested to me (personal e-mail) that I ask them to insert a brass bushing for the blade's pivot hole. They said they could but it would be needless expense because HDPE will not wear that much. So I didn't. But thanks for the suggestion, Law.] So I'm sending them my rudder head so (#1) they can build up the top of the blade around the pivot to account for the space occupied by washers. And, while they have the rudderhead there, to (#2) take the dimensions of the pintles so they can make replacements for us. Schaefer still makes our OEM gudgeons BUT several years ago, they stopped making pintles with a width between the tangs wide enough for our rudderhead. (I discussed this with the Schaefer factory and they're willing to make some for us IF we'll buy at least 25 pairs!! Thanks a lot but no thanks -- so far, we've needed a pair only every few years.) And (#3) so they can make a pattern of our rudderhead, holes, width, wood thickness, etc., so they can replace one whenever that's needed. I specifically asked and Joel S. says IdaSailor does (farms out to a local firm) electropolishing, passivating, etc., so that their stainless steel fabrication is all of high marine quality. Come to think of it, I'll send them a gudgeon so they can copy it, also. IMO, I think our gudgeons would be better and have less strain on the transom IF the tang extending on either side of the pivot hole for the pintle was longer and had space for two bolts to a side -- (based on reports of past gudgeon failures.) Law Powell and other engineer/mechanic peeps -- what do you think? Give me some advice and opinions on this. I'd ask them to keep the position of the 2 bolt holes closest to the center the same as our OEM so that only 2 new holes would need to be made. I think having our class "buy ahead", perhaps, 2 pair of replacement pintles and 2 pair of replacement gudgeons might be good to help with more rapid replacement. Please post your responses below this with Gudgeon in the subject line. IdaSailor does now have the cross sectional dimensions for replacing 6.9 & 22 companionway hatch slides (in either black or white) and for replacing the vertical slides that hold the hatchboards in. If a couple 6.9/22 skippers will volunteer to measure precisely the overhead sliding companionway cover -- the thickness of the cover, the chord (that's the straightline like a bowstring on a resting bow), the height to the top surface above the chord, and the length of the cover, then I can see if IdaSailor can make replacements and how much. I think we have some boats with cracked covers. Then, for me, I'm also getting some personal boat things done and a few of these may be of interest to others. IdaSailor does plexiglas (dark smoke) replacement hatch boards, as well as in white or gray HDPE. Those of plexiglas are, I think 1/4" thick with the sides built up to normal thickness. (If they were full thickness, each one would be very heavy.) I opted for gray HDPE in normal thickness and sent them the pattern from my 6.7. (I wish glue would stick to HDPE because then I could put a wood grain Formica on it but apparently no glue's been invented yet that will stick to it.) Also the cockpit side of my 6.7's cabin is marred by some holes that no longer have instruments that go there. So they're making a 3/8" sheet of white HDPE, cut out for the instruments I do now use, which will go over that location. On the inner surface, just inside the edges, they form a 3/16" groove so I can put a bead of silicone to form a functional O-ring. They've done this for a # of boats. And, I have a Garhauer lifting davit http://garhauermarine.com/catalog_process.cfm?cid=41 for lifting loads into my cockpit -- such as an overboard Labrador Retriever, battery, or OB motor, etc. I want that at the rear of the cockpit so IdaSailor'll make some mounts (like giant fairleads) that can be attached to the inside rear of the transom and having 2" holes so the davit's pole can be easily slipped in and out. I'd asked if they'd make deck plates of HDPE similar to the Bomar 6" screw-in deck plate most 6.7s have in the center of their transoms on the cockpit side. http://www.sailnet.com/store/item.cfm?pid=13785 These provide easy access to fittings such as nuts on the gudgeons, etc. Joel said no -- they couldn't make them as well as what could be bought.