How To Replace Worn Rudder Bushes
Practical Boat Owner|September 2021
Hedley Ritchie shows how he changed the wobbly bushes on his transom-hung rudder to improve his Westerly Konsort’s steering
Hedley Ritchie
How To Replace Worn Rudder Bushes

I have owned a Westerly Centaur for 29 years and I decided in 2020 I was going to change it for a Westerly Konsort.

When I bought the Konsort, which was built in 1984, I knew the bushes were worn as the rudder had some slack in it.

I searched the internet and bought new bushes from ff-systems.co.uk who recommended I use PET bushes as it is harder wearing than nylon. The bush set cost £63.13 in total and they were delivered within four days.

The tiller is attached to the top of the rudder by two stainless steel bolts, while the main stainless steel rudder pin also penetrates the top of the tiller stock.

Before I removed the rudder pin I tied the rudder with some rope and secured it to the pulpit to stop it from falling away as I undid the fastenings. I was working alone and the rudder is very heavy to manage – it’s really a job for two people.

I also wedged the rudder at the bottom to raise it slightly and take the weight off the two transom brackets.

First I removed the two horizontal 125mm (5in) stainless steel bolts from the top of the rudder/tiller bracket. Then I used a hammer and mandrel to knock up from the bottom the main vertical pin that holds the rudder to the two transom brackets.

I liberally sprayed WD40 on the pin to make sure it came out with ease. I was then able to pull it out from the top of the rudder once I’d knocked it upwards by a couple of inches. As I’d supported the rudder on a wedge and held it in place by the rope, I was able to leave the boat and gently lay the rudder on the ground.

This story is from the September 2021 edition of Practical Boat Owner.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the September 2021 edition of Practical Boat Owner.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM PRACTICAL BOAT OWNERView All
Shearwater sloop sailing in the 1960s
Practical Boat Owner

Shearwater sloop sailing in the 1960s

Genevieve Leaper shares her late father John Leaper's recollections-compiled from handwritten notes-of cruising the Channel

time-read
7 mins  |
November 2023
Timing an Atlantic crossing
Practical Boat Owner

Timing an Atlantic crossing

Professional meteorologist and sailor Chris Tibbs shares his knowledge of how to choose the best time to sail 'across the pond'

time-read
5 mins  |
November 2023
Transatlantic first
Practical Boat Owner

Transatlantic first

It's 70 years since Ann Davison became the first woman to sail solo across the Atlantic. Katy Stickland looks back at her achievement

time-read
5 mins  |
November 2023
Going dizzy on an island sailing odyssey
Practical Boat Owner

Going dizzy on an island sailing odyssey

Ken Fowler becomes the first sailor to circumnavigate every island in England and Wales-and all done in a 4m dinghy!

time-read
10+ mins  |
November 2023
Boats for coastal cruising
Practical Boat Owner

Boats for coastal cruising

Duncan Kent chooses a selection of the best sail and motor boats under 40ft most suitable for adventurous cruising along the coast

time-read
10+ mins  |
November 2023
Industry view on HVO
Practical Boat Owner

Industry view on HVO

The RYA, IWA and CA are working to help recreational boating transition to a Net Zero future, as the CA's

time-read
2 mins  |
November 2023
HVO RENEWABLE DIESEL Myth or miracle?
Practical Boat Owner

HVO RENEWABLE DIESEL Myth or miracle?

A new generation of biofuel that's cleaner, greener, better for your engine and less prone to microbial growth sounds too good to be true... but the facts beg to differ

time-read
8 mins  |
November 2023
Little ships and the wrong sort of waves
Practical Boat Owner

Little ships and the wrong sort of waves

Why the correct manoeuvres for the sea conditions will reduce hogging and sagging stress on both ship and crew

time-read
5 mins  |
November 2023
Watching boats, saving jerseys
Practical Boat Owner

Watching boats, saving jerseys

It's amazing what you can see from a hospital window if it's the right hospital

time-read
3 mins  |
November 2023
Sweating the mooring asset
Practical Boat Owner

Sweating the mooring asset

Sam Llewellyn looks at ways of getting top value out of his boat's swinging mooring

time-read
3 mins  |
November 2023