Hi all

Just wondering if anyone has ever removed a Compass 28 rudder

One of the blokes at the club slipped his today and there is a fair amount of movement in the top bushing but it isn't all that obvious how to remove the rudder to replace it

It also has a fair bit of movement ion the prop shaft bush as well but once the rudder was removed this looks like it would be a fairly simple replacement

Thanks in advance

Regards Don

Compass Yacht Group on Google sites has vast amount of info on Compass 28, 29 and other models.

Yes, the yard did it for me a year and a half ago. I had to replace the rudder bearings as the top one was loose, with a bit of wobble.

Most/all of the info you need is on the Compass site: sites.google.com/site/compassyachtgroup/forum

First of all you need to remove the fibreglass cover in the cockpit:


It is loosely joined with bog, so a hammer and screwdriver will loosen it. You can do this afloat.

Next, at the haul-out yard, you can remove the lower rudder bearing. Mine had copper rivets (like bolts) going sideways to hold a "cup" or "shoe" like thing to the bottom of the keel. Inside this thing was a block of Novasteen (fibreglass impregnated with something I forget).

Next you need either a pit under the transom, or have the crane hoist the boat until you can raise the rudder an inch and then the rudder will drop out of its shaft. The rudder shaft is housed in a tube between the hull and the cockpit floor. This shaft is thin copper tube with fibreglass wrapped around it. The copper itself will be getting thin from 40 years of life. No matter. The rudder shaft is 25mm or so, (I forget exactly) and has a bearing at the bottom of the keel / shoe and one in the lower part of the hull and one in the top of the tube at the cockpit. You can sandpaper the shaft with wet-n-dry very fine paper and measure it. The yard can then turn on the lathe the bearings to the correct size and they are hammered softly back into the shaft/keel base.

The old rudder bearings can be removed with a 'drift' consisting of a long bolt or rod with an oversized washer on the end. This is fed up/in the ruddershaft and the bearing is softly hit until it comes out. The top bearing will be pushed upwards, the lower hull bearing pushed down. It is sitting in a tube of copper, so won't be in too tight as copper is soft. You could sandpaper the tube (there might be shells there) or just smooth the areas where the new bearings will go. The new bearings are softly hammered/rammed back into place, and the rudder lifted into it's place when the crane lifts the transom.

I gave the job to the yard to do all the work. They had the drift, and the Novasteen material. And skilled personnel. I did the antifoul at the same time. I just learned how to do it, but it won't need to be done for another 30 years or so. Maybe 6 hours work maximum for the yard, so not too much money or time. Sorry I don't have more photos, but I have seen them on the Compass site.

Hi Yara and Phil

Thank you for the information

I will pas it on

Regards Don