Leisure Yachts Rudder Removal

This article is a summary of the real experience,  advice and tips  posted by individual Leisure Owners over the past 40 years.  A grateful thanks to them all.

Removing the rudder from a Leisure yacht ( Leisure 17, 20, 22, 23, 27 or 29) is a common maintenance task, usually done to replace worn nylon rudder bearings or correct a stiff steering system.

Rudder removal might also be necessary if the glass fibre of the rudder shell has been badly damaged by grounding and the damage can't readily be made good

Rudder removal is unavoidable if the internal metal tangs, welded to the rudder shaft, have corroded and failed at the weld joint. 

This will be obvious if you can turn the tiller but the rudder does not immediately respond or feels loose on the shaft.

The acid test on whether the tang welds have failed can be carried out if the boat is either dried out or is lifted out for the winter and is sitting  on the hard standing.  

Ask a friend the hold the rudder blade securely below the hull while you, in the cockpit,  try and turn the tiller.   If all is well with the tang welds, it should not be possible to move the tiller. 

Overall View

Removal – Ideally Use a hoist or crane

To remove the rudder, ideally the yacht should lifted by the yard hoist when all the fittings have been removed. It should only take a few minutes of the hoist's time.

The height of lift required to slide the rudder out of its tube, is the measurement from the top of the rudder shaft to the underside of the hull where the rudder shaft emerges.

No Hoist Available, Dig A Hole

If no crane or hoist is available, an alternative is to dig a hole underneath the rudder, to a depth slightly greater than the measurement given above.

On the lighter Leisure 17  (only if the mast has previously been dropped/removed),  from the stern the yacht can be tilted upwards onto it's nose for easier access when dropping the rudder. However, it will still required a hole to be dug!

Remove the shoe fitting on the skeg

Because Leisure yachts feature a skeg-mounted rudder, the drop also requires the removal of the fitting at the bottom of the skeg which holds, guides and supports the rudder.

Support the weight

A fiberglass rudder can be heavy and can drop unexpectedly.

Place a car jack or wooden blocking underneath the rudder blade before loosening any bolts and lifting, so it doesn't slam down.

Step-by-Step Rudder Removal Process

1. Remove the tiller by removing the retaining bolt/pin which passes through the tiller head casting.

2. Remove the tiller head aluminium casting at the top of the rudder stock.

The tiller head casting will probably be seized solidly onto the stainless steel rudder shaft (a common issue due to galvanic corrosion between aluminium and steel), use penetrating oil, a gear puller, or gentle heat.

Avoid aggressive hammering, which can damage the fiberglass stock housing. It can be done but patience is required!

If all else fails, use an angle grinder to cut up the aluminium tiller head.  Read How.

Replacement tiller heads for the Leisure 17, 20, 22, 23 are available from Hurst Marine

3. Release any collars or thrust bearings on the rudder shaft. Underneath the tiller head (or inside the lazarette locker) there is typically a stainless steel collar or thrust bearing, that holds the vertical weight of the rudder.

Mark the rudder shaft with a marker right above the bearing so you know exactly where to replace it later.

Loosen any screws or bolts holding this collar in place.

4. Detach the shoe at the bottom of the skeg.

The bottom of the rudder is held in place by a stainless steel shoe or guide at the base of the skeg.

Unscrew the bolts and remove the retaining shoe before the rudder can be freed horizontally or dropped downwards.

5. Drop the Rudder

With the bottom shoe removed and the top collar loosened, slowly lower the supporting car jack.

Have a helper support and steady the rudder blade as it's removed from the boat. 

More about Leisure rudders here.