Latitude 38

My wife started a blog years ago when we were in the beginning of our refit, I'm going to transfer it, adapt, and add to it.

In 1997 I purchased Pendragon (hull #11), a Cornish Trader built by Cornish Crabbers. I had just finished my first season on the Californian as bosun, and the master on board found the boat in the back of Latitude 38, and gave me the day off to boot. The broker blew me off, but the boat stuck in my head. After I finished the season I bought the boat.

Uncoupling the coupling

I've been able to find some time to work on my boat, Pendragon, recently. The larger project is replacing the rudder. The old rudder hardware having suffered from a LOT of electrolysis. The rudder post is divided in a upper and lower section, joined just under the counter by a flange that accepts 4 bolts. To build the new rudder I need the upper section of the shaft out, and to do that I have to pull the prop shaft. I suspect that the shaft coupling hasn't been pulled since it was originally put together in the earily 80s. The shaft collar is not tapered and is keyed. A gear puller has not worked. I found a diagram of removing collars that is pretty slick. You put a socket smaller than the diameter of the shaft in between the shaft and the transmition, and bolt the whole works back together, and the act of tightening the bolts will draw the collar off the shaft. Thats the trick for the day.