Rudder

Posted on February 28, 2019 by Schooner Ernestina-Morrissey Association

Rudder: an underwater blade that is positioned at the stern of a boat or ship and controlled by its helm and that when turned causes the vessel’s head to turn in the same direction.

In 2015 the shipyard crew removed the old rudder. This rudder was fiberglassed in Cape Verde during the reconstruction there.  The bronze gudgeons and pintles were in good shape and were saved.

The pintles (P) and gudgeons (G) connect the rudder to the prick post.

The bronze gudgeons and pintles were in good shape and were saved to be used with the new rudder.

This rudder hardware is not is not the original Essex type.  It was likely added in Seattle in 1928 when  Capt. Bartlett was headed up to the Bering Sea.

When the work on the new rudder was complete the new rudder was installed in March 2019. These photos were published by North Atlantic Shipbuilding & Repair.

The completed rudder was moved out to the dock. You can see the three bronze pintles have been attached. credit North Atlantic Shipbuilding & Repair

The crew is getting ready to lift the rudder into place. They give scale to the size of the rudder. You can see two of the three gudgeons on the prick post ready to receive the three pintles. credit North Atlantic Shipbuilding & Repair

It's a hard-hat job as the chains and straps lift the rudder into place. The top of the rudder post will be lined up to enter the shaft and then the rudder is lifted into place. credit North Atlantic Shipbuilding & Repair

The pintles are lined up with the holes in the gudgeons. credit North Atlantic Shipbuilding & Repair

The rudder post is up the shaft and the rudder is hanging on its hardware, just in time to miss this very high tide! credit North Atlantic Shipbuilding & Repair

On deck you can see the top of the rudder post shaped to receive the steering gear hardware. credit North Atlantic Shipbuilding & Repair

If you don’t already get our Newsletter you can sign up in the right-hand column HERE.

This Project to rehabilitate Schooner Ernestina-Morrissey, the official vessel of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is being supported by a public/private partnership with funds from  the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, The Lenfest Foundation, the Hildreth Stewart Charitable Foundation, The Manton Foundation, the Community Foundation of Southeastern Massachusetts - Mary Morley Crapo Hyde Eccles Fund, the City of New Bedford’s Community Preservation Act Program, the Carney Family Foundation, the Island Foundation and other grants and private donations.

You can easily access all our past posts about this project HERE.

If you would like to help just click the yellow DONATE button at the right.

This entry was posted in Maintenance and Operations Committee, News. Bookmark the permalink.

  |