On Mon, Nov 8, 2021 at 10:41 AM B P <blurise2@...> wrote:
Since the rudder sits in a boot
at the bottom, is there a clearance to lift it out of the boot so you
Can slide it down and out?
No. That is largely a good thing, because it means it won't accidentally pop out if you bang the rudder on the ground/rock.
Another thing to watch out for is that the rudder does *not* drop straight down -- but slides out at an angle because the rudder post is at an angle. I got as far as removing the boot and attempting to slide out the rudder only to realize that due to the angle, the rudder would hit the boat cradle.
Also the 'dig a hole' idea is nice, but in some boat yards, the top few feet or more of the ground is packed gravel -- which is a major pain to shovel. So make sure you can actually dig a hole before needing to rely on digging a hole.
In theory, removing the boot is as simple as removing 4-6 bolts. But.. those bolts were (a) covered in years of bottom paint (2) seized nicely in place on my boat. So, trying to remove the rudder while the boat is in a travel lift sling is a nice idea since that can (a) give you enough ground clearance to remove he rudder and (b) won't be in the way of removing the rudder. But, getting the boot off can be a tedious process -- so it could work fine if the boatyard will leave your boat in the sling overnight (or more), but not the best option if you only have an hour.
