So, with the RUDDER arrived I was.. anticipational about the other two parts.. they are *kinda* important..
The first part is Teflon Tubing. Not entirely sure if it is really teflon.. but it is super slippy and the size is DIALLED IN! It’s OD is 18mmor.. Outside Dimension/ Diameter and the hole measures 14mm,and length is a whopping 50cm end to end.. so it’s got extra length allowing for mistakes in cutting..but WHATFOR?!?!?!
Before I get in to “WhatFor” .. there is a partner piece that I ordered and it arrived while I was Out East.. it’s a similar length (well, exactly similar length) tube of 3K carbon.. it has an Outside Diameter of 14mm.. who cares what the inside diameter is (but for info holics it’s 12mm for a 1mm wall thickness) and.. guessy guessy.. the length is.. yup- 50cm. Same size as the teflon.. and the exterior size of the carbon tube is exactly the hole size of the teflon… hmmmmm makes ya think, don’t it?!?!?
The carbon tube will~ eventually~ mate up to a chopped- down rudder.. and it will be insterted in to the Teflon Tube… as a rudder steering system.
So, what’ll happen~ after I use the rudder As Is with Boat2 trials on unfrozen ponds~ will be.. after drilling a hole thru the hull, the Teflon Tube will be *affixed* to a teflon wedge that will be mounted against the current rear bulkhead of Boat1 (process will be repeated for Boat2 afterwards.. or maybe I’ll use Boat2 as tester.. as she is tester thus far.. of everything).. then I’ll set up “walls” around the the tube (and, obvie.. ensure that the tube is aligned as vertically as possible).. then I’ll POUR in some epoxy with Carbon Chop as reinforcement. This’ll be the Thru Hull passageway for the Rudder Post…
Next..
The Rudder will be chopped off of it’s flippy flippy set up and ground down just a little bit to make it.. look all nice and svelte. And the Carbon Tubes will be sliced ever so slightly allowing the Rudder to wedge in.. meaning- the rudder and Carbon Tubes will be One Piece (after applying a bit of carbon tape & epoxy.. and filling the tube(s) with carbon chop + Epoxy blend….
Then..
I’ll add a circular disc to the top of the carbon tube that’ll have specially configured cables running to the cockpit area so that.. I pull one cable to turn one way.. the other to turn the other way.
The steerage system doesn’t have to be ultra smooth.. it’s not like I’ll be making consistent modifications.. won’t be “turning” the boat frequently or a lot.. the important thing~ as far as I could estimate~ was that One Piece would rotate against the other piece with little resistance and.. The Objective has been MET !!
Now.. to do some cutting of wood.. some hammering of nails.. drilling of holes.. and getting Rudder on to Boat2 for On The Water testing later next month (in Kamloops.. in Vancouver????)