Thank you for your views. I will have a steering quardrant for
hydraulic steering (wheel inside) below the coupling (with a shunt
valve) and tiller in the cockpit. The lower skeg bearing will prevent
the rudderpost from exiting the coupling and the bottom of the hull. I
can't use a flange for the coupling since I will need to cut it off to
remove the rudder post from the stuffing box, but you have givin me
some food for thought - Thank You
jimthom


"Steve" wrote in message ...
"jimthom" wrote in message
om...
splined sleeve), or is there another solution to the problem of
removing a very long rudder post? (rudder stock is solid 1 1/4" ss).


You don't say if you are wheel or tiller steering.. A two piece rudder would
tend loosen up from constant torsion with a tiller or quadrant above the
shaft coupling.

A coupling would work but in addtion to the splines or key, your coupling
should be split so that several bolt will apply camping force around the
shaft.

Also there should be a bolt going through both the upper and lower so the
weight of the rudder doesn't pull it out of the coupling. This can
accomplished by the clamping bolts passing through a notches in the side of
the shaft.