Islander 55 Rudder lashings

[Cooper Dan]

We needed to repair the SB rudder as it had developed a crack on the leading edge.

I was a little apprehensive. But as the images show is a relatively straight forward job to reinstall.

The rudder needs to be hung up, loosely with the lashings.

Then braced and centered.

The gap at the bottom is slightly oversized.

Start at the top and work down.

We have a a bit of hardwood shaped like a leg? bone that is used to lever the lashing tight.

Once is as tight as can be but before it is loosened a wooden spike is "tapped" in to the lashing hole from the other side to keep the tightness while the lashings is looped around and the process is stated again.

The final knot is a made of two knots, the first as tight as possible, but always a bit slack so lashing is knotted again behind the first, next to the rudder, this seems to make it tight.

As the final photo shows everything hangs nicely with just the right clearance at the bottom.

Images here

Bit I learnt was that perhaps the wooden lever should be a bit longer for easier leverage.

Have plenty of wooded spiles (spikes) handy of a softwood. Don't dive them too hard.