R-21 Rudder Access Port Issue

[JayandEileen]

Finally opened the rudder access port that is in the storage area under the back seat of the R-21. After all the rain we had in the Northwest this winter, I had about 3 inches of water in this area which surprised me since the area appears to be completely sealed with no drain holes to the bilge. After more investigation I realized that although the access port cover has an o-ring, after removing the 6 screws that hold the access port in, there was no gasket or sealant between the access port and the fiberglass. I added some butyl tape to the back of the access port and reinstalled it. After spraying the garden hose back there everything stayed perfectly dry. I talked to the parts guy at Ranger Tugs and he said he would look into it. Wonder if anyone else has seen this problem? I orginally was looking to see if there was anyway to lube the rudder post but did not find a way to do that.

 

[Captain Nice]

Afternoon J&E,

Had the EXACT set of circumstances a couple of weeks ago - heavy rain, first-time rudder access port opening to check on rudder lubrication (didn't see any provision for it) and trapped water. I'm contemplating drilling a weep hole into the bilge but haven't gotten the nerve up yet 🙂

CN