I was sailing yesterday and meant to measure my rudder for you and forgot. I may go tomorrow and will try and remember.
I had some rudder excitement yesterday. It was blowing 15-20, gusting to 25 when all of a sudden I lost all rudder control. Fortunatley I had installed a new push/pull cable and knew exactly how and where all the fittings were attached. As it turns out the cable attachment on the transom had come completely off. I had used lock washers but not nylock nuts, NICE.
The solution was quite straightforward due to a modification I made to my boat when I first got it. I cut out as large a rectangle as I could out of the rear panel in the aft cabin and covered it with a 1/4" piece of luan plywood (stained on the wrong side it looks almost like the teak panels that hold the lights. It sides up into the top and only needs 2 screws to hold it in place. This gives me easy access to the rudder bracket as it enters the transom. I plan on making an emergency tiller to attach inside the cabin. (An inside steering station can't be all bad.) Without this I can't imagine how I would have been able to make the repair on the water in a blow.
I had tools and a decent selection of stainless nuts and bolts (whenever you buy anything always buy 3-4 extras, a hint from a friend who circumnavigated in a 23' Zodiac) and was able to be back sailing in about 20 minutes. I was alone and put duct tape over the bolt heads on the outside of the transom and put new non nylock nuts on and was able to get 3 of the four tight. If I had someone to hold the nuts outside I would have been able to get the nylocks on.
I still hate the whole cable thing and am going to try and put a NorSea like tiller on this winter. The tiller could be attached to the rudder scabbard or the rudder could be mounted directly to the transom. Here are a few pictures to give you the idea.
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11.26 KBI might be a Norsea wannabe at heart.
Bob
