Rubber Boots for Rudder linkage

Hi Rudolf, those rubber gaitors are the rubbers from a car gear change (manual gear change of course) inside the car joining the gear stick to the body of the car. I think originally they were from an old Ford Cortina, which is probably not made any more. You might be able to try another make of car rubber which is about the right size or you might try Aquafax.

I have found two articles of interest in previous newsletters. In the Spring '98 edition Peter Bailey (HT Catnap) confirms that the seals are gear lever gaiters from a Consul or Zephyr and advises on their fitting….he goes on to talk about a solution to “rattles and clonks” from his tiller conrod as well as rudder bearing wear. In the Winter '03 edition John Bowen (HT Voile-la) suggest they were from a Cortina (!) but commented they “seemed to split and perish”. After various trials he concluded that the bellows of a bilge pump were the answer but does not say which one. The, then, Editor, Steve Brodrick also suggested that water ingress could be caused by ill-fitting cockpit lids or from behind the helm steering moulding.