First Major Fix – Rudder Cage – Phase 5 - Install Rudder Cage

Yeah! We're finally ready to install the fixed rudder cage.

To recap: we removed the rudder cage, had the stainless steel welded, located and acquired the hex bolt that Bill lost to the lake and the marine grade bungee, and cleaned and cured the stainless steel. (See First Major Fix Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4).

We took everything to the boat. We replaced the old, worn bungee with the new 3/8 inch marine grade bungee. Bill was ready to get into the water, when we noticed it. A piece of stainless was missing from the rudder cage. How could we have missed it? A U-shaped piece of stainless on top of the rudder cage was missing. It is the point where we secure the steering lines from the outboard engine to the rudder cage. Now we could have tied the steering line to the rudder cage itself, but that would just look tacky.

So, off to the welder I go. It's a good thing that we noticed it before Bill got into the water and before we bolted it back onto the boat.