The Seldon Rod-kicker

An updated version of this blog is available at my updated blog site over at www.sailingsouth.org. You can find the blog article here.

Progress is slowly being made on getting Isosceles ready to sail. This weeks work involved taking the Seldon Rod-kicker to pieces.

For the non-sailors amongst you, this is a piece of equipment that both supports the boom, while also restricting it from lifting up too high. The second part of this is important for sailing, where it helps to control the shape of the main sail, stopping the sail from twisting and helping to maintain a smooth aerofoil shape. The first part is helpful in stopping the rather heavy boom dropping on your head when the sail is being lowered!

 

The Selden Rod-kicker installed on Isosceles

Inside the Rodkicker there is a gas spring which takes the weight. Unfortunately on Isosceles this had suddenly given up the ghost whilst out sailing a little while ago.

 

The gas spring inside the Selden Rod-kicker

Seldon dealers charge £300 plus pounds for this part, and so I had reverted to using a rope (called a topping lift) to hold the boom up. This works OK, however the Rod-kicker just makes life easier.

While wandering round the internet I had found that the gas springs could be sourced from other places and would fit perfectly well. I still kick myself as to why I hadn’t looked for this option earlier!

I finally found a place called SGS Engineering in Derby (no affiliate, just my gratitude!) who regularly sold direct replacements for this part, prices starting at around £60 for exactly the same as Seldon sold (for £300), rising to around £100 for a stainless steel variant. Figuring that I am planning to head off shore, and I’m still saving around £200, I plumped for the stainless steel variant.

Now to fit the gas spring …..

Removing the Rod-kicker was easy enough, there is a split pin holding a clevis pin in place top and bottom.

Attachment to the boom

After undoing the rope from the pulleys that pull the boom and sail downwards, the two sections of the Rod-kicker pull apart. The plastic extrusion at the top of the larger section simply unclips by pressing on the lugs sticking through the aluminium housing and then slides up.

 

The top plastic extrusion between the two parts of the cover

Easily moved by pressing the two plastic lugs holding it to the lower section

The gas spring is attached to the top, smaller section of the housing by a plastic extrusion that again clips into the cover and then the gas spring screws into this.

 

One of the pair of extrusions holding the gas spring in place

At the other end of the gas spring is an identical plastic extrusion which screws onto the other end. I had to replace one of these extrusions as it had seized onto the old gas spring, unfortunately there is no choice but to go to Seldon for these and they charge around £23 for this piece of plastic.

 

The gas spring and extrusion clipped into the small upper
section of the cover.

Don’t make the same mistake I made when reassembling this and attach it the wrong way round, on the lower end make sure the flat side of the extrusion is pointing down, otherwise the whole thing will not go back together correctly and will be an inch or more too long, it doesn’t sound like a lot, but it’s enough to make the whole lot not fit! On the subject of getting things the right way round, when you are fitting the gas spring make sure you fit it so the cylinder is uppermost and the piston pointing downwards. This is to prevent any water that gets in collecting around the seal and shortening the lifespan of the gas spring.

Reassembly is really simple, putting everything together in reverse order. However when I had been taking the Rod-kicker off I noticed that the bushing / washers around where the clevis pins attached it to the boom and mast foot had degraded. Knowing how much boating places like to charge for such items I decided to make my own. I keep some nylon chopping boards onboard for just such situations. I used a hole saw to cut a piece out to the correct size, I then drill out the inside hole to the correct size to take the clevis pin. I keep a few thicknesses of chopping board in my pile of spares so I can make up bushing / washers to the correct thickness. Obviously this is suitable for all jobs, but it’s surprising just how many jobs it will help you finish.

So there is another job off the list, and for a total of £120 odd pounds. Significantly cheaper than Seldon dealers quote for the parts.