Andersen Bailers Restoration and Replacement

After sailing at Rutland a few weeks ago I noticed that for some mysterious reason both of my Andersen self bailers were bent! This must have happened when I tried to get the boat back onto the trailer with the bailers open. One of the bailers was bent beyond repair so this would need to be replaced. However, using a small hammer and a bit of gentle persuasion I was able to repair the other bailer. In order to refit the repaired bailer I would need a replacement gasket. The only way I could get hold of this part was to buy a whole service kit. This was still a lot cheaper than buying a complete new bailer and the service kit came with the parts necessary to replace the internal seal that is sandwiched inside the bailer. I have read that these seals do perish and let water into the cockpit so it made sense to replace this before re-fitting the bailer.

   For comprehensive instructions on how to service a bailer see this site - http://www.raceonedesign.com/racebook/racing-guide/Rebuilding-Andersen-Bailers

       But basically, this is how to do it -

1) Remove bailers from boat using screwdrivers, spanners or sockets.

2) Securing the bailer in a vice or workbench use a 2.5mm drill bit to drill through the copper rivets holding the 2 main parts of the bailer together. It helps to also screw the bailer to the workbench as this will hold it securely in place (see top picture below). Before drilling it will help to make an indent in the centre of the rivet using a hole punch. Once the rivet is drilled out it may be necessary to remove any excess copper with the hole punch.

3) After all the rivets have been removed the parts of the bailer can be pulled apart. Pay attention to the order in which the parts come apart as they will need to go back in the same order.

4) Clean all the parts with WD40, an old tooth brush and some rag.

5) Fit the new internal seal from the service kit in place and rebuild the bailer (see middle picture below).

6) There will be various ways of refitting the rivets and believe me, I tried most of them! But in the end this is what worked for me. Push the rivet in from the bottom of the bailer and hold it in place with a small bit of masking tape. Place a sturdy piece of metal underneath the bailer so that the bottom of the rivet is resting against a solid flat surface. I used a steel washer and screwed the bailer to the workbench (see picture below). Then hit the top of the rivet with a hammer until it is flat. Try not to hit the shoot, handle or plastic bit of the bailer but don't worry too much about the flange where the rivets attach as I found it very hard to damage even when I did accidentally hit it with the hammer.

7) When all six rivets are done make sure it opens and shuts. That's it!

In the bottom picture the bailer on the left is brand new and the one on the right is the refurbished one. In the next post I shall discuss just how much fun I had re-installing them underneath the boat in the middle of winter!