kick up rudder boxes / boarding steps

The kick up rudder boxes are a fair amount of work but in the end, I think it will be worth the peace of mind that I'll have knowing that the rudders will be a little less vulnerable to hitting an obstruction and at the same time allowing the full rudder to be immersed below the water line. 

Since the lower portion of the rudder boxes are completely sealed off, it required me to pre bond flanges to the inner sides that will allow me to bond the side in place.  Inside the box in the lower left corner of this picture, you can see the glass reinforced bearing holder that has been bonded in place.  Above this, located in the upper bulkhead you can see the backing plate made of 1/4 in. aluminum plate. This plate will be tapped with threads so that the upper bearing can be held in place from above by four screws. Once complete, the rudder shaft will be inserted from below and held in place with a collar and thrust bearing.