Lateral movement of rudder - does it make a sound?

[Krumelur]

I read Geoff's post about lateral movement in his Bav's rudder.
My boat (2010 Cruiser 40) also has some lateral movement of the rudder.
Before our bad day at sea we motored through some long waves and I would get a "thud" sound from the rudder at specific wave-boat-angles.
Would lateral play produce that sound or does it mean something is seriously damaged?
The boat drives straight (forward and backward) and turns fine.

[geoff]

On my boat it sounds a bit like someone has left a cupboard door open and it thuds it in time to the swell .Geoff

[Yngmar]

It can. It's easy to check in the warm waters of the Med - next time you're swimming, dive down to the bottom of the rudder and wobble it left to right. Don't be gentle, the waves aren't!

If it moves, you will feel it and hear it - crew on deck can compare the sound to what you hear when underway (for the person underwater all things sound very different). A tiny bit of play is okay and doesn't make sounds, but if it notably moves left and right (or forward/aft - try that too), then most likely one or both of your rudder bearings are worn out. Usually the bottom one.

You can find several threads on replacing them around here somewhere, most recently done by MagicalArmchair, I think.

[Krumelur]

On my boat it sounds a bit like someone has left a cupboard door open and it thuds it in time to the swell .Geoff

That’s a very accurate description of what I hear!
I’ll give it another wobble but I assume I can make it home safely.

[Moodymike]

Tightening the top nut where the emergency tiller goes (loose  locking screw first) might well improve things.

[Krumelur]

Thank Moodymike! I did this and I was able to make about four complete turns. It might be a bit too tight now but the sound is gone.