Busted shoe!

[Cheechako]

yes get a new one cast in Port T. Send the old for a pattern. You will need to have the bored hole milled and the slot too I think. They will likely just cast that solid for milling after. So who knows...? unless the casting source does machining also. I could easily see $250 for the casting and $250 for the milling... maybe more.

[Spot]

It would be nice to see what the ballpark quotes are for this.
Looks like 32 pounds of bar would be reduced/machined to 13.5 pounds, based on 16" long and 2.5" square cross section, bored to take a 1.75" shaft and slotted for a 1.5" skeg.
It might be more economical to cast it with the slot and bore mostly accounted for in the mold and just machine both to be true afterwards. Match drill the mounting holes to skeg and anode later.

[Dmeistar]

Thanks all for the replies! I finally got a chance to take some better photos.

After looking at different designs for this piece I'm not sure if a full replacement is warranted. Most other designs are basically a truncated version of what I've got.

If the crack was on the other end, where the rudderstock is supported, it would be a different story...

[Spot]

Nice new pictures. So the crack is on the leading edge of the skeg of this piece?

[Dmeistar]

Originally Posted by Spot

Nice new pictures. So the crack is on the leading edge of the skeg of this piece?

Correct

[Cheechako]

Originally Posted by Dmeistar

Thanks all for the replies! I finally got a chance to take some better photos.

After looking at different designs for this piece I'm not sure if a full replacement is warranted. Most other designs are basically a truncated version of what I've got.

If the crack was on the other end, where the rudderstock is supported, it would be a different story...

i dont understand.
-That's the same piece you showed in post #1?
-Is it cracked where the rudder stock goes or not? In post 1 it appears to, in this last post it doesn't?
-Does it bolt through the fiberglass with the fiberglass in the hollow center part of the shoe? Or if not, maybe you SHOULD just throughbolt it?
-What holds it onto the boat?
-If so I wouldn't even worry about it.

[wingssail]

Originally Posted by Dmeistar

...Its only job is to hold up the rudder (an important job, admittedly), but this happens at the end opposite the crack...

Is this not a bearing for the lower end of the rudder? If so its job is much more than simply holding the rudder up.

Have one cast or buy one ready made, but don't trust your rudder to a marginal repair job.

[Dmeistar]

Originally Posted by Cheechako

i dont understand.
-That's the same piece you showed in post #1?
-Is it cracked where the rudder stock goes or not? In post 1 it appears to, in this last post it doesn't?
-Does it bolt through the fiberglass with the fiberglass in the hollow center part of the shoe? Or if not, maybe you SHOULD just throughbolt it?
-What holds it onto the boat?
-If so I wouldn't even worry about it.

Yes it’s the same piece, just cleaned up a bit in our search for more cracks. It is not cracked where the rudder stock goes. It is cracked on the forward edge, farthest from where the rudder stock goes. There are 5 bolts that go through the fiberglass, with the fiberglass in the hollow part of the shoe. I’ve decided not to worry about it. Thanks!

[Cheechako]

Originally Posted by Dmeistar

Yes it’s the same piece, just cleaned up a bit in our search for more cracks. It is not cracked where the rudder stock goes. It is cracked on the forward edge, farthest from where the rudder stock goes. There are 5 bolts that go through the fiberglass, with the fiberglass in the hollow part of the shoe. I’ve decided not to worry about it. Thanks!

Yeah, that's an awful thin section for a casting, other than using a more complicated casting process. Bad design. One of my boats reversed that process; the shoe was a solid thick chunk which was held inside the fiberglass skeg, instead of outside.

[Dmeistar]

Originally Posted by wingssail

Is this not a bearing for the lower end of the rudder? If so its job is much more than simply holding the rudder up.

Have one cast or buy one ready made, but don't trust your rudder to a marginal repair job.

There's no bearing, the rudderstock exits the bottom of the rudder and rests in the circular cup at the aft end of the shoe. Thanks for your input!

[wsmurdoch]

From the Pacific Seacraft group on this forum.
https://www.sailnet.com/forums/pacific-seacraft.41/

You might ask there if others have had the same problem.

[Spot]

The location of the crack shown early on is the leading edge of the skeg.
The shoe looks to hang from its hardware, not that leading edge of the casting.
So would there be harm in brazing it before re-install?
Seems like having a good fit would be important, too loose and overtightened would most likely be hard on the casting.

[Cheechako]

Originally Posted by Spot

The location of the crack shown early on is the leading edge of the skeg.
The shoe looks to hang from its hardware, not that leading edge of the casting.
So would there be harm in brazing it before re-install?
Seems like having a good fit would be important, too loose and overtightened would most likely be hard on the casting.

If it can be brazed I see no harm. Not sure about brazing porous casting. Frankly though, I dont think that area does anything but look good. Like you mentioned earlier, many shoes just have that strap on each side and not around the front.

[stormalong]

Originally Posted by Cheechako

If it can be brazed I see no harm. Not sure about brazing porous casting. Frankly though, I dont think that area does anything but look good. Like you mentioned earlier, many shoes just have that strap on each side and not around the front.

Second that. Fact is the picture on the Ebay listing is for one with a much shorter fork. You could probably just cut off the broken bit and fair it with a good underwater fairing compound.