Waterlogged Rudder

[CptCrunchie]

Originally Posted by Reefmagnet

I did pick up a tip from somewhere about fibreglassing an O-ring over the ends of the rudder stock during rebuilding and and this make a better seal than the fibreglass to stainless steel interface.

Good tip!

[Spot]

The Boatworks Today videos make it seem not so bad...I would have welded some 'flag' pieces to the 'pipe' while it was open and free of foam.


Other than the pipe and heavier weight materials, the rudder is not all that different than a surfboard. Once could consider having some PU tooling foam cut on a shaping machine, port and starboard halves, and glue them together around the existing pipe or flag. Then glass to suit.

[BenBowSirocco]

On my first sailboat a C&C 27, the rudder was very saturated. I was a bit apprehensive about the project myself as you are now. But I eventually decided to go for it as I would be mostly just spending time, with low expense on materials and could have it replaced if I failed to make a satisfactory repair. (smaller rudder though)

Any description of work done without photos is tough to explain, but this was 10+ years ago and so I do not know where to find the photos. I am sharing this as it may give you an idea you could apply to your own project, in case you chose to take it on.



I cut the rudder into its 2 halves right along the original seam and split if off the frame/foam, which thanks to the water was not complicated. Dried, replaced some foam, cleaned up and sealed the frame.. etc.

Before I put it back together I hollowed the foam from the trailing edge about an inch back and diligently prepped the interior of the fiberglass halves/shells with 36 grit.

I also wet sanded the SS shaft with epoxy about 2" in either direction of the glass/shaft interface area and wrapped it in 2 laps of 6oz very tightly using peel-ply and stretch film (packing wrap or "Saran" wrap can apply 20psi)- the space surrounding the shaft inside the rudder was left empty of foam like the trailing edge.

I sandwiched the rudder back together with putty in the usual way, and on 3 sides ground/glass stitched it as per any seam. But the trailing edge and the are of the shaft, I injected those with structural filler using empty caulking tubes (think: West's 610).
With a hole on each end of the rudder, start at the bottom and push up- no air. You have 45 min and so its no rush. This was my version of a watertight sea on the shaft, 4" of wet sanded/applied resin, lapped up/across with glass on the top and filled with putter on the inside.

The filled trailing edge of the rudder interior alleviated me from doing any fancy cutting/fairing work since the rudder was fair and symmetrical when I got it and the fill provides the structure. A single lap of 6oz was applied to the outside.

I owned the boat only a few years after the repair was made, but we sailed it all over FL and it never showed any signs of delamination at the shaft. I saw it for sale about 8 years later and the repair still looked good in the photos, which is not exactly conclusive.

Hope my story helps! Good luck.