30 ft O'day grounded, bent rudder post

Jun 5, 2016
49
O'Day 30 ft Elkton
My 30 ft O'day ran aground and the rudder post is bent , so the rudder rubs the bottom of the boat while the steering is close to center . I thought at first I could grind down some of the rudder on top so it was,not touching the bottom. Though after pulling it, the difficult steering takes place even when rudder is turned far enough that it's not touching the bottom of the boat , even worse the boat is taking on water. So I need some advice on dropping the rudder , hoping the water is comming in because the rudder post is bent . Summer is going by to quickly , so I'm going to attempt to drop the rudder tomorrow, any advice is greatly appreciated
 
Oct 22, 2014
20,995
CAL 35 Cruiser #21 moored EVERETT WA
even worse the boat is taking on water.
There are a number of potential sites. Inspect the keel as well as the rudder log. Check the prop shaft...
Where is the water coming in? Can your pump empty the water quicker then the water is coming into the boat?
You may find you bent the rider shaft and you cracked the rudder log. I hope not.
Pictures.
And keep us informed. Best of luck.
 
Jun 5, 2016
49
O'Day 30 ft Elkton
Someone suggested taking a hose and pouring water in the boat by the rudder tube and seeing if water comes out of the boat, I hesitated in taking it out of the water, to try to figure out where it's comming in , wierd thing is it seems to come in way faster while boat is moving , but I started and put in gear while tied to the dock and watching the packing gland , it's wet there, like more then the one drop per whatever , but noway that much can be comming in there .
 
Oct 22, 2014
20,995
CAL 35 Cruiser #21 moored EVERETT WA
Pictures of the water you are describing. The rudder. The rudder post. All would help.
This boat sounds like it is new to you. And your profile suggest sailing is a new to you avocation.
Water in the boat is bad. A bent rudder is bad. You will need to do what is necessary to identify why and how bad, before solutions can be suggested.
Grounding a boat can do a lot of things bad some visible some not.
If this is overwhelming then consulting with a qualified boat repair business might be your best next step.
 
Jun 5, 2016
49
O'Day 30 ft Elkton
Well if I pour water by the rudder and it leaks out of the boat , hopefully my issue is confined to the rudder I plan to drop it tomorrow , then I will know more
 
May 14, 2012
68
Oday 25 Shoal draft Mystic
A marine machine shop that does inboard shafts can straighten the rudder post. Probably only an hour shop labor. The leak can be found in the bushing if it was damaged. Showing pictures of the area to the shop guy will probably help a good solution.
 
Jun 5, 2016
49
O'Day 30 ft Elkton
Thanks , but to late for the straightening, I found am eBay one and bought it , so now just need to drop old one and figure out if that's where it's taking on water
 
Oct 29, 2016
1,915
Hunter 41 DS Port Huron
The grounding caused the rudder shaft to bend, did you ground while running in reverse? or was the grounding while sailing in some rough seas?
 
Jun 5, 2016
49
O'Day 30 ft Elkton
I was on my way to the marina where I store it for the winter , upper Chesapeake bay gets shallow , I tried to stay in the channel but the tide became so low that day the seagulls were standing in mud in the middle of the river , the tow boat pulled me forward and backward then another one came back hours n hours later when the tide came in , the mud out there is so deep if u jumped in it would be up to your knees , very soft , so I thought no damage was done
 
Jun 5, 2016
49
O'Day 30 ft Elkton
After they pulled me about 20 ft to deeper water , I fired up the motor and started to go to the marina bit the alarm went off, mud was in the intake hose , so they cinched up next to me and brought me to the marina , I disconnected the hose at the marina blew thru it and cleared the mud out, Never knew the rudder/steering was messed up til this season when I took it out for the first time
 
Oct 29, 2016
1,915
Hunter 41 DS Port Huron
Well we all learn lessons some harder than others, good luck in finding the source of your water intrusion, having a tow boat pull you back and forth would definitely be the cause of a bent rudder. I believe that you may have to get the boat on a lift to do a thorough inspection.
 
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Oct 22, 2014
20,995
CAL 35 Cruiser #21 moored EVERETT WA
@Robert Stevenson as unpleasant as it is, I have to agree with @DayDreamer41. A 30 ft boat is a big boat. Only by being able to look at the issue can you fully assess the situation and implement a plan to protect you and the boat by correcting the damage.

I come to this conclusion after having my boat on the hard this winter for repairs. There is a first time for everything. I bit the bullet and had the damage fully assessed and repaired. I am satisfied with the out come and the results. As is always the case with an old boat, I found and corrected unknown additional items that would have damaged the boat had I let them continue.

I wish you the best with your challenge.
 
Jun 5, 2016
49
O'Day 30 ft Elkton
Well , I'm going to pour water back by the rudder before I drop it and if it pours out like a sive then I will be semi satisfied that I found the water intrusion. Is anyone has dropped a,rudder like this and can offer some technical assistance that would be super helpful
 
Nov 3, 2010
564
Oday 39 Lake mills WI
Robert, I have not removed a rudder from an Oday 30 but I can help you with some general rudder removing issues.
First, You should consider your sailing summer over. Take your time. You will learn a lot.
I may have found the rudder you purchased on ebay. It had some barnacles on it and sold for $400. Is that the one you purchased? If so you need to be sure it is not waterlogged before you install it. Moster meters are used for detecting moister under the fiberglass. (your marina may have one) The stainless steel structure (similar to a backbone and ribs) will corrode if it is exposed to moister but no oxygen and eventually fail. Drilling a few holes may be an alternative to a moister meter. The seller might have drilled a few holes and laid it in the sun for the while so it may be dry inside. If so, you just need to clean it up and inspect it very carefully to ensure it is watertight. I would add a few layers of glass and prime it with one of the barrier coatings. Installing a rudder that is not watertight would be a big mistake.
You need to get ahold of West marine's Fiberglass Boat Repair and Maintenance or the equivalent. There are several similar books out there. It describes repairing and rebuilding keels and rudders.

You will need a travel lift to drop the rudder. You can do a lot of work before you need the travel lift. Remove access and locker covers don't just open them, take a few minutes to remove them completely. It will save you in the long run. Remove the steering cables and get everything ready to remove the quadrant (or wheel sitting on top of the rudder). I would go as far as cracking each bolt so I'm sure they are not badly corroded. Do this all in the lift well. There should be no charge for being in the lift well. Get the lift to haul you out and move the boat to it temp home. Ask them to leave it a few inches high. They will have their procedure for this. They may block and place stands others may just let the boat hang. Lossen the sinch bolds and let the rudder drop. Call the guys back and have them raise the boat up to get the rudder free. This will not be anything new to them. (seek their advice) clean everything thing up back there and take a few photos of the damage. West marine has a graphite additive for the epoxy to use to remold and bearing for the new rudder. This explained in the book a mentioned and would be done after you repair and reinforce the structure. Good luck and send photos.
 
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Aug 7, 2013
48
O'day 39' 25th Anniversary Mystic, CT
Just this past weekend, I helped a friend of mine replace the rudder on his Catalina 30 in Noank, CT. I know that this project took a lot of time that I was not around to learn from, but my help was needed when it came time to install the new rudder. Hopefully my account of this project will shed some light on the task at hand. A couple of notes here were that my friend had asked the marina to leave his boat in the sling of the travel lift at a height that made it possible to lower the rudder and its attached post enough to clear the ground. For his Catalina, we needed about 3 1/2 ft. in order to lower the rudder down enough to clear the post. Another note was that he made a blocking to hold the rudder in place, using the blocks around the shipyard to meet the height of the rudder once it was in place. Special care was taken to ensure that the blocking was secure and would NOT fail as the boat moved in the sling when getting and off. This was accomplished by nailing the blocks together with a couple of 1x3s, and the rudder was shimmed up snug for proper fit.
With regards to the replacement rudder you purchased on EBay, I am assuming that it has holes drilled into it already. It may behove you to see if these holes align with your quadrant and cap early on. We had to dry fit, mark for the quadrant bolts, remove, drill the holes, and then reinstall in order to mark for the cap holes.... Just remembered that we also had to dry fit for the proper measurement for the length of the rudder post. He also had a lot of grinding to do in order to get the rudder to turn fully in both directions.
Please do send pictures so that we know that our suggestions apply......
Good Luck to You
 
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Jun 5, 2016
49
O'Day 30 ft Elkton
Thanks for the tips, it is my understanding that the rudder post only goes 2/3 of the way down the rudder , so I was hoping it would be possible to cut the bottom off the rudder which would be easier then cutting thru the rudder post. This I thought would save some money because I would only need to get them to sling it once to put the new rudder in. Great suggestions about sealing that rudder it does look rough .
 
Nov 3, 2010
564
Oday 39 Lake mills WI
Thanks for the tips, it is my understanding that the rudder post only goes 2/3 of the way down the rudder , so I was hoping it would be possible to cut the bottom off the rudder which would be easier then cutting thru the rudder post. This I thought would save some money because I would only need to get them to sling it once to put the new rudder in. Great suggestions about sealing that rudder it does look rough .
Good thinking, no need to save the rudder if you are sure it is toast. Time on the sling is money.