Beached Mac 25 (Rudder questions)

[Benjamin]

I recently purchased a beached Mac 25. Besides all of the many things that come with a beached vessel, the rudder is totaly lost. Is there any away I could reproduce the missing rudder? I tried calling Haven Craft. They tell me that they don't make any old style rudders and if I want the newer one. I would have to drill and patch the holes. I have no desire to drill any more holes in my beach Mac. Does anyone have any suggestions or any older style rudders lying around. Thank you.Benjamin

 

[Doug Rodrigues]

Not sure but........

If the old style rudders were anything like the Venture models, then it probably was a 6 foot long 1 1/2 inch thick piece of teakwood sanded to foil shape. The rudder folded in the middle, although you could make a single piece rudder that didn't fold. The shaped section was below the water line. The top section was pretty much straight angles. By the way....teak wood is VERY expensive. I was going to make a new rudder out of hardwood or maple, and varnish it.

 

[Rich]

Stock Rudder is

approximately 3.5 feet long from the mount to the bottom of the rudder. It has a piece of 2x4 oak in the center from top to bottom. I am guessing that there is a piece of wedged shaped foam both forward and aft of the oak and then the whole works is wrapped in a fiberglass skin. The rudder is about a foot wide all the way from top top bottom, and the width of the oak (1.5 inches) plus the thickness of the fiberglass. Two holes are drilled through from one side to the other for the pivot and lock down bolts. It is not a fancy solution and many times I wished I had a rudder with a little more bite. There is a weep hole at the bottom and everytime we pull the boat out of the water, a lot of water runs from the hole. Hope this helps you.