Best approach to fixing this rudder?
- Thread starter Captn Scotty
- Start date
That looks bad. Is the damage isolated to the foam? Or do you have deeper structural problems with your rudder post and leaves?
If it is just the foam... you might be able to get away with something like this....
I've never done this but it seems to me if you removed the bottom piece and dug out the foam but kept the skin for proper shape, then secured some sort of connecting rods up into the bulk of your remaining rudder... then temporarily tape the bottom back on and fill it with expanding closed-cell foam pored through a 1/2 hole drilled in the skin. When that cures, removed the tape and with a grinding wheel, grind out the fiberglass along the break line fair it out an inch in the lateral direction... then re-glass around the break. You might want to dig out some of the foam in the top piece as well. The strength will come from the fiberglass and the foam is just for shape.
If it is just the foam... you might be able to get away with something like this....
I've never done this but it seems to me if you removed the bottom piece and dug out the foam but kept the skin for proper shape, then secured some sort of connecting rods up into the bulk of your remaining rudder... then temporarily tape the bottom back on and fill it with expanding closed-cell foam pored through a 1/2 hole drilled in the skin. When that cures, removed the tape and with a grinding wheel, grind out the fiberglass along the break line fair it out an inch in the lateral direction... then re-glass around the break. You might want to dig out some of the foam in the top piece as well. The strength will come from the fiberglass and the foam is just for shape.
Before I posted that idea, I looked up Ruder Craft Rudders for a boat your size.... they are just shy of $2K. I used to have one on my Balboa 26 and I can say this... they really do generate a lot of lift which means you don't have to drag your rudder through the water so much to turn the boat = sail faster. They are nice rudders but pricey.
Thanks Ranger! I was thinking more along the lines of taping off the back half, filling with epoxy, and then feathering back the glass and building it back up with matt and roving?
That might work. If it does, you save yourself a lot of hassle. If not and it breaks while sailing it looks like you would still have enough rudder to get back to port
That's sort of what I was thinking, I may also drill a few holes in the bottom and epoxy in some stainless rod similar to what you were thinking.
Finished the rudder repair with filler and a couple of layers of mat and cold cure epoxy, seems stronger than original now. I drilled holes into both sides for the filler to bight into and drilled divets into all accessible stainless for the filler to bond to, now that it needs paint is there some sort of primer I should use or can I just cover the epoxy with bottom paint? Any and all help appreciated!!
Yup, it went down the rudder post and settled between the last of the foam and bottom piece that broke off, that bottom section is solid glass, so thats where the water went to and expanded. I will drill a couple of small holes in that area at the end of the season to mitigate any risks
You are now the resident expert on rudder repair.... 
Thanks for the pics....
Thanks for the pics....
Thanks Westcoaster, I'll have to see what I have in the paint locker, and thankyou granger for your encouragement!
