Broken rudder

[Hadim33]

Took out my rudder thinking it was completely broken just to find out the broken pieces are plates or maybe they are just weak points the broke exactly the same . I did buy a new one from rudder craft .
Should I install it or put the old one back in?

 

[Hadim33]

Another pic with the broken pieces . I did pressure wash it so it looks good .

 

[Hadim33]

Another pic with the broken pieces . I did pressure wash it so it looks good .

It's a 1994 26S

 

[BudGates]

I think I'd install the new one repair this one and keep it as a spare.

 

[Doc_holiday]

I haven't seen that before but I wonder if those are like an anti friction plates or something so when you raise and lower the rudder it's not digging into fiberglass?

I raise my rudder while its in the slip so I don't get that kind of growth on it. (Also raise the motor).

Although I failed to raise my ladder and it looks like that now.

 

[Hadim33]

That's what I think they are. Just bought the boat about two weeks ago. ( first boat ) I did clean it now and it looks new again. Now looking for a trailer so I can take it out and clean it. I don't want to pay $1400 plus when I can do it myself .

 

[Knuttle]

I can not tell from the pictures, but is the piece you are holding solid or hollow?

While I have a 1970 V-21, the steel plates are encased in fiberglass, and both the keel bolt and the cable bolt go through the three steel plates that create the rudder.

Several years ago, I saw a crack across the rudder about 12" below the keel bolt. I panicked thinking it would break off and drop into the water. That is when I learned about the construction of the keel

 

[Hadim33]

It's solid . I think the whole rudder is solid plastic .

 

[walt]

If that is what I think it is.. the rudder is a solid piece of plastic and the stock was chosen for the foil shape - but it wasn’t wide enough to fit in the chock so there are a couple of plastic cheeks plastic welded onto the main plastic rudder body.

If its what I think.. you possibly could just glue that cheek back in place, maybe plastic weld around the top corners? I’m not sure what type of glue however.. maybe 5200 might work or even JB weld - I’m guessing on the glue and its possible that no glue will work???

If you did repair, leave the bottom of the chock "open" like you should see on the other side so that it doesnt create a "line load" at the interface.

If you use the old one, drill some holes at the bottom of the rudder so that if it breaks at the top, you can flip it upside down and still get home.

If your old one is still useable and you return the new one, hopefully you don’t mind paying a fair re-stocking fee. We would like to see the rudder guys stay in business.

 

[Chris & Lenore]

Save your money - you don't need to do anything!

It appears you have a Ruddercraft/Ida Marine rudder.

The pieces that came off are just to increase the thickness so the rudder fits properly in the stock. They are just "welded" around the sides and top (not the bottom as that caused early Ida rudders to break).

The weld fails on many rudders - mine did after a year.

Just position the pieces on the rudder when you install it - these plates are just spacers and nothing more.


Chris

 

[sunman]

make your own rudder save a ton