broken rudder

[Dan Delaney]

I have snapped my second rudder since buying my 25.5 in 1993. I was leaned over when I heard a noise similar to a tree snapping. I got the first replacement from Foss Form in Florida. They are on vacation till July 9. Does anyone know of another supplier? Has this happened to anyone else?

 

[Anthony Bavuso]

bad luck or too much weather helm?

I have had my 25.5 for a year now with no problems. And as far as I can tell I have my original rudder. It seems odd that you would have gotten two rudders with defects. I wonder if the problem is maybe how the boat is tuned? Maybe you are tuned with too much weather helm which combined with too much wind and too much sail could be enough to cause your problem?I agree that the rudder should be way over designed and never break under those conditions but I doubt that ever happens.

 

[Bob Getchell]

I feel your pain

Sorry to hear about it. I am sitting with a Foss foam rudder on my garage floor waiting for the rest of the new hardware to come in. The same kind of thing happened to me, and I narrowed it down to a weakening of the lower gudgeon from corrosion when it gave way, the rudder split in half. I have not found another place to get the rudder except foss. Perhaps the Boat US people can point you to another supplier if there is one. I felt lucky to just be able to find a rudder, I was ready to do one from a solid wood door before I found out about Foss Foam. Come to think of it I could have done it and saved a few bucks and probably had one that wouldnt break. Good luck

 

[Steve & Micah Bourquein]

Still with the original

We purchased our 25.5 new in 1985. We had the rudder and keel "faired" for a better flow over the surfaces.We still have and use the original rudder. We are now experiencing come problems with delamination and will probably get a new rudder for next year.Foss Foam is the only people we know of that can mill the new rudder. From talking with Hunter, they are the original makers of the H25.5 rudder. I looking in our original paperwork (manufacturese warraanties, manuals, etc) and found Foss Foam paperwork.Hope this helps.