I recently dropped my rudder to repair rotten core all around the rudder post as it comes through the lazarette floor. Below the lazarette floor you have the steering quadrant and then a gland that seals off the water ingress in the quarter berth. Does anyone know for certain if there is packing material in this gland between the hose and the rudder to act as a sealer or is it just the gland'/hose and the two hose clamps? Attaching pics of the repair process.
Before with rotten core all around the rudder post and bolts holding it in place/in the boat. This is directly under the lazarette floor and I was very surprised not to see a bottom fiberglass skin in this area in the boat when I started my refit. I'm sort of glad there wasn't as there were two major sections of this lazarette floor that were completely destroyed by rot. This was one, the other was where the Air con was mounted and falling through the floor!
Short video showing the extent of the rot. There was barely any pressure on this screwdriver. It had to come out!
Well that was easier than I thought! Quadrant off, few bolts and use the winches and a spare line. I should have been more courageous and just replaced my lower bearing while I was this far in. I think the caretakers who RV permanently just 20 yards behind me would have frowned on me digging a hole. Yes I had one pair of extra hands, the Admiral is one of the hardest working women I've ever seen. She even helped with our bottom job, and only complained the whole time, but I'll take it because its better than no help!
Cutting the wood in a grid pattern in a large rectangle to get to good wood. Used a multi tool and was very careful not to go through the lazarette floor fiberglass. I didn't want to lose the placement of my rudder hole or screw holes it was very important they not be destroyed.
The rest was chiseled out from here with chisel and hammer.
All clean! Now about not going through that fiberglass top skin... Whoops, only a couple places and not all the way through and not near the holes. It will be okay once my G10 and peanut butter epoxy combo go into place.
Shot of the G101/2" fiberglass board in place, didn't get full squeeze out like I wanted. I put the board in place, with epoxy thickened with cabosil and then put a bottle jack in the center and then cut several boards to slightly over size and put on each side and used a rubber mallet and hammered in place to hold pressure on it.
Another shot of the finished project. I thought of doing fiberglass tape around the seams, but it didn't seem necessary at the time given that no where else on the lazarette floor has a bottom skin at all. At least this can never leak again. Not pictured was me down in the locker with a hole saw redrilling the not quite fully filled original hole for the rudder post where it kicked back and I foolishly had my face in the way. First time for everything, and this time it was rudder repair and a broken nose! Surprisingly, very little blood...
Anyways, anyone know about there being packing in the rubber gland around the post or not? Don't wanna sink when I splash...
Before with rotten core all around the rudder post and bolts holding it in place/in the boat. This is directly under the lazarette floor and I was very surprised not to see a bottom fiberglass skin in this area in the boat when I started my refit. I'm sort of glad there wasn't as there were two major sections of this lazarette floor that were completely destroyed by rot. This was one, the other was where the Air con was mounted and falling through the floor!
Short video showing the extent of the rot. There was barely any pressure on this screwdriver. It had to come out!
Well that was easier than I thought! Quadrant off, few bolts and use the winches and a spare line. I should have been more courageous and just replaced my lower bearing while I was this far in. I think the caretakers who RV permanently just 20 yards behind me would have frowned on me digging a hole. Yes I had one pair of extra hands, the Admiral is one of the hardest working women I've ever seen. She even helped with our bottom job, and only complained the whole time, but I'll take it because its better than no help!
The rest was chiseled out from here with chisel and hammer.
All clean! Now about not going through that fiberglass top skin... Whoops, only a couple places and not all the way through and not near the holes. It will be okay once my G10 and peanut butter epoxy combo go into place.
Shot of the G101/2" fiberglass board in place, didn't get full squeeze out like I wanted. I put the board in place, with epoxy thickened with cabosil and then put a bottle jack in the center and then cut several boards to slightly over size and put on each side and used a rubber mallet and hammered in place to hold pressure on it.
Another shot of the finished project. I thought of doing fiberglass tape around the seams, but it didn't seem necessary at the time given that no where else on the lazarette floor has a bottom skin at all. At least this can never leak again. Not pictured was me down in the locker with a hole saw redrilling the not quite fully filled original hole for the rudder post where it kicked back and I foolishly had my face in the way. First time for everything, and this time it was rudder repair and a broken nose! Surprisingly, very little blood...
Anyways, anyone know about there being packing in the rubber gland around the post or not? Don't wanna sink when I splash...
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