Help! Need to re-glass the rudder!

[Tim McCarty]

I've got a huge Bubble that has formed in the rudder of my Hunter 27. It's been there for years, and, I've decided to take action. Apart from what West Systems offers (I know all at Gougeon Bros.), does anyone know of any good, step-by-step, instructions specifically related to re-glassing a rudder? Or, has anyone done it themselves? I'm pretty sure I'm not going to get much of a response, however, I always get nervous working with stuff that goes through the hull.

 

[Dave]

rudder repair

If you have a transom hung rudder take it home to work on. If not I did the following last spring on my O'Day 35, drilled a bunch of little holes through the "bubble" and into the foam core. Let it dry, injected with a WEST syringe some acetone to help drive out any water and the let it dry, I made sure I had a lot of holes at the bottom of the bubble to drain this stuff. Then I injected a mixture of WEST combined with microballoons iton all the little holes and clamped the whole thing with bar clamps, and spring clamps to hold it while it cured. Once cured I sanded it smooth and faired it, then used barrier coat and finally Micron CSC. I did this all while the rudder was still on the boat. It would be a lot easier at home in a warm basement or garage.No idea how it will hold up, I am wintering in the water so I doubt it will see the air again until 2003.Good luck.Dave

 

[Jim WIllis]

No direct experience but...

My rudder had to be cut into, when the Max prop was fitted. The area was then glassed over.I guess the rudder is more akin to a foam-cored surfboard than anything else.I think that the easiest way is to get a new rudder! Failing that, the rudder should be taken off and repaired inside in a shop or garage.I would do as the previous reader advised in cutting numerous large drain holes to let out the water and dry out the foam somehow VERY THOROUGHLY. I, personally would not use acetone. Polystyrene foam is not very strong chemically. For instance it will disssolve in undiluted citrus cleaners!. Acetone may do some damage too. I would use NO solvent, but just dry thoroughly. I would not try to "compress" the original bubble area back into shape, but totally remove it. This area and all the holes should be ground back (feather edged) to allow good adherence wiped with acetone, then styrene and then the holes/repair area reglassed. If you are confidident of good adhesion use Epoxy. Otherwise use regular polyester. I would then put a new skin of glass over the whole thing (this time eploxy resin would be better. Then Fair it with polyvinyl paste and/or "Surfacing gelcoat" (contains a wax) and then scuff sand and paint with several coats of two-part epoxy.Over here people are making new surfboards at home, using foam cores so it's not that bad. However surfboards are only in the water for a few hours at a time. Hence the real need for the Epoxy barrier coat. A visitor to this forum a few months ago had a surveyor friend who says that Algrip make the most waterproof barrier coat (he does tests on old pieces of hull).Hope this is of some help. No-guarantees!ThanksJim Wills

 

[Tim McCarty]

That's the plan...pretty much...

Thanks Dave and Jim Willis...I'm basically going to fix the rudder almost exactly as you recomended(Jim). I've got an advantage, in that, I'm in the business of selling epoxy resin, and, one of my biggest customers is Gougeon Bros.(the makers of West Systems Epoxy). They have been giving me some advice also. Of course, if I screw it up, I can always just buy a Foss Foam Rudder. Thanks again...