O'Day 272 Rudder Replacement

May 12, 2014
16
Oday 272 Groton
Hello all,

I have a 1986 272 with a tiller. My rudder is full of water so I'm looking at options and looking for feedback.

I don't really have the time to cut open, refoam, and reskin the existing rudder. I wouldn't mind the project... just don't have the time. I know there are less time consuming methods, but with a 30 year old rudder it seems to me without cutting it open you cannot assess how viable the interior metal structure is. Anybody know what's inside? Steel? I'm guessing not Stainless??

I checked with Foss and they no longer make replacement rudders of this style.

Ruddercraft makes two options. An HDPE replacment and a kickup version. The gentleman I have spoken with at Ruddercraft was pushing the kickup version as it is a bit longer and will provide better performance. Anyone have one of these? I don't think I have seen a rudder like this on a boat this size. I'm a keep it simple kind of guy, so I'm not sold yet...

Anybody have an HDPE rudder? Good? Bad?

Does anybody else make a replacement rudder? I did see that Rudy at DR Marine has a replacement on his website but it was even more expensive than the Ruddercraft options.

Would love to hear what others have done.

Thanks!
 

Pat

.
Jun 7, 2004
1,250
Oday 272LE Ninnescah Yacht Club, Wichita, Ks.
I would not put a kick up rudder on a 272. I would do a Rudy and get that one even if slightly more
expensive... Just my opinion. I think you'll be happier with the real deal. Pat
 
Apr 4, 2013
115
O'day 240 NY, NY (City Island)
I had the same problem with my 240 rudder--waterlogged up to the lower gudgeon. I tried drilling holes to get it to dry out, but based on the progress thus far, that process will likely take years. So I decided to get a new rudder.

As you point out, the two basic options are a new OEM rudder from Rudy or Foss, or a Ruddercraft kick up.

The pros of the new OEM is... it looks stock, if that matters to you. And it will perform as stock. The con is that it might be a little more work. I say that because the new rudder will arrive without any holes for the gudgeons or the tiller. So you'll have to mark and drill that yourself. However... I would strongly suggest that you also over-drill and fill the new holes with epoxy to seal the rudder from any further water intrusion. (I think that's what did my rudder in... a loose gudgeon allowed water to get in to the holes, which were not sealed). You may also want to get new gudgeons to go with your new rudder--an added expense.

From what I could see, the Ruddercraft rudder looks like a quality piece of equipment (either kick up or solid), and it comes complete with gudgeons, so no added expense or effort to mount. Ruddercraft also says that it may perform better because it is built using standard NACA profiles. Comes complete with a new tiller, too (you're old one won't mount on it). Cons are that the solid one extends below the keel, unless you get the kick up design.

I chose to go with a new OEM from Foss. Why? Ironically, I just purchased a new tiller from Ruddercraft last season, and I would hate to junk it. The new Foss Foam rudder arrived yesterday and it is real nice...
Hope this helps!
 
May 12, 2014
16
Oday 272 Groton
Hello all,

Thanks to GregL564 for pushing me to check with Foss again. Apparently there are two companies with the Foss name. I had spoken with the wrong one.

Foss Foam Products at newrudder.com makes the original style replacement rudder for my 272.

This is the option I'm leaning towards, but I would love to hear from anyone who has an HDPE rudder of the similar size to the 272 transom hung rudder.
 
Aug 3, 2012
2,542
Performance Cruising Telstar 28 302 Watkins Glen
My friend has an HDPE rudder from Ruddercraft. He has an Oday 26. It is a kickup rudder. It is surprisingly heavy. There is a pull rope, but there is NO way you could lift the rudder with just the rope! But it would kick back if you grounded it. The cross-section of the rudder seems thicker than the original. It is certainly thicker than my 272 original. Very nice rudder. It came fully built with tiller, head stock, and pintels. I imagine you could get just the rudder.

Thanks,
Andrew
 
Apr 4, 2013
115
O'day 240 NY, NY (City Island)
Ruddercraft rudders uses a NACA profile for its rudders which is definitely thicker than the profile on my OEM 240 rudder. I can't say for certain that the profile on my 240 OEM rudder is not a NACA design, but it is certainly longer and thinner than the NACA profile on the Ruddercraft, and other rudders that I've seen. I suspect the longer and thinner design for the 240 was the tradeoff that Hunt made to ensure the rudder had sufficient surface area, but did not extend below the wing keel. The Ruddercraft design does extend below the keel, which is why they recommend the kick-up option.
 

Pat

.
Jun 7, 2004
1,250
Oday 272LE Ninnescah Yacht Club, Wichita, Ks.
Greg, our 272's original rudder did draw more than the winged keel draft...about 3 inches total, with the caveat that
the rudder was even lower with a fully loaded cockpit....the manual warned about this potential at any rate.
we've run aground once, but our lake bottom is normally soft mud and we backed off easily with several friends
on-board...we were going very slow, up in a cove on our lake and my depth finder tried to warn me by sounding
an alarm, which I foolishly ignored....I'm really not sure whether we were aground on the keel or rudder...but as I say, we backed off easily.. I don't think the kick-up rudder would have made a difference as we were going very slow.
 
Jun 2, 2004
1,923
Oday Day Sailer Wareham, MA
No metal inside the 272 rudders that I'm aware of, O'DAY outboard rudders were almost all constructed as a 2-piece fiberglass shell filled with expanded foam. The new rudders from D&R are supposed to be an improved version with thicker skins. You discovered the big secret, there ARE 2 FOSS Foam rudder companies, one on East Coast (Florida?) and one on West Coast (California?). I think they were connected at one time, but now...... Several CAL owners have had the same trouble (contacted the wrong Foss) while replacing their inboard rudders.
 
May 12, 2014
16
Oday 272 Groton
I'm surprised there is no metal in such a long rudder...

Al at Foss Foam of Florida told me the two companies were one years ago. I can't believe the person that emailed me from Foss of California wouldn't point me to the correct place. That is poor.
 
Dec 2, 1999
15,184
Hunter Vision-36 Rio Vista, CA.
It appears that Foss has their original So. Cal. Location as well as their Florida location. Newrudders.com
 
May 12, 2014
16
Oday 272 Groton
They are two separate companies. They both make sailboat rudders, but Foss Foam Products makes the original style replacement rudder for the ODay 272.

Foss Foam Products - NewRudders.com
The Foss Company - Boatrudder.com
 
Apr 2, 2014
33
Hunter 29.5 Long Beach, MS
I don't know if it will fit but I have a rudder from a 28' O'Day that you can have. I had the same problem and have repaired the rudder, I am located in Northeast Louisiana. The boat has been parted out and I hate to see the parts go to waste.