O'dDay 25 rudder and tiller repair

[Oduy]

Hello all, I have a 1975 O'Day 25.

I am currently in the process of sanding down my rudder then applying a penetrating epoxy then paint as it is in rough shape. When reattaching the pintles and tiller to the rudder should I epoxy the through holes and apply a sealant?

I also purchased a new tiller and wasn't sure if I should epoxy and seal the bolts that hold the the tiller bracket to the tiller?

Finally I am replacing a bad gudgeon and was looking for suggestions for a backing board for the gudgeons. I was planning on using weatherboard but am not sure where to find it so any suggestions would be great.

 

[Ward H]

When I worked on the rudder of my 25 the holes were elongated. I filled all the holes with epoxy and re drilled them to fix the elongation.

I like using G-10, a compressed fiberglass board, for backing plates. Easier to work than stainless steel. Available at www.mcmaster.com.
If you use wood, you should coat it in epoxy. A dense plywood would be best. Not sure if the weatherboard would work as a straight grained wood may split.

Good luck.

 

[Oduy]

When I worked on the rudder of my 25 the holes were elongated. I filled all the holes with epoxy and re drilled them to fix the elongation.

I like using G-10, a compressed fiberglass board, for backing plates. Easier to work than stainless steel. Available at www.mcmaster.com.
If you use wood, you should coat it in epoxy. A dense plywood would be best. Not sure if the weatherboard would work as a straight grained wood may split.

Good luck.

Thanks Ward I wanted to avoid using wood. Now I can’t decide whether to use butyl tape or regular sealant for the gudgeons. I’m concerned butyl tape won’t hold up under the lower gudgeon.

 

[Ward H]

Butyl tape is great for deck hardware but not recommended for below waterline line use.
If I remember correctly the gudgeon is above the water line so should work well.