Prop Damage

[atwhite2]

I just this past month purchased a slightly used 1976 O'Day 20 with the intentions of bringing the woodwork up to snuff before the summer. The rudder had chipped paint covering it. I wanted to restore it to its beautiful teak original look. I started sanding all the layers of chipped paint and varnish off to get to the actual wood. As I sanded down, I realized that this rudder had considerable prop damage and the "chunks" had been filled in with multi-colored patches. My Question IS: is there a product out there that will color or cover these patches with some semblance of beauty or did the previous painter have it right by painting the rudder?
Thanks for the help.

 

[Shoaldrafter]

Epoxy can repair this. Epopy can be colored with pigments. Most likely way to repair is several small fixes with shaping (sanding) between. Yes you could most likely tell it was repaired but if color matched close enough it would not stand out.

Ed K
26

 

[Joe11688]

Epoxy can repair this. Epopy can be colored with pigments. Most likely way to repair is several small fixes with shaping (sanding) between. Yes you could most likely tell it was repaired but if color matched close enough it would not stand out.

Ed K
26

Ed,
I think that the best way to avoid any rudder blade damage from an outboard prop is to install a thrust guard on the outboard. Last year, I left my boat on the mooring with the outboard up and my rudder blade held up by an extra pendant line, and my rudder blade still got damaged a little. I had the tiller tied off so that my rudder was centered, but one of the two ropes slacked off during a storm, just enough for the blade to come in contact with one of the fins on the lower unit skeg.
Joe