Repairng my rudder...am I doing this right guys?

[Bob]

I have a Hunter 285 (1987) and I've had the rudder pulled for repair. The bottom paint has all been sanded off and I've removed the outer skin from about five areas (on either side of the rudder) where there was extensive delamination. I only cut into the rudder about 1/8" at the most just to remove the top layer which is the first layer of fiberglass and the gel coat. Right now the rudder is "warming" itself over a heater the force the water out of the fiberglass which is damp but looks to be in good shape. There are a few points where the water was actually dripping out for a few minutes.After (and I'm guessing here) about a month or so over the heater, and when the rudder is again dry, I'm planning on gluing the skins back in place using Interlux Epiglass Epoxy. Then filling in holes and fairing with Interlux Watertite Epoxy Filler. After that it a barrior coat and finally a light colored bottom paint.I got the product recommendations from the Interlux guy at the Atlantic City boat show this weekend. I'm sure that there are other companies that make the same sort of stuff for what I'm doing. My question is, does this procedure sound right? I've never done this before. I did have a guy from the Boat US store in Cherry Hill, NJ tell me to forget it all and have my yard do the repairs because it's just too hard and I'd screw it up like he did once. Little late for that since I firgure I'm about half way through the process. Beside if they sell the stuff to fix it then why say you can't do it?!

 

[John H380 1999]

Use Wests and build up with cloth

Use a Dremel to drill out any loose layers.I let it dry over the winter (4 months) as you are doing, used Wests, soaked glass cloth cut the size of the voids, and added enough to bring the void up to the surface. grind off to just under level and fill with thickened Wests to above level. Grind, sand, prime and bottom paint and you are done. I would not use the parts you removed. Adding cloth will make it stronger, more than adding the skins back.You do not have to be real fussy about the final sanding since noone will see it.It's been four years since my repair and the rudder is perfect on my '85 H34 that we have since sold.If storing outside wrap your rudder in an old white sheet or aluminum blanket until it goes back in the water. The sun causes the water to turn to vapor and it pushes out and separates the skin from the core foam.

 

[Tim McCarty]

check the archives first!

I did extensive work on my old h27 last year, however, did NO glass work. Just drilled holes, let the rudder dry out, Clamped it down, and filled the holes with WestSystem epoxy. I do not believe that the rudder is gel-coat. It is a steel frame, followed by a foam core, the skin is plastic (ABS, or some alloy thereof, not polyester gel coat). I had thought that I read a thread in the archives talking about the difference between gel coat (polyester), and, whatever the skin is on the rudder. Good luck...may also want to change the packing in the shaft, and, rudder (good time to do it)...