I have had an issue with my rudder since I got the boat in 01. The boat is a 1995 Hunter 37.5. When under power the wheel wants to turn to port. This I had thought was due to the force of the propeller being uneven on each side of the rudder. Last year, while on vacation, I happened upon a surveyor who suggested that the rudder had probably been repaired some time before I had bought the boat and was repaired incorrectly. Basically he suggested that the two sides of the rudder were not symmetrical thereby causing the rudder to have more lift on the port side than the starboard side. I have also detected some rust spots on the leading edge where the internal structural members are. I know there has been water infiltration over the years and I have done my best this year to seal all of the cracks with Marine Tex then barrier coat before painting. My question is can I or should I replace the rudder? Can I simply call Hunter and order a replacement? Any thoughts are welcome.
Rudder Issues
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I had a problem with a wet rudder this year too.
I took the fiberglass off both sides except for about a 2" strip around the perimeter. It took a long time to dry it out, and I ended up using a vacuum pump after trying several other methods without success. If you just sealed it with MarineTex without evacuating the moisture, I think you may be in for more trouble. The moisture inside freezes in the winter and can cause delamination of the fiberglass from the foam core. I think Foss Foam may make the Hunter rudders: http://fossfoam.com/
I took the fiberglass off both sides except for about a 2" strip around the perimeter. It took a long time to dry it out, and I ended up using a vacuum pump after trying several other methods without success. If you just sealed it with MarineTex without evacuating the moisture, I think you may be in for more trouble. The moisture inside freezes in the winter and can cause delamination of the fiberglass from the foam core. I think Foss Foam may make the Hunter rudders: http://fossfoam.com/
If it ain't broke.....................
All rudders take in water. It is impossible to seal the post at the top of the rudder- though it is worth trying. I am not sure about the rust you see on the leading edge. It seems to me you should not see rut there from your stainless rudder post. I would call Hunter. I would not replace my rudder unless I feared it might come apart under use.
All rudders take in water. It is impossible to seal the post at the top of the rudder- though it is worth trying. I am not sure about the rust you see on the leading edge. It seems to me you should not see rut there from your stainless rudder post. I would call Hunter. I would not replace my rudder unless I feared it might come apart under use.
Impossible???
Boy, I hope you are wrong about that. When I rebuilt my rudder, I used a dremel tool to cut a 1/4" x 1/4" tapered valley around the interface between the top of the rudder and the post. I put 6 coats of Interprotect 2000 epoxy barrier coat on the rudder, and coated the valley and the post. I then cleaned the Interprotect off the rudder tube about half the depth of my valley so that the sealant would bond to the epoxy and the stainless tube. I then filled the valley with Sika Flex 291, and pressed the plastic ring into it. So I have 6 layers of Interprotect and a heavy bead of Sika Flex sealing the tube/rudder. I am optimistic that I have sealed the rudder as best I can - but time will tell!
Boy, I hope you are wrong about that. When I rebuilt my rudder, I used a dremel tool to cut a 1/4" x 1/4" tapered valley around the interface between the top of the rudder and the post. I put 6 coats of Interprotect 2000 epoxy barrier coat on the rudder, and coated the valley and the post. I then cleaned the Interprotect off the rudder tube about half the depth of my valley so that the sealant would bond to the epoxy and the stainless tube. I then filled the valley with Sika Flex 291, and pressed the plastic ring into it. So I have 6 layers of Interprotect and a heavy bead of Sika Flex sealing the tube/rudder. I am optimistic that I have sealed the rudder as best I can - but time will tell!
FYI....
My Foss Foam rudder for a 1989 H30 came to $1875 shipped from FL to Lake Tahoe. They have been great to deal with. That should give you a ball park of what to expect the "damage" to be if you plan to replace. Tim
My Foss Foam rudder for a 1989 H30 came to $1875 shipped from FL to Lake Tahoe. They have been great to deal with. That should give you a ball park of what to expect the "damage" to be if you plan to replace. Tim
Foss Foam
I can't say enough about the service from Foss Foam. I purchased a rudder from them for a Cat 30, and had a yard install it. The Brewers Yard in Port Washington, NY totally botched the job, then claimed the rudder was defective. Since it was not my "home base" and sail on the south shore not the north shore I was never coming back. Foss sent me a brand new rudder the following season, which I then installed myself. It has been working great for 3 seasons. They knew all along that the yard had made mistakes while doing the install, yet they wanted to keep me happy. That is good old fashioned customer service. If you go that route, I highly recomend Fooss as your source. In fact I do belive they are the OEM for Hunter.
I can't say enough about the service from Foss Foam. I purchased a rudder from them for a Cat 30, and had a yard install it. The Brewers Yard in Port Washington, NY totally botched the job, then claimed the rudder was defective. Since it was not my "home base" and sail on the south shore not the north shore I was never coming back. Foss sent me a brand new rudder the following season, which I then installed myself. It has been working great for 3 seasons. They knew all along that the yard had made mistakes while doing the install, yet they wanted to keep me happy. That is good old fashioned customer service. If you go that route, I highly recomend Fooss as your source. In fact I do belive they are the OEM for Hunter.
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