Rudder moisture

[lake city]

Own 28 Catalina on Lake Pepin, MN and noticed before the season some moisture on the rudder. We decided to paint and monitor and the boat came out and the problem is still there. Local expert suggested drilling 1/4 hole which I did at a point where moisture was seen. The result: about 1/2 cup of water dribbled out. He also suggested we look into the rudder which we did by removed the emergency tiller plate. You could see water at the bottom of the tube that goes into the rudder. There was no water in the well that surrounds the emergency tiller tube connection.
- any thoughts from where the water comes?
- recommendations on what to do between now and May (it's MN and the lake gets 38 inches of ice).
Thank you.

 

[Don S/V ILLusion]

The obvious problem created when the water freezes and the equally damaging problem of degradation of the steel webbing inside the rudder causing it to rust and weaken. Both are fatal. Even if you remove all the existing water, you still are left with the other issue unless you open it up for examination and drying.

 

[njlarry]

http://forums.oday.sailboatowners.com/showthread.php?p=1142193&highlight=water in rudder
Check the above for a similar problem. I think water may just as easily come from above as below assuming there is no visible break in the skin.
I would not panic too quickly. This site is full of reports or rudders torn apart with no structural defects ever found. If no rust stains are found, little water drains out, she spends all winter on the hard and you are not planning to sail to Tahiti, I would be very conservative in repairing. Most every rudder in my marina has high moisture readings.
My plan for my rudder is to take readings after haul out, drill some drain holes, retake readings in the spring and refill the holes. Hopefully sealing the deckplate will stop further water intrusion.

 

[barnstormer]

Own 28 Catalina on Lake Pepin, MN and noticed before the season some moisture on the rudder. We decided to paint and monitor and the boat came out and the problem is still there. Local expert suggested drilling 1/4 hole which I did at a point where moisture was seen. The result: about 1/2 cup of water dribbled out. He also suggested we look into the rudder which we did by removed the emergency tiller plate. You could see water at the bottom of the tube that goes into the rudder. There was no water in the well that surrounds the emergency tiller tube connection.
- any thoughts from where the water comes?
- recommendations on what to do between now and May (it's MN and the lake gets 38 inches of ice).
Thank you.

I talked to you at the lake city marina yesterday and I still think your water is coming from inside the boat and migrating to the rudder tube. You could get the water out of the tube with a simple siphon and I think you would be good to go till spring when you could fill the holes you drilled in the rudder.