Rudder re-hab advice sought

[tim_kd7jz]

So, I bought a M22 this year. It started life on the salt, but has been freshwater sailed for a long time. I will only be freshwater trailer sailing with the boat in the water a couple days at a time max.

The rudder has several things I want to address. Whatever it was painted with last has degraded and now anytime it touches anything it leaves nasty stain. There are the usual nicks and dings. And it is not watertight so when you pull it out, it leaks for a while.

I have done fiberglass repair, but never any gelcoat. I was planning on cleaning it, fiberglass it fair, and then probably paint it with oil based enamel.

I live in Montana away from marine suppliers and since it will be freshwater trailered I wasn't worrying about using bottom paint.

I have seen some threads where folks leave a hole in the rudder so that it will fill with water and not have to fight as much to keep it in the down position.

I would like anyones advice on my painting plan and the issue of whether to put a drain hole in it.

 

[Crazy Dave Condon]

I do not believe the Venture 22 rudder had a hole in it. I would not suggest putting one in if there is any interior foam. If water penetrated the into the interior of the rudder, suggest leaning it upright for any moisture or water to seep out and dry for the next three months. Since you worked with fiberglass, on the edges I would apply long strips to build the edges up, then sand smoothing them out. For the scrapes, nicks and areas where you laid glass, then fill with a two part epoxy and then use wet and dry to sandpaper fine grit to smooth out. There are many types of epoxies but I used Water Tite. It takes longer to dry but one if not the best durable one I used when repairing sailboats as a sailboat dealer but now retired.

At that point, you are either going to remove the anti fouling paint or not. You could scrub or clean it to prep for repaint with anti fouling paint or remove it entirely. If you remove it altogether, suggest a light sanding with wipe down using alcohol. YOu can buy gel coat but you will need to make sure you have the specific hardener for it as it takes a higher temp hardner and the stuff you buy at a regular hardware store will not work. Then there is a special thinner if you are going to spray and so on.

Here is an easy way. BUy the Krylon paint used for plastics and spray with that. Easier and not as costly. Worked just as well when I was a sailboat dealer. You will get many responses but at leas this will give you a start.

 

[tim_kd7jz]

Thanks. I have some West System epoxy I will use. I have a warm spot near the furnace that I can get the thing good and dry..

 

[Crazy Dave Condon]

not too close or you will be sorry. Do not put that rudder close to a furnace

 

[tim_kd7jz]

Oh yeah.. I just meant in the general area..

 

[$tingy Sailor]

Tim,

My C-22 rudder looked like yours and I rehabbed it similarly.



You can read about my process in Rudder repair and restoration on my blog.

When I redid my bottom paint with a different color last year, I sanded all the ablative paint off and refinished it with white Interlux Brightside since I dry sail. No more paint rubbing off on everything it touches and it looks a lot better to boot.

Glad to see another Montanan sailing. My wife and I are expats from the Bitterroot Valley.

 

[tim_kd7jz]

That's excellent.. I will look that over carefully..

 

[Crazy Dave Condon]

When repairing, just remember what ever you do if taking a rudder apart to repair, if you use all two part epoxy inside of the rudder, it will create a heavier rudder and in some cases I have seen where people then could no longer raise the rudder. That is why the manufactures use a high density foam inside the rudder on the smaller boats as it is not heavy.

 

[rgranger]

... and now anytime it touches anything it leaves nasty stain.

You might have the ablative type bottom paint on your rudder .... that stuff stains every time it rubs up on something.

I'd sand it clean (wear a good dust mask) and then paint it with oil based rustoleum. That is a hard enamel paint and I've used it for many years on my trailer sailboats with good results. If you ding or scratch the paint, you can always find a perfect color match ... even years later.

 

[VT Fitz]

$tingy Sailor, thanks for that link. I took some significant dings to my Hunter 23.5 rudder this season, so I'll be following your advice next spring!

 

[Crazy Dave Condon]

Many people do not raise their rudders and with barnacles in salt water, zebra mussels in the great lakes and others south, anti fouling paints are a necessity. even junk grows on rudders and hulls and that includes Smith Mt. Lake. If pulling the rudder up after sailing, no anti fouling paint is needed. The key to removing any growth is while the hull, centerboard, rudder, fixed keel and so forth are still wet and with a light pressure wash and I mean light, most if not all will come off.