Rudder repair -- hurricane damage

[Henry Weber]

The rudder post on a Hunter-33 1980 was bent about 15 degrees by a recent hurricane.The rudder now is inoperable because the bend causes it to strike the hull. The bend in the SS shaft is down inside the fiberglass near the top of the rudder. My plan for repair is to either: a)split the rudder in two by cutting around its periphery allowing removal of the stock or b)remove enough of the top part of the rudder to expose the bent area of the 1 1/2 inch SS pipe(stock). This would allow access to staighten the pipe.I would appreciate any suggestions as to how to proceed. The rudder is fiberglass on its outside and then foam between the glass and the stock. Is the foam a special hi-density type or can I use the aerosol-can Home Depot variety?

 

[Bruce Niederer]

Rudder shaft repair

I would suggest dropping the rudder to see if the shaft can be straightened. The foam in the rudder is a high density closed cell type - the Home Depot version is probably not closed cell as so would have the potential for absorbing water if it ever gets exposed.

 

[Henry Weber]

Rudder shaft repair

Thanks Bruce for the replyHenry