Rudder repair

[blakslee720]

Hello all. My sister and I were recently offered a free 83 Bruce Roberts 34. We have some experience sailing but never owned a sailboat before. Of course it has needs and I really need help with one of them.

What is going on with the rudder here? I know the crack is more than just paint but I'm pretty sure else can just sand it down and fiberglass over it.

Is the cracking the barrier coat, gel coat? How should we best to the repair before painting?

It also needs some spot work above the waterline. Any advice there would be great too.

 

[dlochner]

@blakslee720 welcome to SBO.

As you are about to learn, the most expensive sailboats are the "free boats."

If I remember correctly, most Roberts designs were home built boats. You can buy the plans from Bruce Roberts here: https://www.bruceroberts.com He may sell study plans that are inadequate for building, but will give you some insight into how it was constructed and what the specifications were.

Based on the first photo, it appears the rudder is wood covered with fiberglass or simply covered with some fairing compound. Some exploratory surgery would give a better idea. Try drilling a ¼" hole in the rudder to see what comes out.

If it is wood, the wood is probably rotted. The cracks look like expansion cracks from water freezing inside the rudder. If indeed that is the case, then the rudder is probably toast. The water would have caused the wood to rot, losing its structural strength. Waterlogged rudders are not unusual in an older boat.

Replacing the rudder is probably a better plan than trying to repair this rudder.

Is your boat steel?

 

[Don S/V ILLusion]

All anyone can discern by looking at pictures here is to guess at what the problem is. Assuming you are at or near a boatyard or know someone knowledgeable, have them inspect it properly. This isn’t something to guess about.

 

[blakslee720]

Thank you. It is a fiberglass hull

 

[dlochner]

Thank you. It is a fiberglass hull

That's good!

One investment you may want to make is to have the boat surveyed. It will cost a few hundred dollars, however, time spent with a good surveyor is time well spent. The surveyor will point out potential problems and offer some guidance for solutions. A 36 year old boat will have some issues.

 

[blakslee720]

My thoughts exactly. I just emailed Brion Toss

 

[dlochner]

My thoughts exactly. I just emailed Brion Toss

Were you thinking of hiring Brion to do the survey? He lives in Washington state.

Gene Barnes in Gloucester, MA is a top notch surveyor. I had him survey a boat once. A very productive, if not cold, damp, and dreary day.

 

[blakslee720]

I know. I really just asked for his recommendation. I'll reach out to gene as well. Thank you

 

[Project_Mayhem]

have the boat surveyed.

I'm with Dave on this one. It's not hard to find issues that cost as much as a boat. Parts are expensive and labor can be even more expensive

 

[Tom Waid]

Is your rudder transom mounted or a spade rudder with an embedded rudder post? If it's mounted on the transom it may be reasonable to repair it or make a new one yourself. To repair or fabricate a rudder with an embedded post takes someone who specializes in that kind of work. I recently replaced the rudder on my Beneteau Oceanis 321. I went to Foss Foam Products in Williston, FL. They specialize in sailboat rudder construction.

https://www.newrudders.com/

They have a page on their website detailing how their rudders are made. For the record my new rudder cost me $4,500.
Tom

 

[blakslee720]

Thanks. Embedded post I assume

 

[dlochner]

Contact Bruce Roberts, he's still in business and get set of plans for the boat. That will help you understand how the rudder was built and how you might go about building a new one or repairing the one you have.

https://www.bruceroberts.com/public/HTML/S340.htm