RUDDER SUPPORT FAILURE

[Rick]

Southern Cross has just returned from her first trip to Bermuda (1420nm). We lost the s/side water tank on the 2nd day (weld cracked).As the failure was not repairable we decided to pump 3/4 of the p/side water tank overboard to reduce p/s ballast (that 70 gallons of diesel is quite heavy). We had 40 litres of drinking water on deck, so we just had to take salt water showers. On the return the holding tank started to leak (like thats never happened before), but we made it home. The rudder did not have such a fine time. The support appears to have cracked severely and is taking water. Has anybody repaired this type a failure? Advise would be appreciated.

 

[Dave Simpson]

Questions

Rick;Could you be a little more specific in describing the rudder failure? I am leaving soon for Mexico and would prefer to have a functioning rudder! Is it the lower rudder bearing? Is it the bearing itself, or the surrounding fiberglass hull? Sounds like your trip really shook out some gremlins! Thanks.Dave

 

[Rick]

Below Rudder post suffing box

Dave,The crack is just below Rudder post suffing box, approximately 2". It looks like a difficult place to carry out repairs.

 

[John Reid]

Crack

RickFrom another H-37c owner, is the crack vertical or horizontal? I want to take a close look at my boat. Gene Gruender (Rainbow Chaser) has a great site listing repairs / upgrades he's done on his H37c, including reinforcing the rudder post. The address for that page is http://www.geocities.com/TheTropics/Cabana/7414/rudder.htmlThanks,John ReidCheese 'n Crackers

 

[Rick Harvey]

Crack Response

The crack is horizontal and appears to have parted from the hull.

 

[Gary henkelmann]

Rudder Crack or Construction Flaw?

Rick: Having had my nose up against the rudder post this spring after the bottom jumped up and bit my rudder on my maiden voyage, I'm surprised to hear of a crack there. I had the steering gear off and the stuffing out of the stuffing box, and my recollection was of a fairly well-protected and structurally sound assembly. Perhaps the stuffing box tube was glassed to the hull instead of being constructed in one piece. In that case a sloppy assembly could fail under nominal stress. I had an O.H. Rodgers boat that leaked in the same spot-couldn't figure out where the water was coming from for some time. I just ground off the paint and any gel coat and laid in several layers of glass and epoxy resin. Never had a problem after that. I suspect if you do a little grinding you will find the cause of the crack. If it's not just an obvious factory construction oversight, you may want to have it inspected.