Does anyone have any experience with rudder post design on Hunter's from the mid 2000's. We launched last week and noticed that over the next 24 hours my normally dry bilge had water in it. I tracked the leak down to the rudder post in the aft locker as shown in the attached picture. That is the exterior of the rudder post in the background and a plywood stiffiner attached and fiberglassed to the post. The rudder tube is tall enough so the water doesn't reach the top of the tube. Water is seeping along the bottom of the stiffiner to where the screwdriver point is and running into the bilge from there.
I suspect but don't know for sure that water is leaking between the rudder shaft and the rudder tube and there is a breach somewhere in the tube. This would allow water to accumulate under the fiberglass between the outside of the tube and the fiberglass mat on the inside surface of the hull . The mat has actually lifted as shown at the point of the screwdriver. Is there some type of lower mechanical seal that should keep the water out of the area between the rudder shaft and the rudder tube or does the design permit water to be in this space?
The second option is that there is a leak on the outside of the hull where the rudder is fiberglased to the hull. This would allow water to flow up the outside of the tube as is passed thru the hull and again collect under the fiberglass mat between the outside of the tube and the inner surface of the hull as described above.
In any event the yard is going to pull the boat when they get a break between all the launching activity and take a closer look and recommend repairs. We did a tap test of the area around the hull where the rudder tube passes thru and everything sounds solid so I am hopeful there is no significant damage. Very frustrating though.
Would appreciate any thoughts you all might have.
I suspect but don't know for sure that water is leaking between the rudder shaft and the rudder tube and there is a breach somewhere in the tube. This would allow water to accumulate under the fiberglass between the outside of the tube and the fiberglass mat on the inside surface of the hull . The mat has actually lifted as shown at the point of the screwdriver. Is there some type of lower mechanical seal that should keep the water out of the area between the rudder shaft and the rudder tube or does the design permit water to be in this space?
The second option is that there is a leak on the outside of the hull where the rudder is fiberglased to the hull. This would allow water to flow up the outside of the tube as is passed thru the hull and again collect under the fiberglass mat between the outside of the tube and the inner surface of the hull as described above.
In any event the yard is going to pull the boat when they get a break between all the launching activity and take a closer look and recommend repairs. We did a tap test of the area around the hull where the rudder tube passes thru and everything sounds solid so I am hopeful there is no significant damage. Very frustrating though.
Would appreciate any thoughts you all might have.
