Ruddercraft Replacement Rudder

p369

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Jan 13, 2016
13
Hunter 260 Charleston
Hello all!

I'm new(ish) to these forums. I've had my 2002 hunter 260 for about 6 years now it is time for some repairs/improvements that i've been putting off. I have a long list of things I'd like to fix/change on my boat, but to keep things simpler and organized, I'll create a new thread for each topic.

I need a new rudder and have been looking at the ruddercraft/idasailor HDPE rudder. Has anyone had experience or reviews? I typically sail inland lakes or in the harbor here in Charleston, but I'm considering the blue water version of the rudder. This would allow more control surface area and a little bit more control when the weather decides to turn for the worst. Any thoughts on this? is it really necessary?

Thanks for all your help! looking forward to learning from y'all!
 
May 8, 2011
189
ODay 25 Cambridge
I have a rudder craft rudder on my Oday 25. The 'blue water' version was not available when I purchased my rudder in 2011. A rudder craft rudder is a quality product but it is not a 'blue water' or 'offshore' capable piece of equipment. It is a good rudder for protected waters. Use it for that purpose and you will be happy. To use any version for offshore you will need to thru bolt it with four 5/16 ss bolts thru the blades and foil so it does not kickup. This will stabilize it.
 

p369

.
Jan 13, 2016
13
Hunter 260 Charleston
thanks for the info. i have no intention in going offshore in my boat...and i'm a little concerned on the stiffness of the material and the horizontal pressure on the blade. if it flexes too much it will break. I think i will probably go with the standard version of the rudder.
 
May 8, 2011
189
ODay 25 Cambridge
There is lots of force on the side blades when sailing close hauled. They are 1/8 inch SS and are welded to the stock. The welds are the weak spot as they are subject to crevice corrosion in a salt water environment. Be sure there is a real need for a kick up v. a standard rudder. The standard rudder is much stronger.
 

p369

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Jan 13, 2016
13
Hunter 260 Charleston
I ended up ordering the 48" rudder. I have wheel steering so hopefully I'll just need to replace the blade and the installation won't be too mind blowing. I have been surprised before though, haha! Thanks for your help!
 
Mar 25, 2007
41
Macgregor 26S Davis, CA
I snapped the standard HDPE Ruddercraft rudder sailing in the San Francisco Bay under 25 mph wind. Replaced by the "blue water" version. So far so good; the boat feels better control and weather helm is greatly reduced.
 
Jun 8, 2004
10,024
-na -NA Anywhere USA
@p369
Be safe my friend with Irma headed your way. If you ever need any help, feel free to contact me. I am wondering whom the dealer was for your boat. one of several.
 

p369

.
Jan 13, 2016
13
Hunter 260 Charleston
@Crazy Dave Condon

Thank you for your concern. I apologize that it has taken me a while to reply. I am a pilot in the Air Force and the hurricanes have kept us busy here (evacuation and subsequent relief efforts). I also took a bit of leave in September and have been able to do some much needed maintenance on my Hunter 260. Thanks for your offer of help as well. I am always looking for a helping hand or just some expert advice.

I am actually the second owner of my boat. I purchased my boat about 6 years ago from an older couple in Colorado. Not sure who their dealer was up there but I think there may be a dealer sticker on my stern. I'll have to take a look the next time I'm out at the boat.

Hope you're doing well!
 
Apr 11, 2014
97
Hunter 260 Lake Lanier
Bringing up this old thread for any updates folks might have on the HDPE. 48" or 60". The head of my rudder is deteriorating so I'm starting to look at options, to include repairing it but...if a few more dollars gets me a replacement, I'd rather just do that. 95% of the time I sail Lake Lanier with the, used to be and hope to get back to, once a year trip down to the Pensacola area for a week or so.
 
Apr 8, 2013
205
Hunter 260 Nanaimo
my Rudder had split and I repaired it and then it started to split again last year at the head. Its a common stress crack caused by the two halves flexing.
I like the profile of this rudder but its just a foam rudder with a fibreglass skin. I drilled holes around the pivot post and replaced the derlin bushing and installed stainless steel flush lag bolts around the pivot post.
drilled holes in the derilion bushings at the lag bolts.
so far a lot stronger and seems to be holding up well.
 
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Dfed

.
Jul 19, 2016
25
Hunter 23.5 Augusta
Just installed a new Ruddercraft kick rudder this weekend on my 1996 Hunter 23.5. Not in the water yet, but kudos to them on precision and fit.
I've submitted the change to my local PHRF Fleet Captain, he's got the book, but does anyone have experience with how this affects rating? On one hand, nice shape, on the other, seems smaller surface area.

How did the ruddercraft kick up rudder change your rating?
 
Oct 10, 2010
269
Hunter H260 Gull Lake
When I purchased my H260 it came with a Ruddercraft rudder already installed. I was told it was a lifetime warranty on it and I received the paperwork specifically on it. I even called them and there was no issues with being the second owner in terms of the warranty. This was a selling feature which affected what I paid for my boat. After two years of sailing on inland lakes and never in any conditions over 15 - 20 knots, the rudder snapped just under the bracket and completely off. Sounded like a shotgun blast behind the boat. It floats so I retrieved it. There were flaws in the product and you could clearly see how the crack migrated along voids in the plastic until it broke. I called the folks at Ruddercraft and they came up with some excuse and would not honor the warranty. They did send me a new blank for $500 which I had to drill out. I haven't looked in years but they were using a picture of my boat on their web page as advertisement.

I love the product but the ownership is sketchy and not trustworthy. At one point they had an ownership change and changed their name from Idasailor to Ruddercraft I believe. I'm not sure if anyone else has had this type of issue. I know in my research I found this breaking issue somewhat common on the h260 rudders and actually spoke with owners who had this happen to them. I don't remember details about if they honored warranty or not but I remember finding some name on the BBB site so I assume it didn't go well for them??

Like I said I love the product. Couple nice features are the somewhat easy lift system. Being a plastic, on our fresh water lakes we sometimes get a little greenish scum form in the late summer months and if I simply raise it out of the water, the scum disappears by the next time I come to the boat. Being plastic you don't have to worry about delamination or breakdown of the rudder by any type of intrusion. If you hit bottom or something in the water it doesn't take any damage as it will pop up and the plastic is extremely resilient to impact.

Just my experience.
 
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Apr 11, 2014
97
Hunter 260 Lake Lanier
When I purchased my H260 it came with a Ruddercraft rudder already installed. I was told it was a lifetime warranty on it and I received the paperwork specifically on it. I even called them and there was no issues with being the second owner in terms of the warranty. This was a selling feature which affected what I paid for my boat. After two years of sailing on inland lakes and never in any conditions over 15 - 20 knots, the rudder snapped just under the bracket and completely off. Sounded like a shotgun blast behind the boat. It floats so I retrieved it. There were flaws in the product and you could clearly see how the crack migrated along voids in the plastic until it broke. I called the folks at Ruddercraft and they came up with some excuse and would not honor the warranty. They did send me a new blank for $500 which I had to drill out. I haven't looked in years but they were using a picture of my boat on their web page as advertisement.

I love the product but the ownership is sketchy and not trustworthy. At one point they had an ownership change and changed their name from Idasailor to Ruddercraft I believe. I'm not sure if anyone else has had this type of issue. I know in my research I found this breaking issue somewhat common on the h260 rudders and actually spoke with owners who had this happen to them. I don't remember details about if they honored warranty or not but I remember finding some name on the BBB site so I assume it didn't go well for them??

Like I said I love the product. Couple nice features are the somewhat easy lift system. Being a plastic, on our fresh water lakes we sometimes get a little greenish scum form in the late summer months and if I simply raise it out of the water, the scum disappears by the next time I come to the boat. Being plastic you don't have to worry about delamination or breakdown of the rudder by any type of intrusion. If you hit bottom or something in the water it doesn't take any damage as it will pop up and the plastic is extremely resilient to impact.

Just my experience.
Thanks for the detailed write-up. Do you recall the length you had? Seems that it's still the way to go. Cheaper than OEM, which doesn't offer a warranty that I'm aware of.
 
Oct 10, 2010
269
Hunter H260 Gull Lake
Thanks for the detailed write-up. Do you recall the length you had? Seems that it's still the way to go. Cheaper than OEM, which doesn't offer a warranty that I'm aware of.
yes, I have the high performance rudder.