weeping rudder

Jared1048

Jared1048

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Apr 19, 2011
456
Hunter 31 Seattle
A few months ago when I was re-painting the bottom noticed that the rudder was leaking a little bit. Is it possible to crack open a rudder to inspect it or is it more cost effective to just buy a new rudder?

Anyone have any experience with this?

I see that Foss built my rudder. Perhaps I'll ask them too.


Thanks!
-Jared
 
Claude L.-Auger

Claude L.-Auger

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Dec 14, 2003
1,434
Hunter 34 Lake of Two Mountains, QC, Can
I may be wrong on this but I believe all rudders do take on some water. So long as you don't have any delamination it should not be a problem unless corrosion has weakened the inside metal work. It is supposed to be stainless but if you check the archives you'll see that it can happen. Since my boat gets on the hard every winter for several months and it freezes solidly, I do not take any chance of trapped water expanding and creating a lot of damage. As soon as boat is installed on its cradle I drill a few holes at the bottom and let it drip, and dry until following spring when a fill the holes with epoxy, and paint with antifouling. Good luck
 
C

Captn TJ

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Nov 24, 2012
586
Jared1048 said:
A few months ago when I was re-painting the bottom noticed that the rudder was leaking a little bit. Is it possible to crack open a rudder to inspect it or is it more cost effective to just buy a new rudder? Anyone have any experience with this? I see that Foss built my rudder. Perhaps I'll ask them too. Thanks! -Jared
Click to expand
Jared

My experience is that most newer rudders stay dry. If your boat is on the hard for the winter I'd suggest removing anti fouling to gelcoat and also drilling a couple of holes at the bottom. The exposed gelcoat will point out any cracks. The newly drilled weep holes will drain any water. You can also use a moisture meter to test for any residual moisture (check with your boat yard to borrow one)

Once dry repair the holes and any cracks in the gelcoat. I use thickened epoxy with a mat. Once smoothed out coat several times with interlux 2000.

A quick tip for bottom paint removal - use a wet drywall sanding pad starting at 100 and ending with 200 or 220
 
T

TLW

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Jan 15, 2013
271
Oday 31 Whitehall, MI
Jared,

this is a very common problem with Foss Foam Rudders, but you don't need to accept it as an annual event. The trapped water can freeze and expand, or expand from steam if the rudder is dark in color and left in the sun. Either may cause delimitation, and then you have a bigger repair.

You received excellent advice above, but once dry (and repaired, if cracked) the rudder should be thoroughly barrier coated and repainted with bottom paint. Check rudder at the top, also, where water can enter around the shaft.

During a seasonal layup, I wrap my dark colored (VC-17) rudder with white plastic (trash bags) to reflect heat from the sun. I bought a boat last year with this problem, repaired, relaunched, and no further problem. As an old Hunter dealer, I have repaired many of them.
 
Warren Milberg

Warren Milberg

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Dec 1, 1999
2,391
Hunter 28.5 Chesapeake Bay
I, too, have a Foss foam rudder that takes on a bit of water each season. I also drill a few holes in the bottom to drain it each fall. This seems to work well. But if need be, the rudder can be rebuilt as a new one is pretty expensive (+/-$2k). Here is how a fellow Hunter owner did it:

http://www.huntertwentyeightfive.com/rudder.html
 
Jared1048

Jared1048

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Apr 19, 2011
456
Hunter 31 Seattle
wow, lots of good info!

Boat isn't out for the winter. It was out a few months ago while I repainted the bottom.

I don't believe there was any issues of delamination but I don't really know what that looks like either :)

So it looks like the best course of action would be to put a few holes in the bottom to let it dry out then epoxy them shut. paint around to to ensure water cant find its way in.


Thanks!
-Jared
 
C

Captn TJ

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Nov 24, 2012
586
Jared1048 said:
wow, lots of good info! Boat isn't out for the winter. It was out a few months ago while I repainted the bottom. I don't believe there was any issues of delamination but I don't really know what that looks like either :) So it looks like the best course of action would be to put a few holes in the bottom to let it dry out then epoxy them shut. paint around to to ensure water cant find its way in. Thanks! -Jared
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Jared once you seal off the holes I'd take the extra step and put Intertux 2000 on the rudder. It's relatively inexpensive product and since you have the boat out....
 
S

Steve Dion

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Dec 2, 1999
15,184
Hunter Vision-36 Rio Vista, CA.
Jared:

The SBO website has new rudders for your model for around $1700. If you are planning on going to Mexico I would suggest that you have your current rudder inspected for weld corrosion. This is not something that you want to deal with many miles off the coast of California and worse yet in Mexico.

I would think that you could cut some inspection holes in the rudder to inspect the welds. If they are still okay you can just patch it up and you are ready to go.
 
T

TLW

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Jan 15, 2013
271
Oday 31 Whitehall, MI
The weld is stainless steel and should not have any problems. The only issue could be if foam has become waterlogged (deteriorates) and loses its grip on the steel pieces - not likely if no gross delamitation is visible and/or there is no "play" in the rudder blade with the shaft held in place.
 
S

Steve Dion

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Dec 2, 1999
15,184
Hunter Vision-36 Rio Vista, CA.
TLW said:
The weld is stainless steel and should not have any problems. The only issue could be if foam has become waterlogged (deteriorates) and loses its grip on the steel pieces - not likely if no gross delamitation is visible and/or there is no "play" in the rudder blade with the shaft held in place.
Click to expand
This is not necessarily the case. We have had owners in the past where the welds have corroded until the units was beyond repair.
 
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