Wet Rudder
Foam Core rudder? For the most part water will infiltrate the rudder from the shaft. Otherwise it would take a crack to get the Interior wet. Is your boat on the hard? Is the rudder painted a dark color? VA was colder this year and I'm betting the water froze as well and caused the skin to expand. If your rudder is a dark color, the foam would have been damaged from the heat generated from the sun. Push on the skin... Does the skin flex? Have someone hold on the rudder and turn the wheel. Are the pipes/plates welded to the shaft loose inside the foam? These are indications that it might be time to rebuild the rudder or buy a new one. Don't feel alone, this is common with older foam cored rudders 20 years old. The manufacturor suggests painting the rudders a light color. I prefer White rudders myself so I can tell when its time to clean the bottom of the boat by glancing at the rudder from the dinghy. I know ... I killed one of my foam rudders due to heat when I pained it black like the bottom. This gave me the rudder rule #1... If you want it light... (foam) Paint it white.
