Where Do Rudders Break?

[Herb Schiessl]

I am repairing my delaminated rudder, but I was wonderinng where a rudder usually breaks. Is it at the gudgeons? I would like to make sure that I reinforce any potential trouble spots. What is the rudder core material and is the skin epoxy? Thanks.

 

[Neil Walters]

rudder break

I just broke my rudder. I ran aground in heavy wind and with a balky motor. I quickly put the motor in reverse to back off. I was really getting battered by the wind and waves. My motor would quit if I went to idle. While backing off ,the rudder swung back and forth, I had trouble holding the tiller. Suddenly the top of the rudder snapped off just below the tiller bracket at the bolt that goes thru the rudder , one side of the fiberglass on the rudder was still intact . I was 100 miles from home. After I got the boat to a slip I cut the top of the rudder off with a saw right in back of the tiller bracket thru the hole that the tiller attaches to the rudder. The aft part of the rudder in back of the tiller bracket was still in good shape. I borrowed a drill and bit and drilled a new hole in that part of the rudder to reattach the tiller to the rudder. It worked well enough for me to sail the boat home. I ordered a new rudder from Rudy right away. I may have tried to fix the rudder back to its' old shape, but I went ahead any way and ordered a new one. It cost $835 shipped to Fl and took two and a half weeks to get it. What a mess. The inside of the rudder was a very dense foam. My old rudder was looking a little worn in the seam at the top edge so maybe it was weak.

 

[Mike Whalen]

just below the water line

My boat was in a "summer slip" on the banks of the Tennessee River. WIth the barges and worse yet the mega cruisers blasting past creating wake of 3+ feet I believe my boat was droping of the wake and hitting bottom with the rudder (I have a center board model). Mine broke right where it flares out and goes under the bottom of the boat. Didn't see it until I hit reverse, went to push the tiller over and damned near fell out of the boat as there was NO rudder in the water. New ones are expensive.Good luck,Mike

 

[Don Evans]

Broken Rudder

I agree with Mike. Mine also broke at the waterline and I have seen dozens of postings describing the same break. Neil's experience is the first time I have heard the rudder snapping at the tiller. The older models of O'Days had foam filled core that would eventually weaken when the gelcoat became damaged allowing water to wick into the foam. The problem was exacerbated by freeze thaw cycles for northern boat owners. I understand Foss Foam uses a closed cell polyurethane foam core that is said to be much stronger and non-reactant with water. It should be bullet-proof for that money. Hopefully thats the end to your rudder problems. I am including a link to the rudder manufacturers.Don

 

[Ed]

Foam or Solid?

According to the oracle that is Rudy, the early rudders were filled with putty, or a mix of resin and thickener. Later the core was switched to foam. After seeing the amount of failures of foam core rudders, the new replacements from Rudy are again putty filled.

 

[Neil Walters]

neil walters

I forgot to say, the rudder I bought from Rudy had the grudgens attached. It weighed 94 lbs. Built like you would not believe. Very well made. It seems to be much heavier than the old one.