Welcome to Dave's World! And let me tell you about my rudder.

Posted By: Norm BlackWatch gaff cat
Date: 2/16/09 2:01p.m.

Report: outside forum guidelines

Here is the new site set up by our new landlord, Phil of www.sailboatowners.com and www.trailersailor.com. If you are new to the TSBB site you will find all kinds of great information on the general forum and some neat goodies at the chandlery. You will also soon get used to navigating the site. Enter your preferences at the top so we know who you are and post a photo of your BW. Now down to business... Last week I pulled my rudder off to take it home to varnish the wooden cheek pieces. (It is a challenge getting that heavy duty SS cotter pin of the lower pintle while the boat is in the water). The boat came with an unknown (to me) bottom coat so I was pleased to note that after a year in brackish water there was only a heavy coat of slime on the rudder which hosed right off. But I digress. When I got the rudder up I saw that there was a fracture on the aft face immediately below the upper pintle with stress fractures running forward. When I turned the rudder trailing edge down water ran out of the fracture and out of the upper and lower pintle bolts holes. The assumption was 1) the interior was rotted or 2)the interior was treated ply which fibreglass won't adhere to. Both assumptions were wrong. After cutting a viewing port we find that the rudder is full of expanding foam. I don't know if this was common thru the entire production period or changed along the way. I have decided to open a few "ports" and let the core dry for several weeks. I will also lay in some extra cloth where the lower rudder blade thins into the upper rudder. Without an interior core stiffener this seems to be a weak point and therefore the stress cracks.