[Public-list] Wooden rudders on old Albergs

[Hugh McCormack]

Hello Don,

Thank you for responding.  My plan is to "splint" the rudder to provide 
temporary support to the damaged joint.  From what I can tell the separated 
joint is the only weak point in the blade.  The vast majority of the wood is 
still solid and sound.  There is no sign of any impending separation of any 
of the other joints.  There is no movement of the blade around the upper or 
the lower posts and there is no more than 1/8" inch of play in the lower pin 
in the shoe.

If my "splint" works I expect that I can make a safe passage home to "The 
Rock" where permanent repairs can be made over the fall/winter of 2007.  I 
am sure I will have more help with that than I'll need from friends at home! 
  I am hoping also, that my suggested method of removing the rudder will 
actually work.  If so it will save a lot of work and associated cost of 
either lifting the boat high enough to drop the rudder shaft or digging a 
hole to accomplish the same result.

I appreciate your suggestion of contacting Brian Matthews.  I don't know of 
him, do you have an email address or phone # for him?  Depending on the 
amount of work involved I may replace the wooden blade with a blade made of 
GRP.

Regards,

Hugh


>From: Don Campbell <dk.campbell at sympatico.ca>
>Reply-To: Alberg 30 Public List -- open to all 
><public-list at lists.alberg30.org>
>To: Alberg 30 Public List -- open to all <public-list at lists.alberg30.org>
>Subject: Re: [Public-list] Wooden rudders on old Albergs
>Date: Tue, 12 Dec 2006 10:47:21 -0500
>
>Hugh;
>     From what one can see on the box from photos, it appears as if a
>temporary fix will get you home and then you will have all the rest of
>the Newfoundland boat building skills to help with either restore or
>replace tactics. You might also want to contact Brian Matthews, a member
>of the GLAA who has redone a GRP rudder on an AL22. He is a mould maker
>himself so has a whole skill set most of us don't.
>     It would appear as if the main decision is whether the rudder will
>break if hit by a foreign object once you are in ocean conditions and
>leave you with potentially no steerage other than sails.  Such is the
>consideration for one piece of metal on the front of the blade.
>      Certainly this looks as if a laminate of epoxied fiberglass could
>be applied for the short haul to reinforce the blade and help to prevent
>further widening of the seam even if you just used 6"tape on the joints.
>Don
>#528

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