[Public-List] Rudder Repairs (yes, another thread, possibly another ruder variation)

[laserandy at aol.com]

 Rachel,





I should have mentioned, our boat is # 152, a bit, but not much,
earlier than yours.? Sounds like our rudders are nearly identical.? George just posted the photos I took last night with my camera phone at http://alberg30.org/maintenance/Steering/RudderVarieties/Andante152Rudder.html (thanks George).





Fortunately for us we didn't have to grind off any of the overlaid
glass, it just fell off in big chunks with the aid of a chisel and
paint scraper revealing nice solid gelcoat (we didn't even get all that dirty).? I have to wonder how long
the rudder went around supporting the loose sheathe of extra glass...





I banged a bit on the rudder with the butt of the chisel I was using,
it sounds and feels extremely solid.? My only points of minor concern
are that the straps are weeping a bit (appears to be water either in or
around the fairing compound, you can see it in the first and second photos), and the top section of the rudder post is
external to the rudder and I'm concerned with water intrusion behind the post, perhaps where the 'skeleton' penetrates the blade (although
I probably shouldn't be since it's been that way submerged for who?
knows how long).? Like yours, the straps under the Bondo look brand new
where I dug it out.





Also, like you, I hate to do something that's going to make it harder
to repair in the future.? Everything feels so solid that I'm almost
tempted to dig out the bondo and re-fair it with something that will
stick well, but be easy to remove next time it needs it (more Bondo?),
perhaps leave the mahogany but shave it down to solid dry wood and fair
it with the same stuff (or dig it out and replace it with some teak),
fair the top part of the rudder post into the blade with microballoon
thickened epoxy to make the boat faster and keep the water out
(although I'll probably only be trapping what's in there in), and then
have the yard paint it with the rest of the bottom later this week.





I want to do the work right, but at the same time I don't want to spend
time and money to fix something that isn't really broken, potentially
making it worse.





Andrew


Andante - 152





I would like to see the photos of yours, particularly those from after removal of some of the fairing and the wood.?