The Rudder Repair
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I initially removed my rudder last Fall to strip it and paint it in the comfort of my garage. I think I was a bit amazed at the weight when removed, which led to exploratory surgery. What I found was that the inside of the
Rudder was completely waterlogged. I would estimate the weight at 300 lbs. IT WAS HEAVY!! I proceeded to secure opinions, which led to the idea of ripping off one side and rebuilding.
The project took much longer than expected: part time, about three months.
Below is a rough chronology of the repair and some tips. To complete this, You need basic epoxy skills and basic carpentry skills, and some patience. All in all, not difficult, just time consuming.
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The first step is to properly orient the rudder on sawhorses. Make sure that the Port side is up. See the second picture if unsure about orientation. This will allow you to cut through the
side where the rudderpost is not attached, making the re-assembly easier.
Using a circular saw set at about a 1/4" depth, cut in about 3 inches all
the way around. This will preserve the epoxy that forms the leading and trailing edges.
Carefully pry off the fiberglass. It will probably be well bonded to the foam beneath.
Take a tool ( I preferred a claw hammer) and remove as much foam as possible.
When you have removed as much as possible, switch to a screwdriver and go after every bit of foam. The idea it to remove the water logged foam completely. Took me a couple of hours.
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This is the rudder cleaned out of foam. Let the rudder dry somewhere like a garage or cellar for a few weeks.
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After drying, build a structure that conforms to the external shape. In the final steps, you will replace the fiberglass you removed. It makes a good guide for when you have the
structure correct. I didn't think through my approach here enough.
I would recommend marine plywood vertically and cut teardrop shapes
to fit horizontally about every foot or so. A good result is something that looks like the inside of an airplane wing.
Use thickened epoxy to hold structure together.
You will have to fit around the leading and training edge epoxy,
which is a bit random in shape.
Make sure to notch along the vertical to allow water to drain to
the bottom (thinking ahead!)
What I did worked out, but it could have been neater.
When complete, use thickened epoxy to join to the rudder.
Check the fit of the fiberglass.
If something has settled wrong, sand off high spots or
add to low spots to make sure the structure conforms.
Perfection counts with a rudder.
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Next step is to fill with foam.
I started with pink sheet insulation, notched to allow water to flow to
the bottom,
then filled in the gaps with great stuff.
After doing this, I found some closed cell foam on the web, but didn't
have the inclination to dig it all out and do it again.
Closed cell foam is what was originally installed.
I don't think it would make much difference in the final repair,
but if you have some, by all means use it.
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Next, use thickened epoxy and attach the previously removed fiberglass tot he structure. A good 1/4" bead along every part of the structure is sufficient.
Use countersunk stainless screws to hold in place.
The shorter the better, about an inch or less is good.
Fill the gaps with thickened epoxy and let dry.
Leave the screws in as they will be epoxied to the structure.
Next, put a layer of woven fiberglass cloth over the entire side,
making sure to go over the leading edge to the far side.
If you have enough, you could layer the entire
rudder. Last epoxy step is to use thickened epoxy to fair
the training edge, if needed.
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Almost Done! Two coats of Interlux VC-Tar2 (clear, shown)to
seal the rudder, followed by several coats of Interlux 2000E
(gray, not shown, stinky stuff, do outdoors).
You can put the bottom paint on if you want. I waited until installation.
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