Rudder questions again

[Sabre27Admin]

Iain C
United Kingdom
181 Posts

Posted - 07/09/2010 : 21:32:50
Right, I've never split my rudder and it has been a slight worry at the back of my mind.

When the boat came out the water over a weekend in Feb for new transducers, there was a weep of water from a tiny crack about halfway up the blade. Someone fairly qauliafied from the yard had a look and said that he would not be unduly worried...most yacht rudders are full of water in his experience!

I also found three inch or so diameter holes which had been plugged, right where I would expect the tang welds to be, on the port side, and evidence of some glass matting all around the area where I would expect a "split" rudder to be rejoined. I reckon someone has had a pretty good poke around in there by the looks of things.

My rudder plan for this winter, when the boat will be ashore, is as follows:

-Ideally leave in situ
-Drill a drain hole in the bottom
-Drill out the plugged holes and inspect tangs
-Allow to dry over a few months
-If all is well (and dry) re-epoxy all holes up, replace damaged VC Tar and re-antifoul.

Basically, if I have a dig around, and I can see stainless tangs with good welds, is this sufficient? I don't really want to remove and split it unless I have a good reason to or find something nasty.

Is this a sound plan?
NPMR
United Kingdom
59 Posts

Posted - 09/09/2010 : 18:26:48
We had heard of the rudder being an "issue" on Sabres, so we had ours opened up.

Several holes were made, where the tangs were to be expected and we found shiny stainless so had it sealed up again. So if you look, you can see where work was done but it reassures me. As for the water inside the rudder, I suppose I feel that it is not adding to the weight as it is already under water and does not seem to affect performance. I guess that so long as the water runs out fast enough when lifted out it might not be a problem?

A "quick check" idea I was told about was to run a hand bearing compass up and down the rudder. If it deviates then you need to look harder as it is possibly/probably plain steel. If it doesn't deviate, then the chances it's stainless is quite good. Not definitive, of course.

Sunfly
United Kingdom
51 Posts

Posted - 12/09/2010 : 10:00:00 Sunfly's Homepage Edit Reply Reply with Quote View user's IP address Delete Reply
Iain

If there's evidence of previous inspection, first port of call might be trying to contact the previous owners? Not as reassuring as seeing for yourself but if you have no reason to mistrust the vendor then it'd be a lot easier than drilling holes.

Toby

Nothing - absolute nothing half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats

http://sunflythesabre.wordpress.com

yerffoeg
United Kingdom
48 Posts

Posted - 16/09/2010 : 08:23:22
The large filled holes in the rudder suggest that previous owners have explored the rudder. My rudder always fills up when in the water. I would say that however much epoxy you use the rudder will always fill up when submerged, so I have left a drainhole in the bottom. I can't see that it matters as long as you have good quality stainless tangs. I would have thought that your rudder would have failed long ago if it had mild steel tangs.

Iain C
United Kingdom
181 Posts

Posted - 22/09/2010 : 21:42:09
OK thanks for the replies. I'll have a dig around inside regardless of what the hand bearing compass says...I guess a s/s tang could still fail, and if all is well seal up the holes again.

Fingers crossed!