VoyForums
[ Show ]
Support VoyForums
[ Shrink ]
VoyForums Announcement: Programming and providing support for this service has been a labor of love since 1997. We are one of the few services online who values our users' privacy, and have never sold your information. We have even fought hard to defend your privacy in legal cases; however, we've done it with almost no financial support -- paying out of pocket to continue providing the service. Due to the issues imposed on us by advertisers, we also stopped hosting most ads on the forums many years ago. We hope you appreciate our efforts.

Show your support by donating any amount. (Note: We are still technically a for-profit company, so your contribution is not tax-deductible.) PayPal Acct: Feedback:

Donate to VoyForums (PayPal):

Thu, March 13 2025, 15:24 [ Login ] [ Contact Forum Admin ] [ Main index ] [ Post a new message ] [ Search | Check update time | Archives: 1, [2], 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 ]

[ Next Thread | Previous Thread | Next Message | Previous Message ]

Date Posted: - Wednesday - 11/ 2/11 - 2:24pm
Author: Randall, M31, Murre
Subject: Cracks in Rudder

Would like your opinion on a rudder issue I'm contemplating this morning.

Before leaving SF on this cruise, I completely glassed-in Murre's original, all-wood rudder. Lots of glass, lots of fairing compound, and several epoxy barrier coats before the bottom paint went on. The boat had been on the hard several weeks in sunny California at that point, so I thought it was plenty dry. This was last October.

In French Polynesia I noticed that the TRAILING edge of the rudder began to show some cracking. Two crack runs of a few inches on the aft piece (remember the trailing edge is not rounded).

Nothing I could do about it in FP, but from Honolulu I can haul and fix.

But as I think it through, hauling, pealing back, reglassing, etc., will require that I let the rudder dry out (I'm presuming water's got in). Can't afford to be on the hard that long.

The cracks pose no structural issues at all, and the glassing at the leading edge of the rudder (I glassed to the bronze shaft) and EVERY where else but this edge seemes to be really solid.

So I'm considering doing nothing.

Thoughts?

RR

Aboard Murre
Ala Wai, Honolulu, HI

[ Next Thread | Previous Thread | Next Message | Previous Message ]

Replies:

[> Rudder -- Bruce, - Wednesday - 11/ 2/11 - 2:51pm

It sounds like you have answered your own question. If you can remove the rudder, you could soak the cracked edge in penetrating epoxy. Penetrating epoxy displaces any water that may/may not be present. I agree that "doing nothing" would be the best bet given your time constraints.


[ Edit | View ]

[> Rudder -- Mark AEOLUS, - Wednesday - 11/ 2/11 - 10:00pm

As Bruce called it I think you answered your own question. The fact that it's the trailing edge makes the decision easier. No structural, no problem :)
The only consideration I would have is if the cracks lined up with the rods running perpendicular through the rudder.


[ Edit | View ]

[> the boat yard decided it.... -- Randall, - Friday - 11/ 4/11 - 6:43pm

Well, a visit to the boat yard decided this one. $500 just to haul and $70 a day to sit on the hard. Bad enough, but the clincher: no availability till mid month. I tried to explain I was an American citizen with passable english and good credit, but this had no effect.

So will put this one on hold for a while.

Departing for Kauaii tomorrow. Love being in Honolulu, but am spending too much money at Starbucks.

RR


[ Edit | View ]


[ Contact Forum Admin ]

Forum timezone: GMT-5
VF Version: 3.00b, ConfDB:
Before posting please read our privacy policy.
VoyForums(tm) is a Free Service from Voyager Info-Systems.
Copyright © 1998-2019 Voyager Info-Systems. All Rights Reserved.