rudder repair

[Soundtrackzz]

Hey guys (or girls). I recently got my first boat and ran aground a few days ago. There were a number of issues (maybe a lot more i dont see yet) but the main problem at the moment is my rudder. There is a chip on the bottom aft portion of the rudder and some chipping and cracking other places. I want to repair this myself but i really dont know where to begin. Any advice would be appreciated. I included pictures to make up for my crappy description.

Thanks
Z

[Sailmonkey]

Is that a rudder from a beachcat like a Hobie or a Prindle?

It's not that big of a deal, I've sailed on boat that have rudders that have looked like that for years without any real problems.

[Soundtrackzz]

its from a cat 22. Im just worried that that hole in the bottom will let water leak into the plywood core and screw up the rudder shape

[Sailmonkey]

Originally Posted by Soundtrackzz

its from a cat 22. Im just worried that that hole in the bottom will let water leak into the plywood core and screw up the rudder shape

If that has a plywood core you'll need to fill it asap. I would recommend grinding it down a bit and reglassing with some cloth and polyester resin. Sand it smooth and either paint it or spray on some fresh gelcoat and carry on with it.

[Soundtrackzz]

if i grind it down, wont that change the shape of the rudder? so i guess the next question is how do i grind down the rudder but keep the same shape?

[Sailmonkey]

You build the shape back up with the glass them grind/sand back to shape. Don't remove so much material that you can't replicate the original shape. But don't sweat it either, you're not working with a high efficiency foil in the first place.

[SkiprJohn]

Wherever the glass is cracked enough to let water in then it needs to be repaired. Keep the water out. Just grind away enough glass to make a good repair by building up a few layers of cloth. Once the resin has kicked off then grind it to the proper shape and add one more very thin layer of cloth, let it kick and then sand lightly. I use epoxy resin. It doesn't cost much more and is more water proof and adheres better. The down side is that you can't put gelcoat on top, you'll have to paint it if you use epoxy resin. Make certain your rudder core is dry before you start repairing it.
I think I saw a Catalina 22 rudder for sale on craigslist in Portland, OR.
kind regards,

[SkiprJohn]

P. S. there are some good fiberglass repair manuals in the public library.
kind regards,