Rudder

[ppjoly]

Mishap
We went aground between a red and green marker near Fort Edward's in the Champlain Canal, do not try to follow any navigation system or map to go in there at this time all three showed enough water, I draw 5 feet.. Damage to the bottom of the rudder, fiberglass peeled off.
How long can I stay in the water before repairing?
How easy will the rudder come off a Hunter 38 2005 ? ( for drying since I do not want to leave it on over winter.)
Instead of the Bahamas we planning to go back to Lake Champlain for repair.

[wingssail]

Originally Posted by ppjoly

Mishap
We went aground between a red and green marker near Fort Edward's in the Champlain Canal, do not try to follow any navigation system or map to go in there at this time all three showed enough water, I draw 5 feet.. Damage to the bottom of the rudder, fiberglass peeled off.
How long can I stay in the water before repairing?
How easy will the rudder come off a Hunter 38 2005 ? ( for drying since I do not want to leave it on over winter.)
Instead of the Bahamas we planning to go back to Lake Champlain for repair.

Was this south of the Lock at Fort Edward, after you enter the Hudson River?

[Tetepare]

Rudder drops out after disconnection. May have to dig a hole if the boat is in a cradle/ jackstands, or do it while it's on the slings. How easy? Couple hours if you know what you're doing.

Is it ONLY the bottom? No stress cracks, no crack in the front? Nothing indicating structural damage?

You can buy a new rudder, maybe they have one in stock. Check rudder suppliers.

Can't you go underwater and cover the bottom of the rudder with MarineTex? Then go to Bahamas?

[ppjoly]

Originally Posted by Tetepare

Rudder drops out after disconnection. May have to dig a hole if the boat is in a cradle/ jackstands, or do it while it's on the slings. How easy? Couple hours if you know what you're doing.

Is it ONLY the bottom? No stress cracks, no crack in the front? Nothing indicating structural damage?

You can buy a new rudder, maybe they have one in stock. Check rudder suppliers.

Can't you go underwater and cover the bottom of the rudder with MarineTex? Then go to Bahamas?

Thank you for your reply, as I understand, only the top bolts holding the rudder to the helm mechanism are holding it, the autopilot is not an issue?
Since the water in the canal is murky, I could not see clearly although I ran my hands down the rudder didn't feel structural damage, I did not feel anything on the helm when I motered off, so I didn't think there was any damage until I dove under. I assume the water has already infiltrated the rudder so I wonder about the efficiency of marine tex, I had another product that was suppose to stick underwater but didn't.
The entrance to Fort Edward is a hairpin turn just south of the lock, please refrain acess unless in a canoe.

[Tetepare]

Personally I’d haul and inspect and repair.

It’s closed cell foam in a shell. How much water can get in? Though a 2005 in NE has gone through winters so the foam is probably compressed and holed anyway from freezing. Unless by some miracle the rudder inside had never been wet.

My main concern would be separation of the rudder steel frame from the foam, followed by bent shaft.

[ppjoly]

My rudder will spend the winter drying in a heated garage, how difficult will it be to evaluate an existing delamination from the shaft?
P.s. for Tetepare, if you have a tie with Fiji, I sailed from Fiji to NZ in 1977 on a ferrocement sloop called Cobra.