Rudder damage , have you inspected your rudder lately ??

[gmakhs]

Hello,
Getting my rudder out of the water for scheduled maintenance I noticed a small crack that in the end wasn't so small .
I believe the crack was cause my tightness on the rudder stock or from unknown reason (haven't ground or hit the rudder .

My rudder is 10mm fiber glass with 10 mm balsa core sandwich balsa is dry and the place of the crack seems to have more resin than cloth (probably to get a smooth finish )

[gmakhs]

Here are the photos

[DeepFrz]

Looks like a previous repair done improperly.

[gmakhs]

Originally Posted by DeepFrz

Looks like a previous repair done improperly.

What do you mean ?? This rudder is 3 years old .

[Bill O]

Sure you didn't hit anything?

Can't tell from the pic, but if I had to guess that looks like the leading edge bolt on the lower strap. This would be the area to take much of the force if you hit something with the lower leading edge of the rudder.
Also can't see much glass in the crack area and it mostly looks like resin.

Bill O.

[blubaju]

Originally Posted by gmakhs

Hello,

Getting my rudder out of the water for scheduled maintenance I noticed a small crack that in the end wasn't so small .

I believe the crack was cause my tightness on the rudder stock or from unknown reason (haven't ground or hit the rudder .



My rudder is 10mm fiber glass with 10 mm balsa core sandwich balsa is dry and the place of the crack seems to have more resin than cloth (probably to get a smooth finish )

Thightness: what bearings do you have? Sounds like nylon, they like to grow in water, some more some less, rebore

Daggerboards & rudder should be sacrificial. Cheaper to repair them than a crack in your hull. I do wonder about balsa there, closed cell foam was my choice

[gmakhs]

Originally Posted by Bill O

Sure you didn't hit anything?

Can't tell from the pic, but if I had to guess that looks like the leading edge bolt on the lower strap. This would be the area to take much of the force if you hit something with the lower leading edge of the rudder.
Also can't see much glass in the crack area and it mostly looks like resin.

Bill O.

I haven't hit anything atleast not to.my knowledge and there are no marks at the rudder to indicate a hit , there is a possibility or nets or rope but still I would have notice I think.
Mostly is resin on that part the crack stop once the glass starts thatß why I wonder maybe the strap was to tight .

About balsa or foam , balsa is durable enouph and since is dry I don't find a reason to use foam but maybe on the next rebuild

[44'cruisingcat]

Originally Posted by blubaju

Daggerboards & rudder should be sacrificial. Cheaper to repair them than a crack in your hull. I do wonder about balsa there, closed cell foam was my choice

My preference is for rudders to kick up rather than be sacrificial.

[DeepFrz]

Is that gap in the rudder a sacrificial weakness? It certainly doesn't look very professionally done but it would require better pictures to really be sure. Whatever it is that much filler in a rudder shouldn't be needed, especially in a fairly new rudder. That much filler still looks like a poorly made repair of some kind. Perhaps damage during delivery?

[gmakhs]

Originally Posted by DeepFrz

Is that gap in the rudder a sacrificial weakness? It certainly doesn't look very professionally done but it would require better pictures to really be sure. Whatever it is that much filler in a rudder shouldn't be needed, especially in a fairly new rudder. That much filler still looks like a poorly made repair of some kind. Perhaps damage during delivery?

The rudder was build by beneteau , the extra resin exist on the whole rudder so maybe was to shape it easier in the mold ??? The same happens in the other end there are 2 cm of just resin if it has glass I can't see it .
I don't think it has anything to do with sacrificial this rudder works like a kick up rudder .

[blubaju]

Originally Posted by gmakhs

About balsa or foam , balsa is durable enouph and since is dry I don't find a reason to use foam but maybe on the next rebuild

Yes, endgrain Balsa is even stronger, my homebaked Schionning Cat is entirely made of Balsacore, but not rudder & daggerboards, not bcs of strength but quick repair, balsa absorbs water, takes time and tools to dry. I damaged my daggerboards 3 times already, with foam core a quick repair.


Just a suggestion, no need to follow ;-)


My rudderposts are carbon, if one breaks, its gone, anyway, cats have 2. A bent steel post is mostly stuck, no rudder at all. And they float.

[Dody]

Sorry, i'm at a complete loss here. The rudderstock, where is it? We do see the leading (front) edge of the rudder in the pictures, don't we?

[gmakhs]

Excuse the mess in the cockpit but working on the rudder while girlfriend renews the interior at anchor is very challenging .

As you see in the photo is the bottom strap (base or mount ) of the rudder .
As I proceed with the repair I see that the strategy doesn't sit fairly in the rudder and can cause overtighten in the front part that cracked , so I believe the problem.was from.that plus because it doesn't have a lot of glass on that point .
I will grind the whole rudder and add 2 layers of cloth and repaint once I finish with the local.repair .

[LeeV]

Call Phil’s Foils; they do excellent work. Their high aspect daggerboard and rudder really cranked up my last trimaran.

Phil's Foils A-Z, Sailboat Rudders, Daggerboards, and More | Competition Composites Inc.