Cracked skeg ?

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Boo2

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Hi,

I just went to look at a yacht and the skeg seems to have a crack completely through it about a quarter the way down the height of the rudder. I've attached some pix and just wondered what the opinion was as the the cause, nature and viability of a fix ?

Regards,

Boo2
 
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What's the boat? Some skegs have a metal armature inside that bolts onto a short stub of GRP(the bit above the wet line) and the GRP is really only cosmetic/for streamlining. Without taking all the paint off, you're just guessing what's there. Are there any bolts on the inside of the hull?
 
Hard to tell without a better look at the skeg leading edge, but it seems a fair bet it's had a serious side loading, maybe aground in mud with a strong beam on wind & sea, or a line around it alongside a wall ?

At least it's accessible, to do a simple but beefy repair; obviously the rudder shaft, bearings / bushes and tube will need a serious check.

I'd say it's a fair bet it's a simple moulding, probably solid GRP.I once had a Carter 30 with a similar skeg.
 
Skeg repair

I would suggest to repair the skeg without getting too deep into the structure, that you lay up fibre glass on the outsides to reinforce the skeg in the sideways direction.
To be specific grind away the gel coat and some of the f/g over much of the side areas of the skeg.
Use epoxy resin to get a good grip. I would suggest that you use kevlar cloth.with the majority of the weave in the vertical direction. This material is quite flexible and will conform easily to the outside but is incredibly tough in stretch. You will need some really sharp heavy scissors and patience to cut the stuff. The same stuff is used in bullet proof vests. Ask the queen for one of hers.

I would suggest about 4 layers each side with extra layers over the crack. ie a build up of about 3 or more millimeters of kevlar. Fair it off with microballoons and epoxy.
This thickness is very subjective. Obviously more cloth = stronger, however you must decide to match cost against what will make you feel confident. Kevlar from resin and glass suppliers.

In case you are worried this kind of repair is common over aircraft wing cracks. Even to Hercules C130 wings. The trick is to get a good clean surface for the epoxy to bond to. Obviously you will need heating to get the epoxy to harden. (unless you bring it to me to fix.. temps here forecast over 35 for the rest of the week, great for epoxy.) good luck olewill
 
That looks more like a join than a crack, not many if any failure would be that strait.

Call the builder or get on the net to one of the many clubs to establish the facts.

If it turns out that it is a crack, I would grind out the the centre line on one side only and epoxy repair it, then do the same on the other side after curing.

Fare with 'closed cell' balloons and epoxy, after curing give it a light sanding with 200 grit and apply a couple of coats of high build epoxy primer.

Total cost around AU$500.00.

Good luck.:)
 
Yep....100% joint. Not a crack and nothing to worry about. That joint would originally have had a smear of filler over it, nothing more if done professionally. Two stainless studs normally run up through the skeg and into the stub moulded into the hull. The stub is hollow when the hull is removed from the mould and filled with CSM (chopped strand mat) when the skeg is fitted. I've fitted a few of these type of skegs over the years for people who had bought Colvic hulls to fit out.

Actually it looks a bit like the rudder on a Colvic Liberator 35..... what is then Boo2...?
 
Thanks to all who posted, it did look like a jointing crack when I was there - it's be hard to see how you could knock a skeg hard enough to crack completely through it near its widest point without absolutely trashing everything alse attached as well.

saxonpirate said:
Actually it looks a bit like the rudder on a Colvic Liberator 35..... what is then Boo2...?
Click to expand...

Good call Saxonpirate, it is a Liberator 35.

From what you say, were all Colvic hulls of that era built with the same joining system for the skeg ? I can understand how that would make them easier to de/mould.

If the crack has leaked water into the internals is it likely I should budget for replacement bolts/studs internal to the skeg as well as the work of depotting the bolt heads/nuts to allow replacement ? Or will they most likely have been embedded in something sufficiently waterproof as to just require the crack filling and leave it at that ?

Boo2
 
Boo2 said:
Thanks to all who posted, it did look like a jointing crack when I was there - it's be hard to see how you could knock a skeg hard enough to crack completely through it near its widest point without absolutely trashing everything alse attached as well.

Good call Saxonpirate, it is a Liberator 35.

From what you say, were all Colvic hulls of that era built with the same joining system for the skeg ? I can understand how that would make them easier to de/mould.

If the crack has leaked water into the internals is it likely I should budget for replacement bolts/studs internal to the skeg as well as the work of depotting the bolt heads/nuts to allow replacement ? Or will they most likely have been embedded in something sufficiently waterproof as to just require the crack filling and leave it at that ?

Boo2
Click to expand...

Wish I'd put some money on that Boo..:D

Regarding the bolt on skeg, yes it's quite a normal method of construction and is used by a lot of of hull manufacturers. Far easier for moulding and releasing said moulding. As I mentioned in my previous post, the normal practise was to drill the stub and offer up the skeg to the hull on bedding compound ie Sika or Arbacol. Those two studs went through two small transverse webs (made of timber/ply or steel) and were tightened down with nuts, this also stiffened that area considerably. When this was completed the void in the stub was back-filled with CSM & Resin to make a solid stub. The webs, stud heads etc were also over bonded.

Hartley Marine in Hoo/Kent did the pro fit-outs, but as a lot of these boat's were DIY projects, without actually looking at the boat it would be hard to say if the above method was used. Either way it's no big deal because that skeg and rudder arrangement on the Liberator 35 was truly massive and virtually (over the top) bullet proof. Water ingress is doubtful and even if there has been it's not in a critical area. It's no big deal.

If you need any info on the Liberator... PM me because I fitted one of those out for myself in 1979/80, had her for about seven years and sailed to the eastern Med in her. Despite her racy retrousse stern which a lot of people scoffed at... she was a damn good sea boat. Lot's of lovely memories of that boat and it's travels.....:)

There's a second opinion thing on the Liberator too via YBW if I can remember rightly..
 
My Dufour Safari has a fine narrow skeg which is delaminating long the aft vertical length to which the rudder is attached. I feel it might be wise to rebuild the skeg if not actually remould a new one. I am guessing that to proceed I should make a female mould from the original, put a stainless steel armature into it and fill with chopped strand packed in but would be grateful for any advice or direction to a resource or book that would explain how the professionals would deal with this problem
 
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