drilling into a GRP rudder

[Shearwater]

It is impossible to raise my lifting rudder completely out of the water by using the lanyard (which is really a downward puller) when standing within the cockpit; I could if I had a small eye bolted into lower trailing edge, by hooking it with the boat hook. BUT - is it good idea to drill through the gelcoat under water? It seems to me that water should be kept as far away as poss from the inner materials of the boat; should I carry on lassooing the rudder and continue to look an idjut? Many tks.

 

[cliff]

[ QUOTE ]
BUT - is it good idea to drill through the gelcoat under water?

[/ QUOTE ]Definitely not! the drill will get wet. Better to lift the keel clear of the water first then drill the hole you need. Depending on the construction of the keel you may need to set the eye bolt in epoxy rather than trying to screw or thread it in. This is not a problem but if the rudder is foam cored make sure you scrape the foam back to the fibreglass sheath to allow the epoxy to have something to grip onto.
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"Artificial intelligence is no match for natural stupidity"
sailroom <span style="color:red">The place to auction your previously loved boatie bits</span>

 

[simonfraser]

Cliff,

he's going to have a hell of a job lifting the keel clear of the water ))))))))))))))

 

[cliff]

Edit: Rudder - /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

Had a lifting keel in my mind's eye.......
Same applies though..........
--------------------

"Artificial intelligence is no match for natural stupidity"
sailroom <span style="color:red">The place to auction your previously loved boatie bits</span>

 

[Shearwater]

I said a lifting RUDDER not keel. But OK I cocked up by saying 'drilling underwater' when I should have asked whether making a drill hole into GRP which will spend its life underwater will damage the sub-stratas of the gel coat.

 

[26ft_bathtub]

Also, not all drills are electrical.

Of course, hand drills are almost as hard to find as a lead line these days.

 

[Shearwater]

Obviously there are no sensible answers to be had here.

 

[simonfraser]

you have had a sensible answer

"Depending on the construction of the keel you may need to set the eye bolt in epoxy rather than trying to screw or thread it in. This is not a problem but if the rudder is foam cored make sure you scrape the foam back to the fibreglass sheath to allow the epoxy to have something to grip onto"

and some jokes, what more do you want ?????????

 

[oldsaltoz]

G'day Guinevere,

I'm pretty sure your hunter will have a foam filled rudder so you need to ensure any hole has the foam removed from the area inside for at least 20mm, then filled with a mixture of epoxy resin and Micro fibres.

Let this cure for 24 hours an drill the required hole size.

I think in this case I would be looking for something other than a eye bolt though, perhaps a slot you pass the hook through or a fabricated s/steel triangle with enough gap at the rear to take the boat hook.

Hope this helps

Avagoodweekend......

 

[guernseyman]

Why drill into the rudder, when you could epoxy-glue a fitting to the outside of it?

 

[Shearwater]

thank you - yes good advice - epoxy glue an external fitting seems to make sense. I have never had any experience of epoxy / GRP / etc so it all seems a bit sci-fi. Will think on't and ponder. thank you all