Need a rudder, any for sale?

[Chrissie]

Hi everyone, The rudder on my Contessa 26 is in poor shape, I am stripping down and repainting her, refurbishing the whole boat but I dont think I can do much with the rudder and wondered if anyone knows where I could get another?
Chrissie

 

[William_H]

I would think it would be a very poor condition rudder that could not be used as a basis for repair rebuild.
A bit like an axe with 4 new heads and 10 handles.
I imagine you would have to get someone to build a new one or build it your self and this must be easier with the original as at least a frame work.
So does it need a new shaft? Is the core rotten? more detail.... olewill

 

[Chrissie]

It is 'belted' together in many places with rusted Iron straps, along with fiberglass bandageing round parts, when knocked it sounds hollow in places and 'dud' in others, A fingernail can easily be pessed into parts where the wood is exposed.
It looks very rough indeed, and I have thought about using it as a template for another, but I would still need the internal parts and pins and brackets.
I am not sure if the weight of the rudder would be a crucial consideration and what the weight should be.#Chrissie

 

[William_H]

Hi Chrissie I am surprised no one else has a comment and I am hardly skilled or qualified and from quite a distance i can only talk in general terms. (PS warning I am a compulsive DIY)
You havn't mentioned the condition of the shaft. I assume it is an under hull shaft through the hull style. That of course must be sound before you can build on it.
My initial thought is that you should remove the rudder then remove all the bandages straps etc.
You need to then grind off all the material or wood on the surface to bring the surface down to about 1/4 inch below the original level.
This will likely expose rotten /soft wood or foam and you can allow it to dry. Rotten wood can be picked out and the wood or core smoothed or filled to give a reasonable surface and shape of the final rudder.
From there it is just a matter of laying up layers of fibreglass for a thickness of 1/4 inch and when it is hard sand down and fill until it is smooth and ready for paint.
The thickness of 1/4" f/g should be enough to make it effectively self supporting so that even with later loss of internal wood or foam the outer skin willl remain stable and strong.

You do need to ensure that the shaft is attached to the skin in some solid manner so that it can not turn inside the rudder when turn pressure is applied.

If all this seems too hard you might try a boat builder with f/g skills to get him to do it.

While you are doing the rebuild if it is a flat rudder take the opportunity to make the rudder nicely aerofoil shaped with max chord about 1/4 way from front with a semicircular leading edge. Any increase in thickness in the leading edge area may have some benefits in better flow at large rudder angles. Disregard this if it fairs into the keel. You may also find it usefull to increase the rudder area especially ahead of the shaft which gives flow balance and makes tiller loads lighter. good luck olewill

 

[Chrissie]

Thank you, some food for thought there. It is a transom hung rudder so not much scope for variation, I will take it down and strip it to recover as you suggest, but still hope that there might be one sitting on a boat that will be going for scrap, somewhere...

 

[William_H]

Ah a transom mounted rudder is much simpler. I presume you do not have niceties like swing back and up for shallow water or lifting blade for shallow water.
The areas that need strength are the pintle attachmments which can be clamped from the outside using standard dinghy type fittings and the top attachment to the tiller.
It is not so hard to start from scratch using a piece wood or even foam carved to the size and shape but under sized by 1/4 inch.
You should put stronger material in location of holes for the pintles to cope with larger stress of compression.
Mine is a swing up type, the balde is about 1.5 metres long about 1.2m of that unsupported below the hull. There can be quite a bending load at high speed when pulling to counteract a spin trying to lay the boat over. 21ft trailer sailer
You might consider carbon fibre strands on the sides to increase stiffness and strength in thge bending direction.
If it is like mine it is a good chance to increase balance of area before the pintles to reduce tiller load.
PM me for more (crazy) ideas olewill
Much excitement as sailing season (racing) opens this weekend) winter is finally over yahoooooo