Water in Rudder

[guerrilla]

Most rudders collect water via the stock entry point. Nobody wants to talk about it of course. Some articles warn of impending doom unless all water is removed and the rudder resealed; I've even seen recommendations to slice the rudder open refill, check and rebuild the tangs, refit and reseal; for what? The rudder will not fail for being wet inside but if you want to drill holes and reseal every year, have fun - which it isn't of course.

PWG

Wow. That's quite a relaxed attitude! The boat we're working on is expected to make some long crossings over the coming years and losing a rudder would be catastrophic on such journeys. So I think opening up the casing to inspect the condition of the structure will put our minds at rest - knowing there's movement on the rudder shaft might feel pretty awkward when inviting people to come sailing!

 

[guerrilla]

Wow. That's quite a relaxed attitude! The boat we're working on is expected to make some long crossings over the coming years and losing a rudder would be catastrophic on such journeys. So I think opening up the casing to inspect the condition of the structure will put our minds at rest - knowing there's movement on the rudder shaft might feel pretty awkward when inviting people to come sailing!

That was interesting - I posted my reply accidentally and couldn't find a way to delete or edit.

. . . But I get your point - it's difficult to see how we can prevent water ingress at the point where the blade meets the shaft. Hopefully we'll find that the steel parts are thoroughly protected in an epoxy coating . . .

 

[Daydream believer]

Most rudders collect water via the stock entry point. Nobody wants to talk about it of course. Some articles warn of impending doom unless all water is removed and the rudder resealed; I've even seen recommendations to slice the rudder open refill, check and rebuild the tangs, refit and reseal; for what? The rudder will not fail for being wet inside but if you want to drill holes and reseal every year, have fun - which it isn't of course.

PWG

Well mine does not support that claim entirely.(#19) certainly did not need me to slice it open.It has possibly had a bit of frost damage, in spite of being salt water, as it is laid up each year & up exposed to chilling winds. it was just had a little nudge from a slight grounding that finished it off . Plus there was corrosion on the shaft inside the rudder which could always go unseen for a while that was 6mm deep on the hidden face

 

[guerrilla]

Well mine does not support that claim entirely.(#19) certainly did not need me to slice it open.It has possibly had a bit of frost damage, in spite of being salt water, as it is laid up each year & up exposed to chilling winds. it was just had a little nudge from a slight grounding that finished it off . Plus there was corrosion on the shaft inside the rudder which could always go unseen for a while that was 6mm deep on the hidden face

Well that's the thing really isn't it - if the shaft and tangs have been soaked for many years there could be rust at the joints and the whole rudder could pop off just when you're using it . . .

 

[Lightwave395]

I now have a Jefa rudder which I am confident is full of foam & properly made

I had a similar problem, although it didn't fall apart, water would drip out of it for hours when the boat was lifted out.
I had a new Jefa rudder fitted which meant modifications to the hull but it was still cheaper than a custom replacement, I can also use standard bearings now.

 

[Motor_Sailor]

The rudder will not fail for being wet inside

Really - I've seen literally dozens. Now, like a lot of anaerobic crevice corrosion in stainless steel, we see a lot more of it in warmer waters such as the Med or Caribbean. But there's lots of rudders which have been around a long time and failures in the area of the welded tangs are not unknown in the UK.

Ironically, the ones that are just 'damp' inside will probably corrode quicker whereas the ones with big voids and large cracks will have a better chance of having oxygenated water circulating though them.