Rudder damage

[Doug Scullery]

I was attaching the risers to my boat today and I noticed some damage to my rudder, the top part with the rudder eye in it that stops the rudder from going too far either way was bent over at 90 degrees and the rudder was able to move freely under the counter. The bend looked decidedly cracked and indeed when I tried to bend it back the top part came off in my hand with virtually no force at all. I didn't notice anything when I was moving the boat yesterday but my best guess it that the boat moved too far back while locking down and the rudder was pushed hard against the cill.

 

 

When I first bought the boat the same part of the rudder was bent over but to nowhere near as large a degree, I straightened it out by putting a bar through the rudder eye and bending it back by hand.

 

My questions at this point are many: How serious is this? I assume that the rudder being able to swing round means that it can make contact with the prop but how likely is this to happen? Is there some sort of makeshift solution to stop this? Will this be an expensive repair? Do I need a new rudder? (the boat has only just been blacked and I wasn't planning on having her out of the water for a few years) Is this the sort of thing I might be able to claim on my insurance? Obviously I don't want my premium to go up but I'm mega skint at the moment, I really can't afford any kind of repairs.

 

Any help appreciated.

[bizzard]

You could clamp a pair of Mole-grips hard on in place of where the hole bit was.to act as a stop.

[Doug Scullery]

You could clamp a pair of Mole-grips hard on in place of where the hole bit was.to act as a stop.

I was thinking of something like that, I was picturing a G clamp but i think mole grips might be better, do you think they've got the holding power? I was wondering about drilling a couple of holes in the rudder and bolting piece of sheet steel on, but how does one drill a hole under water?

[bizzard]

I was thinking of something like that, I was picturing a G clamp but i think mole grips might be better, do you think they've got the holding power? I was wondering about drilling a couple of holes in the rudder and bolting piece of sheet steel on, but how does one drill a hole under water?

I f you fill the water tank up and move everything moveable forward as far as they will go. Or-and a loop of rope from an over bridge or tree branch to your stern and apply the Spanish windlass with a stick twisting the rope both of these will probably lift the rudder high enough to drill it.

[Doug Scullery]

I f you fill the water tank up and move everything moveable forward as far as they will go. Or-and a loop of rope from an over bridge or tree branch to your stern and apply the Spanish windlass with a stick twisting the rope both of these will probably lift the rudder high enough to drill it.

I'll certainly give it a bash next time I fill the water tank, from memory I'm not sure I'll be able to get the stern high enough without risking flooding the bow deck, though.

[Glynn]

How about a piece of folded steel that you could hammer it over the rudder, obviously with a high bit to act as the failed piece ?

I'm sure if it was a tight enough "interference" fit it would do & it would soon rust itself to the rudder.

Edited May 27, 2013 by Glynn

[Timleech]

Two pieces of plate with two or three through bolts to clamp them onto the rudder forming a sandwich.

 

Tim

[Doug Scullery]

Two pieces of plate with two or three through bolts to clamp them onto the rudder forming a sandwich.

 

Tim

I'm gonna do the mole grip thing as a quick fix and then do this as a longer term solution. Any tips on underwater drilling welcome, currently weighing up hand drill vs flexi drill shaft.

[Timleech]

I'm gonna do the mole grip thing as a quick fix and then do this as a longer term solution. Any tips on underwater drilling welcome, currently weighing up hand drill vs flexi drill shaft.

 

Air drill, or hand drill.

Flexi drills are usually high speed for very small holes.

 

If you do the sandwich thing, you shouldn't need to drill the rudder.

It'll be more secure if you do, though.

 

Tim

[Doug Scullery]

Air drill, or hand drill.

Flexi drills are usually high speed for very small holes.

 

If you do the sandwich thing, you shouldn't need to drill the rudder.

It'll be more secure if you do, though.

 

Tim

Ah, I see what you mean. So I can have big bolts through the sandwich that I fit and maybe just a tiny bolt through the rudder just to hold the whole lot in place. I like it.