Thanks for all the feedback and experiences with rudder maintenance! Sounding more and more like the thing to do is dry out the rudder, seal it up best we can, and then drain it in the fall. I like the idea of removable plugs for the future for checking/draining if required. Nathan
On Mon, Jun 4, 2018 at 9:57 AM, John Irvin via CnC-List < cnc-list@cnc-list.com> wrote: > Same problem on a 27 Mk III. What we do is have rain holes, one near the > top of the rudder , one low down on the leading edge, one on the bottom. In > sailing season we insert threaded plugs sealed with Vaseline to keep the > rudder dry. They come out in the fall, a few drops leak out and the rudder > dries out over the winter. (On the hard in Ontario). Has been successful > for over 10 years so far. > ------------------------------ > *From:* CnC-List <cnc-list-boun...@cnc-list.com> on behalf of Matthew L. > Wolford via CnC-List <cnc-list@cnc-list.com> > *Sent:* Monday, June 4, 2018 9:17 AM > *To:* cnc-list@cnc-list.com > *Cc:* Matthew L. Wolford > *Subject:* Re: Stus-List C&C 34 1981 Wet rudder - necessary to > rebuild/replace? > > The rudder on my 1976 C&C 42 Custom was also wet when I bought the boat. > My repair guru drilled a bunch of holes in a pattern, put the rudder in a > plywood box that he made for this purpose, and “baked” it at about 150 > degrees for two or three weeks. He then filled all the holes with West > System and put several layers of barrier coat on the surface. He also did > something to seal the area where the rudder post enters at the top (which, > like your boat, is normally out of the water). We checked the rudder with > a moisture meter for a couple years after the fix, and it stayed dry. I > haven’t checked it lately and am not concerned. I don’t know if salt water > creates an additional issue (I’m on freshwater). > > *From:* Nathan Post via CnC-List <cnc-list@cnc-list.com> > *Sent:* Monday, June 04, 2018 8:03 AM > *To:* cnc-list@cnc-list.com > *Cc:* Nathan Post <nathan8...@gmail.com> > *Subject:* Stus-List C&C 34 1981 Wet rudder - necessary to > rebuild/replace? > > Hello all, > > I'm new to this list - my wife and I just purchased a 1981 C&C 34 center > board version. The boat has been on the hard for about 1.5 years after > being a salt water boat here in the Boston area. The surveyor assessed > that the rudder was "saturated and delaminating" and he recommended > rebuilding or replacing it due to concern about corrosion of the stainless > rudder post in the low-oxygen environment inside the rudder. (My surveyor > wasn't specifically familiar with the C&C boats from this vintage). I > called South Shore Yachts last week to inquire about getting a new rudder > built - but they suggested that it likely wasn't necessary and that they > had never seen one fail due to corrosion of the stainless steel rudder post > (which is my main concern) and that while most likely the welded carbon > steel plate inside the rudder would have surface rust it wasn't likely to > be a structural issue. > > Following the recommendation from them and on some of the forums, I > drilled several 1/4" holes in the rudder to investigate further. The hole > in the bottom drilled upwards just hit fiberglass for the length of the > drill bit ~2.5 inches as did a side hole about 3 inches up. In the side > about 5 inches up from the bottom, I did hit water that drained out and > another hole about 12 inches from the top in the middle of the side also > hit water and saturated soft foam. I did not hit a metal plate in either > location. The hole in the top went through a layer of fiber glass in the > middle and then into foam in the other side. Combined both holes drained > about 3 cups of water from the rudder in the first hour or so and maybe a > little more over night. The water that drained out was not rust colored > but rather tinted black. So the surveyor was correct that the rudder is > full of water and the foam inside is pretty soft. However, it also seems > like the fiberglass is thick and pretty solid and there is no sign of > cracking from it freezing during the winter. > > Obviously, I would prefer to avoid the cost of rebuilding/replacing the > rudder if it isn't necessary, but also don't want to take on too high a > risk of having a catastrophic failure of the rudder while under way. Once > the rudder dries out a bit, I could just fill the holes I drilled with > epoxy and perhaps try to seal around where the rudder post comes out of the > top which is where I assume the water got in the first place since it > didn't drain out with the boat on the hard for over a year. > > Any experience out there investigating potential corrosion of similar > vintage and design C&C rudders or other recommendations? > > Thanks in advance! > > Nathan > > ~~~ > > Nathan Post > S/V Wisper > C&C 34 > Malden, MA USA > > > ------------------------------ > _______________________________________________ > > Thanks everyone for supporting this list with your contributions. Each > and every one is greatly appreciated. If you want to support the list - > use PayPal to send contribution -- https://www.paypal.me/stumurray > > > _______________________________________________ > > Thanks everyone for supporting this list with your contributions. Each > and every one is greatly appreciated. If you want to support the list - > use PayPal to send contribution -- https://www.paypal.me/stumurray > > >
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