RE: Rudder blade/prop damage

Chuck,

How did you go about repairing it? Did you do fiberglass repair with cloth or just use some ?potted? stuff, like polyester gelcoat or similar?

Rudy

-----Original Message-----
From: owner-sanjuan23@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:owner-sanjuan23@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Chuck Vande Wetering
Sent: Saturday, March 20, 2004 9:16 AM
To: sanjuan23@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Re: Rudder blade/prop damage

Rudy,

I have chewed mine up several times and repaired it. Here in the islands a popup rudder is a real asset. Not being attached to a spring gudgeon would be a rreal problem for me. I have managed to get on the rocks or a reef several times while fishing and sailing near shore but was able to pop the rudder off and push off far enough to start the outboard. I still have the original rudder albeit a little ugly and probably needs smoothing and feathering to be competitive. But the sails and skipper are both old and stretched so what's the use! I am a cruiser anyway.

Chuck and Barbara Vande Wetering

wwp62@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

http://www.geocities.com/Yosemite/Rapids/5493

"We can't control the wind, but we can adjust the sails."

-------Original Message-------

From: sanjuan23@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Date: Saturday, March 20, 2004 04:17:23

To: sanjuan23@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Subject: Rudder blade/prop damage

My rudder blade has been chewed by my OB prop! There is a small section, approximately 3-4 inches long, on the trailing edge that has been ?chewed? by the prop maybe ½? in. deep. Have I probably gotten a wet core now or can I repair this and be OK? Or should I satisfy my desires and just get a new blade in the kick-up version? J

My rudder doesn?t attach to a spring gudgeon and is secured with a bolt and insert nut. I don?t remove it because of this and it?s unwieldy size since the boat is moored. But my OB is very difficult to turn so I also use the rudder to steer while motoring. I?m usually careful about trying to go to starboard because I know the prop can hit the blade but one time recently I had to make a quick hard to starboard and I think that is when the blade got gnawed on. Do others have this same problem? Do you attach the OB to the rudder head for same-effect steering?

Thanks

Rudy

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