Chrysler Sailors Forum

Ok, looks like I will NOT do a new rudder NOR install my IdaSailor bearings etc. SO....

there is a small 2" x 7" piece of wood on the upper leading edge of the rudder that fills the space between the cheeks ( no other way to say this - ) on the fixed blade c-26 ( very weird set-up for a rudder but anyhow) mine is missing -- it seems it is screwed in through the cheeks with small wood screws.

So here are my repair questions;

1) where the wood is missing, the plywood core of the rudder is exposed so I plan to seal it with 3m 5200 ( which will also help glue in the new peice)

2) what wood would you use? plywood? MDF? mahogony? this peice needs to be 2" thick and worked and faired into a rounded leading edge so the choice of material needs to be easily worked.

In sum how to repair this stupid little spot...?

I used a piece of red oak consisting of two pieces epoxied together then painted it with the same interlux 2 part epoxy paint I used on the bottom

thanks Banshi --- exactly the info I was looking for -- a few follow-up details....

1) regular red oak -- like I could just get at home depot ( OK below the water line?

2) how did you fasten it (screw into the cheeks . 5200 adhesive?{

3) How did you "seal" the exposed plywood in the core of the rudder. I am planning just slop 5200 over it.

1) I guess, but regardless it would be easy to redo even if it deteriorated after a few years. So far though it looks fine but I keep mine out of the water so I would expect it to do much better than one constantly under water. I might would use a tighter grained wood if it was.

2)SS screws, very small ones.

3)My rudder does not have any plywood, it is fiberglass with a foam core. I would seal it with the same two part epoxy bottom paint after filling any voids.

Well,, I was hoping to get away another season with the OEM vintage 1979 rudder..... and putting off for yet another season the new blade, thru hull, bearings etc. repair... now safety really dictates that I deal at min. with the blade.... so while I did not want to throw good muney after bad, it looks like I will go ahead and do a full blade repair this pre launch. ( I was hoping to put my money towards a new "Foss" stock and blade and get rid of the OEM set- up altogether) I was warned against MDF ( the Ida Sailor blade is MDF) told to use ACQ ( a marine plywood I think) or something as simple as cedar or mahagony and glass it in.

I can't imagine how the OEM lightweight blade held in by the cheeks at the top with no integral rudder stock could ever hold up to the forces of the C-26 at 7 + knots...but you know what, the thing is now almost 40 years old..so it has some strenght to have that kind of longebity and the ONLY problem with it so far is that little 7" peice ( a seperate part altogether) came off.

If I can, I will use the banshi red oak fix and grab another season but the rudder is a pretty important safety item....