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As you may be aware from my other posts, Windchaser's rudder is off for repair.

The rudder appears to be two pieces of plywood either side of a central layer of epoxy/glue with the rudder shaft along one side.

How does the rudder shaft stick on? I can't imagine it is just a round shaft stuck to the ply as the forces involved would just twist it off. Are there flanges or whatevers that go from the shaft and into the middle section, in between the two pieces of ply?

I reckon the main problem with my rudder comes from water getting into the end grain along the rudder shaft. I am not going to coat the ply and rudder with epoxy and hope for the best as the end grain along the shaft will still be open. Any water that seeps behind the rudder shaft has full access to end grain up and down the shaft. I need to seal the end grain all the way along the shaft. And that may be tricky because I will need to trim a little ply back along the shaft so I can clean and seal it and I am wondering if I do that will the shaft just fall off.

Ok Troppo, I will try and answer it for you.

Have a gander at this rudder undergoing repair. See the red circles? They are metal flanges on the main shaft. The rudder is made of two pieces of ply glued together with these flanges in between.



Troppo, all the best with ya repairs to Windchaser.

Louis

Troppo that doesn't look right ? Those flanges should be longer and drilled and bolted through the blade ?

what is stopping the rudder blade from falling off the rudder stock ? I hope it not a couple of self tapers?

I'm post the Top Hat rudder detail .

Bear, I did not cut all the way around the flanges so they would be longer than what you can see in my pic. I only exposed them a little way to see if there were obvious problems but they appear to still be strongly in place, the bolts you mention still doing their job. The water damaged wood appears to be in other areas and not related to the specific layers in the centre of the ply where the flanges are. I think that says something for the original layup of the rudder.

Troppo it must be laminated in 4 layers of plywood ? If that is the case it sounds like what you are saying is correct . If it was mine I would be inclined to dynal sheath it and fair it with an epoxy filler . This will give it more strength and make it water tight ,better than glass sheathing it again . You can mix talcum powder or micro balloons with the dynal resin to make a cheap putty .

Cheers Bear