dear balladers,
My Ballad (Nº 253) is out of the water since a month and the rudder is still leaking water. When I knock the the rudder it seems to be hollow. Is this severe? I live in the south of Europe and here we don't have freeze waters to crack the rudder. My concern is with the integrity of the internal structure of the rudder. The boat is now ready to go to the water with a new bottom paint. But, next year I should concern and do something?
Fair winds,
Miguel
water inside the rudder
Re: water inside the rudder
HI Miguel
I don't think there is any need to worry
I've seen this kind of question pop up on multiple forums. My ballad has a long grove cut into the bottom of the rudder. It was like that when the previous owner got the boat so it's been this way at least the last 7 years - properly much longer. I poked the foam with a screwdriver and it's still hard.
Perhaps someone with more experience has another opinion?
I don't think there is any need to worry
I've seen this kind of question pop up on multiple forums. My ballad has a long grove cut into the bottom of the rudder. It was like that when the previous owner got the boat so it's been this way at least the last 7 years - properly much longer. I poked the foam with a screwdriver and it's still hard. Perhaps someone with more experience has another opinion?
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Bob McGovern
- Posts: 287
- Joined: Fri Oct 26, 2012 3:08 am
- Location: Wyoming, USA
Re: water inside the rudder
Wet rudder is a known issue with the Ballad, but not a terrible issue. And many other boats of this age have wet rudders, too. I think the Ballad rudder was built in two pieces and glued together, with slab foam glued in and one layer of FRP mat over the foam; hollow inside that. The 'tangs' are bedded to the shell with putty, so it is safe structurally. Here is what the Ballad rudder looks like, split in half:
clam by Wyoming offgrid, on Flickr
Holes in the rudder bottom or Mads' groove are not a problem -- except when the seal at the top of the rudder where the shaft exits gets brittle and fails. Then water goes up inside. Some people just drain it out every winter.
The danger is if water inside freezes (up North), blisters and ruins the laminate, or makes crevice corrosion on the shaft or tang welds. The foam in our rudder was stinky but not mushy; and the shaft looked okay, though our boat was not a salt-water boat.
Our rudder has enough laminate damage (blisters) and unskilled repairs that we will make a new one from scratch. But it was working okay when we bought the boat, even though it had water inside, and probably would have worked another decade or two.
clam by Wyoming offgrid, on FlickrHoles in the rudder bottom or Mads' groove are not a problem -- except when the seal at the top of the rudder where the shaft exits gets brittle and fails. Then water goes up inside. Some people just drain it out every winter.
The danger is if water inside freezes (up North), blisters and ruins the laminate, or makes crevice corrosion on the shaft or tang welds. The foam in our rudder was stinky but not mushy; and the shaft looked okay, though our boat was not a salt-water boat.
Our rudder has enough laminate damage (blisters) and unskilled repairs that we will make a new one from scratch. But it was working okay when we bought the boat, even though it had water inside, and probably would have worked another decade or two.
Re: water inside the rudder
Many thanks for your replys.
I'm less worried now.
Just keep some control every year.
Fair winds,
M
I'm less worried now.
Just keep some control every year.
Fair winds,
M