Ballad Exchange

I just drilled a hole in the buttom of my rudder to let the water out when on land. The most dangerous thing about it is if the water freezes inside the rudder and cracks it open. I didn'd close the hole later on, just left it there for good. It's a real difficult problem to do something about, so I decided to wait and see if it would ever cause me any trouble. It didn't but I don't know if the next owner had any trouble. he didn't call me so far.

Hi Frans:

I've also done what Jesper and Gary describe. A Swedish friend has completely disassembled his Ballad's rudder (he's moving it further aft and converting it to a half-skeg design--a crazy project) and he told me that both the stock and the tangs were in great shape. When he put the blade back together, he injected epoxy resin and filled the void completely so know it's not hollow any more. When rudders fail, it's normally the welds holding the tangs on the stock that go first. Pacific Seacraft--an American boatyard known for their bulletproof boats--use a rudder design that I really like and plan to copy if I decide to take my boat well offshore. As you can see from the photo I've posted, they weld a plate almost the length of the blade on the shaft, then drill it for lightness.

Nicholas