1981 E38 Rudder replacement options and prices?

appick

Junior Member
So I finally got around to a haul out to replace the 7 dezinced bronze thru hulls and ball valves on our 1981 E38. Upon hauling out I was happy to discover we actually have the deep keel option on our boat. I was not so happy to see the rudder collapsed in on itself on the starboard side.

I've put a call into Foss Foam in LA area and should hear back from them Monday. Has anyone gotten a new E38 Rudder from then recently and have a price they're willing to share?

We didn't haul before purchase as the cooling system on the engine was clogged so we ended up negotiating the price to less than half the original ask. So I'm not unhappy as it was still a deal.

Also as expected we have a fair amount of blisters. Many were from a poor application of barrier coat over old antifouling and whatever filler they used to fill the ground out blisters is basically a goo now. I've scraped off much of the old barrier coat and will talk to the yard about how they want to proceed with the bottom job. I'm thinking I'll have the 2 layers of bottom paint taken down and repair anything over a quarter size then barrier coat and not worry too much about it.

I was able to cut out 7 of the thru hulls I'm replacing under the galley sink and in the head. It took a few hours with a vibrating multi tool being the best choice to cut them off, and a hammer and punch to drive them out. It was nice to be able to cut anything in my way like the old handes and slicing off old hoses.

I went with the Gem Lux thru hulls and valves in their reinforced plastic and plan to epoxy them in place. PXL_20230106_233854099.jpgIMG_20230107_165220_01.jpgPXL_20230106_234916090.jpgPXL_20230107_200427450.jpg
 

Pete the Cat

Sustaining Member
I had a similar experience with my Tartan 37 30 years ago. Blisters caused by a very expensive boatyard putting a barrier coat over a damp hull. Unless you have stripped away all of the paint, thoroughly dried the hull (I was in a California yard for 5 months), and probably removed the gelcoat, I would not recommend putting a barrier coat on an older boat. Since my experience, I have seen several repetitions of this problem. Barrier coats can cause problems. Blisters generally are benign. Like me, many folks over react to seeing them.
 
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