How do I fix this damaged rudder?

[edokarura]

I need your expertise, folks.

A couple weeks ago in the Clarence Strait north of Ketchikan I hit a log with my 1991 Ericson E-34 and suddenly lost the ability to do anything but turn left. I climbed down the swim ladder to discover that the rudder had been bent aft just enough to jam against the bit of the hull that protrudes downward to meet the top of it. The attached pic is of another boat and is there just to give you a better idea of what I'm talking about. This bad luck was quickly followed by some good when a tender came to my rescue. We used its crane to lift my stern out of the water far enough to use an air tool to grind down the top of the rudder, freeing it to rotate left and right, allowing us to limp on to our destination.

So now I sit in Juneau with a helm that turns freely to the left but then becomes very stiff when the rudder passes the midline for a right turn.

I'm guessing that there'll be two parts to this fix.

1. Dropping the rudder out the bottom and straightening...what is it called?...the rudder tube. So how do I remove the rudder? And how would I straighten the tube?

2. Replacing the layer of fiberglass that I ground off the top of it to keep water out of it.

And, while I'm working on it, is there anything I can install to reduce the likelihood of this happening again or, if it does, a way to deal with it that does not depend on having at my disposal a 90 foot tender with a full mechanical shop on board?

Thanks in advance!

Ed
"Kinnaree"
'91 E-34

 

[Alan Gomes]

I need your expertise, folks.

A couple weeks ago in the Clarence Strait north of Ketchikan I hit a log with my 1991 Ericson E-34 and suddenly lost the ability to do anything but turn left. I climbed down the swim ladder to discover that the rudder had been bent aft just enough to jam against the bit of the hull that protrudes downward to meet the top of it. The attached pic is of another boat and is there just to give you a better idea of what I'm talking about. This bad luck was quickly followed by some good when a tender came to my rescue. We used its crane to lift my stern out of the water far enough to use an air tool to grind down the top of the rudder, freeing it to rotate left and right, allowing us to limp on to our destination.

So now I sit in Juneau with a helm that turns freely to the left but then becomes very stiff when the rudder passes the midline for a right turn.

I'm guessing that there'll be two parts to this fix.

1. Dropping the rudder out the bottom and straightening...what is it called?...the rudder tube. So how do I remove the rudder? And how would I straighten the tube?

2. Replacing the layer of fiberglass that I ground off the top of it to keep water out of it.

And, while I'm working on it, is there anything I can install to reduce the likelihood of this happening again or, if it does, a way to deal with it that does not depend on having at my disposal a 90 foot tender with a full mechanical shop on board?

Thanks in advance!

Ed
"Kinnaree"
'91 E-34

Are you insured? I would think your policy would cover this. Regardless, the best "repair" would be to simply replace the rudder. The actual process of swapping it should not be difficult or labor intensive. The bigger expense will be getting the new rudder. My wild guess is that you might be looking at $2K. (But you may not have a place local to you who can fabricate one, and so there's also shipping to AK?) But whatever the cost is exactly, I would think your insurance would foot the bill.

As for terminology: You rudder has a stainless steel "rudder post" that protrudes out of the top of the blade, and that fits up through a fiberglass "rudder tube" that is glassed to the hull and to the underside of the cockpit. As part of the repair you should also inspect that there is no damage to the tube where it is bonded to the hull. That means crawling into the bowels of the stern for a good careful look. It's quite possible, though, that only the post got bent and that the tube is just fine. Have you noticed the boat taking on any water since the collision?

Some may have ideas on straightening out your rudder post in some way. Personally, I would not want to mess with that since, even if possible, it may compromise the integrity of that post.

 

[Afrakes]

Luck or the lack thereof

Just bad luck. Don't see how, without a whole bunch of engineering, you could rig a device to deflect logs from your rudder. Bummer.

 

[Loren Beach]

I believe that your insurance should cover this accident. Given that the less the SS tube is bent, the less loss of strength when straightened, you might have it straightened once it is removed from the boat. A "bend" of of 1 to 3 degrees might not weaken it, but an engineer could advise you a lot better than I can.
Good time to really look at the tube on the inside for an new stress cracks.

Loren

 

[Shelman]

I would call foss foam! they built your original rudder and they will still have your molds on hand, ask them to build your next rudder with a heavier walled shaft. http://www.fossfoam.com/photos.htm#ericson

Bent rudder shafts on out boats are not rare. I made a new rudder my self out of aluminum because the original rudder shaft had a corroded shaft. I built the replacement with a solid aluminum shaft! The new rudder and shaft is noticeably stiffer which can be felt in the tiller while under way. Its hard to explain but kind of like the way you can feel a surfboard flex under your toes while dropping into a wave. The old shaft also used to bind in the tube because it was flexing.
http://www.ericsonyachts.org/infoexchange/showthread.php?12527-Rudder-Rebuild-Replace

 

[Shelman]

I also left a larger gap between the rudder blade and the hull for future accidents.
And I reinforced the rudder tube with many layers of roving where it intersects the hull skin to compensate for the stronger shaft so that I don't rip the tube out of the hull in a collision.

 

[Christian Williams]

No prevention with a spade rudder, so at least you did nothing wrong. At least the post bent, and didn't rip the back off the boat. Offshore sailors worry a lot about bending the rudder post, which can render alternative steering useless. Need to be able to drop the rudder entirely in order to carry on under spare rudder.

Anyhow, this is what insurance is for. If not covered, I would definitely explore straightening unless heading off around the world.

I am reminded how few (as in just about none) logs we have in my waters.

 

[Alan Gomes]

I believe that your insurance should cover this accident. Given that the less the SS tube is bent, the less loss of strength when straightened, you might have it straightened once it is removed from the boat. A "bend" of of 1 to 3 degrees might not weaken it, but an engineer could advise you a lot better than I can.
Good time to really look at the tube on the inside for an new stress cracks.

Loren

What Loren says about straightening is true enough. But if this is covered by insurance I'd strongly insist that they replace it, not straighten it. That will give you the most confidence and peace of mind.