E 28 - Need to drop rudder whilst in the water

I grounded my 91 Ericson 28 (late Pacific Seacraft model) on some rocks and the rudder has been bent out of shape and wont move. The boat is in the water in Nongsa Point Marina, Batam, Indonesia and the nearest lift out is in Singapore. The cost of a tow is scary due to the inter border paperwork etc. so I would rather have a go at dropping the rudder in the marina where she is, having the shaft straightened, re-made, jerry rigged locally and motoring her carefully to Singapore for a haul out to patch up the scrapes and re-do any Batam remedial work properly.

My questions : has anyone dropped an E28 rudder in the water before? if so how did you deal with the tight space bearing in mind placement of fuel tank and steering gear (mine is a wheel on pedestal)? Does the sleeve in which the rudder shaft fits (which connects to the deck for slotting in the emergency tiller gear) provide enough protection to stop water coming in? Will I need to plug it somewhere?

Any advice much appreciated.

DW

It is far far better to take it out of the water Consider using a trailer if a lift is not available. If the tube is above the water line you are OK pulling it (and it is designed to be) However, the shaft is most likely bent in the tube and will be a bear to get out. Replacing it is also tough as it will probably float and not want to line up in the hole. (emagine trying to hold a basketball under one foot while wadeing in a pool) It can be done but make sure it is your last resort. and remember that any weight in the cockpit may push the tube below the water line. Good luck, Edd

Unfortunately a drop in the water is my only resort, the marina is the only one on the Island and has no lift out facilities, no drying area and no launch ramp. My plan was to dive down, secure/ tie the rudder up, have some assistance dock side to haul out the rudder, free the rudder shaft and pull out carefully so as to avoid it floating up and dinging the hull - I guess it could be a major pain in the rear depending on the extent and position of the bend. My plan for re-inserting was to perform the same in reverse. I'm going to have a proper look this weekend with some helpers. I'll update on how it goes.

Wish me luck.

DW

You could also get the rudder set straight and then rig a temp rudder off the transom and then sail her to a More well equipped facility. It sounds like you are in a place where difficult is the best case. If you start the project you could quickly be committed and find it close to impossible

If you do remove the rudder in the water you can use weight to get to neutral buoyancy to assist in lining up the shaft. On the other hand you might find the rudder is saturated and will sink when free from the boat so be prepared for that as you remove it.

You will need a shop with a press to true the shaft.

Good Luck

So, I finally bit the bullet and towed the boat back to Singapore (12 hours). She's now out of the water and just by looking at the damage to the rudder stock it's obvious that attempting a drop in the water would have been a nightmare.

Here are some photos of the damage.

No more shortcuts through rocky waters for me