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Lost my Rudder! Replacement?

livingston22002

Junior Member
My 1967 ericson 30 lost the rudder approx 20 miles offshore. I could not retrieve it so lost the support fitting also. We hit nothing and the wind was 18 knots with a 3 to 4 foot swell.
I am going to need help replacing this, say where do i find a replacement and how do I rebuild the hull where the bracket snapped. I have yet to dive down and look at the damage but I am assuming that the post or the bracket failed
the picture shows the rudder just last year when I painted the bottom.
Any help, ideas suppliers, boatwright help in So. Cal would be appreciated
Thanks
Dan L.
photo note: if you draw a line from where the rudder post enters the hull, down towards the ground at a 45 degree angle, everything below that line is gone.
 

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Captron

Member III
Rudder

Try contacting Foss Foam Rudder http://www.boatrudder.com/ , I understand that they built most of the OEM rudders for Ericson.

As for the shoe, I think I would build up the skeg with epoxy glass (once I made sure that I removed all of the suspect glass) and have a new one fabricated by a competent marine welder using appropriate underwater metal. (some flavor of bronze not stainless)

Nothing worse than a rudderless ship ... arrgh.

:egrin:
 

Martin King

Sustaining Member
Blogs Author
Sorry to hear about that.... that really sucks.. How did you manage to
get her back with no rudder?

Fixing that one is going to cost. You will need to build up new glass
to replace what's gone, and it should overlap well into the bustle
area. If it were my boat, I would have a new gudgeon casting
made which means making a pattern, and sending same to a foundry
that does marine bronze like the one in Port Townsend, WA. Then
a new rudder can be fabricated by Foss or whoever.

Please keep us all posted on what you decide to do.

Martin
 

PDX

Member III
Related question; bronze or stainless shaft

I have the same boat (Ericson 30-1) undergoing a complete rebuild.

When I inspected the rudder shaft, which was bronze and presumably original, it was pretty badly corroded in two places so I decided to replace it. I've asked around about the best replacement material, bronze or stainless, and been told that stainless is cheaper, lighter, stronger. Bronze is more corrosion resistant in an underwater application.

I'm guessing that newer boats have gone to stainless. What kind of anti-corrosion measures are taken with a stainless shaft and would they work with the partial skeg/bronze shoe arrangement shown in the photo in the opening post?

Thanks.
 

livingston22002

Junior Member
Thanks for all the responses, we are currently trying to see if the insurance will pay for all this. PDX, lets keep in contact because it sounds like we may run into alot of the same problems or decisions. I definitely want a strong post, i think that is what failed. please let me know where you get your rudder.
HG Sail , thanks for the tip on the Ventura boatyard. I think I could get a temporary rudder rigged that would be strong enough to get there. The work is going to be extensive. repairing the hull where the bracket was and then finding someone to make that bracket will be interesting to say the least. Thanks again for your replies.
 

Greg Ross

Not the newest member
Rudder replacement

Here's some good basic info on stainless steels;
http://www.bosunsupplies.com/knowledge.cfm
They all rely on the presence of oxygen to continuously replenish the oxides mainly from chromium and nickel that protect stainless alloys. And there's more of that above the waterline then below!
Looking at that rudder I'd be inclined to consider redesigning it somewhat with more of a skeg. Such a short distance between the gudgeon and the rudder pin must induce alot of load on both.
May be quite practical to find a late model boat with rudder of similar area and have the skeg built up to suit it, improve the balance of the rudder etc.
My 2 cents
 

livingston22002

Junior Member
Greg, could you please explain what you mean by "such a short distance between the gudgeon and the rudder pin" I would like to put in a "redesigned " rudder one with a much more sustantial post out of stainless or bronze but STRONG! its going to be hard how to figure this out. Thanks for your help
 

richfriend

Junior Member
Rudder replacement

My 1969 Ericson 30 (#123) would appear to have been identical to yours. It has a 1.25" SS rudder shaft supported at the top (cockpit floor) by a SS ball bearing and SS thrust bearing. The area where your bronze "shoe" is/was has been reworked (by both a prior owner and myself) and the rudder shaft is captured by a U shaped SS strap which is through bolted to whatever that part of the hull is called. The U strap does not provide vertical support for the rudder, only lateral. If you go the route of a new shoe casting, let me know. I may be willing to share the expense with you. Did your rudder shaft pull out of your tiller head when you lost your rudder?
 

richfriend

Junior Member
Rudder replacement pic

Unfortunately, the Hekate was splashed just prior to my reading this thread. I have a cell phone pic of the mast being stepped with the boat on the trailer, but no hi res pics with a real camera.
 

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livingston22002

Junior Member
Update
I am in the process of seeing if the insurance is going to cover this, they have yet to get back to me.
Rich your post was very helpful, I think you may be better off with a SS type strap that you have, especially if it goes further back or has more "bite" if you will, on that strut or skeg or whatever that part of the hull is called. Where did you have it made? could you send/post a picture/drawing? No my rudder post snapped right where it enters the hull , I still have half of it left. I have wheel steering so the quadrant and the tiller "cap" (know it must have a more elegant name but I don't know what it is) is holding it up.
Thanks again for everyones input, next step is to call Foss Foam about the rudder. I want that post to be STRONG and would like to go with a larger diameter but would seem to be too complicated.
Thanks again
Dan L.
livingston22002@yahoo.com
 

livingston22002

Junior Member
Foss Foam sent me two possible rudders to use, one is from a 1970 Ericson and the other from a Bahama 30 the price is 1500.00. I'm inclined to stay with ericson design. The clearance with the prop is tight. They sent me drawings of both. Does anybody know of a site that has the original boat drawings with detailed specs and such? I guess this would probably be it if such a thing exists. Cant wait to get the boat out of the water and have a look at whats left.
Thanks
Dan L.
 
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