Do not use Teak or wooden plugs - the previous owner of my boat did and they soaked right through. I drilled them out and filled with thickened epoxy followed by gel coat and bottom paint.
I also have the wet rudder issue - I was told it's characteristic of the C&C due to the excess stress the rudders take to stabilize the boat when sailing upwind causes the seal at the rudder shaft to flex open over time. Dan Breakaweigh C&C44 Halifax NS On Mon, Jun 4, 2018 at 1:50 PM, Nathan Post via CnC-List < cnc-list@cnc-list.com> wrote: > Thanks for all the feedback and experiences with rudder maintenance! > Sounding more and more like the thing to do is dry out the rudder, seal it > up best we can, and then drain it in the fall. I like the idea of > removable plugs for the future for checking/draining if required. > Nathan > > > On Mon, Jun 4, 2018 at 9:57 AM, John Irvin via CnC-List < > cnc-list@cnc-list.com> wrote: > >> Same problem on a 27 Mk III. What we do is have rain holes, one near the >> top of the rudder , one low down on the leading edge, one on the bottom. In >> sailing season we insert threaded plugs sealed with Vaseline to keep the >> rudder dry. They come out in the fall, a few drops leak out and the rudder >> dries out over the winter. (On the hard in Ontario). Has been successful >> for over 10 years so far. >> ------------------------------ >> *From:* CnC-List <cnc-list-boun...@cnc-list.com> on behalf of Matthew L. >> Wolford via CnC-List <cnc-list@cnc-list.com> >> *Sent:* Monday, June 4, 2018 9:17 AM >> *To:* cnc-list@cnc-list.com >> *Cc:* Matthew L. Wolford >> *Subject:* Re: Stus-List C&C 34 1981 Wet rudder - necessary to >> rebuild/replace? >> >> The rudder on my 1976 C&C 42 Custom was also wet when I bought the boat. >> My repair guru drilled a bunch of holes in a pattern, put the rudder in a >> plywood box that he made for this purpose, and “baked” it at about 150 >> degrees for two or three weeks. He then filled all the holes with West >> System and put several layers of barrier coat on the surface. He also did >> something to seal the area where the rudder post enters at the top (which, >> like your boat, is normally out of the water). We checked the rudder with >> a moisture meter for a couple years after the fix, and it stayed dry. I >> haven’t checked it lately and am not concerned. I don’t know if salt water >> creates an additional issue (I’m on freshwater). >> >> *From:* Nathan Post via CnC-List <cnc-list@cnc-list.com> >> *Sent:* Monday, June 04, 2018 8:03 AM >> *To:* cnc-list@cnc-list.com >> *Cc:* Nathan Post <nathan8...@gmail.com> >> *Subject:* Stus-List C&C 34 1981 Wet rudder - necessary to >> rebuild/replace? >> >> Hello all, >> >> I'm new to this list - my wife and I just purchased a 1981 C&C 34 center >> board version. The boat has been on the hard for about 1.5 years after >> being a salt water boat here in the Boston area. The surveyor assessed >> that the rudder was "saturated and delaminating" and he recommended >> rebuilding or replacing it due to concern about corrosion of the stainless >> rudder post in the low-oxygen environment inside the rudder. (My surveyor >> wasn't specifically familiar with the C&C boats from this vintage). I >> called South Shore Yachts last week to inquire about getting a new rudder >> built - but they suggested that it likely wasn't necessary and that they >> had never seen one fail due to corrosion of the stainless steel rudder post >> (which is my main concern) and that while most likely the welded carbon >> steel plate inside the rudder would have surface rust it wasn't likely to >> be a structural issue. >> >> Following the recommendation from them and on some of the forums, I >> drilled several 1/4" holes in the rudder to investigate further. The hole >> in the bottom drilled upwards just hit fiberglass for the length of the >> drill bit ~2.5 inches as did a side hole about 3 inches up. In the side >> about 5 inches up from the bottom, I did hit water that drained out and >> another hole about 12 inches from the top in the middle of the side also >> hit water and saturated soft foam. I did not hit a metal plate in either >> location. The hole in the top went through a layer of fiber glass in the >> middle and then into foam in the other side. Combined both holes drained >> about 3 cups of water from the rudder in the first hour or so and maybe a >> little more over night. The water that drained out was not rust colored >> but rather tinted black. So the surveyor was correct that the rudder is >> full of water and the foam inside is pretty soft. However, it also seems >> like the fiberglass is thick and pretty solid and there is no sign of >> cracking from it freezing during the winter. >> >> Obviously, I would prefer to avoid the cost of rebuilding/replacing the >> rudder if it isn't necessary, but also don't want to take on too high a >> risk of having a catastrophic failure of the rudder while under way. Once >> the rudder dries out a bit, I could just fill the holes I drilled with >> epoxy and perhaps try to seal around where the rudder post comes out of the >> top which is where I assume the water got in the first place since it >> didn't drain out with the boat on the hard for over a year. >> >> Any experience out there investigating potential corrosion of similar >> vintage and design C&C rudders or other recommendations? >> >> Thanks in advance! >> >> Nathan >> >> ~~~ >> >> Nathan Post >> S/V Wisper >> C&C 34 >> Malden, MA USA >> >> >> ------------------------------ >> _______________________________________________ >> >> Thanks everyone for supporting this list with your contributions. Each >> and every one is greatly appreciated. If you want to support the list - >> use PayPal to send contribution -- https://www.paypal.me/stumurray >> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> >> Thanks everyone for supporting this list with your contributions. Each >> and every one is greatly appreciated. If you want to support the list - >> use PayPal to send contribution -- https://www.paypal.me/stumurray >> >> >> > > _______________________________________________ > > Thanks everyone for supporting this list with your contributions. Each > and every one is greatly appreciated. If you want to support the list - > use PayPal to send contribution -- https://www.paypal.me/stumurray > > >
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