On the hard - weeping rudder & keel

[SouthernNomad]

Gentlemen,

My dearly beloved CP27 and I are officially on the hard. I spent the weekend grinding out blisters (100's) and sanding the bottom. In the process I've made some interesting discoveries that I want to share with you.

Rudder - Weeping for the last four days. drop by drop. Out comes an orange rust color from two spots at the bottom of the rudder. From the sounding of a mallet during the survey of summer 2014, there wasn't any indication of delaminiation. I suspect the water intrusion is along the seam where the two pieces of the rudder connect.

My present solution is to drill two holes in the bottom and let her gravitationally dry out, sand the runner down, and seal with epoxy.

Keel - A blister on the the keel, about the size of a pingpong ball, had compromised enough layers of fiberglass laminate to take me to the cement keel. Once I had penetrated the fiberglass, a new fluid (not blister orange green acidic fluid) started pouring out. Yes I said pouring. I immediately cut a few holes on the bottom of the keel with a grinder and put a bucket under them and accumulated about 2 gallons of clear salty liquid with the pungent smell of the bilge. Once the pouring turned to a drip I went up and looked into the bilge so see that it was now completely drained of the water left there from the haul out a couple days earlier. I proceeded to take a hose and a little bit of dawn soap and spray another gallon or so into the bilge. Out it came into the bucket as it had gone into the bilge from the hose. Clear and a little soapy. I searched the bilge with my hand and found a sheet of previously overlapping fiberglass raised up enough to slip my fingers beneath.

My present solution - Drill a few more holes along the bottom of the keel. Let both the keel and the bilge dry out. Once they have, seal the bilge with multiple coats of epoxy and the holes drilled into the keel.

During this time... I will continue to grind out blisters and sand the hull in preparation for a future full epoxy barrier coat with west systems and bottom paint following that.

Other items - 1) My cutlass bearing looks to be in good condition. There isn't any play in the prop shaft. 2) 1'' of the rudder shaft is visible. It needs a new nylon bushing. There is minimal play in the rudder when moving it side to side. Whatever component controls that seems to be in good shape. 3. I need to attached a new zinc to the prop shaft.

What are your thoughts on my present condition given the information? Thank you all.

SouthernNomad

[relamb]

My rudder was weeping a little at some places where it had banged a rock.  I drilled a 3/8" hole in the very bottom, and one at the top as an air vent.
A quart or more of water came out, that smelled like dissolved resin.
I used an air hose and some low pressure air to try to blow most of the liquid out, and then taped a vacuum cleaner to the bottom hole to try to suck out any more moisture.  Ran it for an hour or so.   Used a hair dryer for a while on the cracks where it had been weeping.  Then let the whole thing set and dry for a couple of weeks, and patched the weeping spots and filled the top hole with epoxy.
For the heck of it, I pressurized the bottom hole a little and put soapy water all over the rudder (like you'd check a leaky tire) to see if any bubbles came out.
Discovered that the likely leaking spot (besides the dings which were now sealed) was the very top of the rudder, around where the shaft goes in.  Could not get access very well to seal without dropping the rudder, so I left it alone for now.  epoxied the bottom hole closed.

So the game plan is going to be, just drill a new hole in the bottom each time I haul the boat, and let it drain.  Especially before winter freezing.
Maybe someday when I need to work on the rudder shaft, I'll try to seal it better.

I did drill a 3/8" hole in the aft port side of the keel as well, nothing came out.

[deisher6]

Hey Nomad:
I think that you are right on with your plan of action.

Just pulled ours today.  I watched the boat for a couple of hours while I offloaded stuff and did not notice any weeping.  The boat has been in the water about two years and I was impresses with the bottom paint.  There was some black scuzzy growth but very few barnacles.

I have mentioned it a couple of times in other parts of the blog...and I will say it again.  coloring the prop with a Texas size indelible black permanent Magic Marker kept anything from growing on the prop for two years......I am definitely going to do it again.

I am going to drop the rudder.  I know that it has some delimitation according to the surveyor.  I will turn it upside down and see if anything comes out, then go from there.  I really want to get at the shaft log, cutlass bearing and prop shaft.  There is a slow leak from someplace back there and I would like to track it down.  I will replace the cutlass bearing and the rubber hoses that connect the shaft log to the stuffing box.  Will replace other stuff as necessary.

Tomorrow replace depth and knot/log thru hulls, drop rudder, and see about the propulsion stuff.

Thanks for your info...keep blogging.

regards charlie

[deisher6]

Just came back from the yard.  There was still no draining from the rudder.  I do not know if I am going to take the rudder all the way off.  The boat is about a foot to low for the shaft to clear the bottom of the rudder tube.  I have dropped the rudder to the ground.  The yard doesn't like folks to dig holes so if it is going to come off the yard needs to raise the boat with the travel lift.
So Far:
-Installed new thru hauls for new knot/log and fathometer.  Drilled the old ones out and 5200'd the new ones in.  It took way to long to run the wires to the instruments mounted in the cockpit/head bulkhead.  The PO's did not skimp on zip ties!

-Power washed and rough sanded the bottom.  OK, really I hired it done.

-Dropped the rudder to the ground and removed the shaft, shaft log, stuffing box, and flange.

First thing tomorrow after a trip to the machine shop to see if they can match up the keyway in the flange that connects the shaft to the transmission to the one in the prop shaft, plan on checking out some suspicious cracks around the fitting at the bottom of the rudder tube.  Will post some photo's later.

regards charlie

[Patrick]

Bad Luck indeed.  Although I'd love to see pics.  I've got some larger blisters myself to attend to when I haul out at the end of the year.  I'd be curious to see what I'm in for.

[deisher6]

Started another thread on the rudder.  It doesn't look good.
regards charlie

[SouthernNomad]

I see.
You are just the man for that kind of repair!
Good luck. I will be reading and try to be helpful.

-Nomad

[nbsupply]

My old CP16 had blisters down to the concrete. I drilled 1/2" holes down to the concrete and put 1/2" teak plugs in after it had dryed for a few weeks.than used the blue Internat. putty to close it., Hans

[SouthernNomad]

Hello All,

To follow up on this thread. I have since plugged up the drilled holes in both the rudder and keel with West systems epoxy and have applied SEVEN barrier coats to the hull and rudder. On top of that I have replaced and/or restored ALL components below the waterline including everything about the prop shaft. I am hoping to get some paint on her this weekend and splash her thus ending two months of adventurous homelessness (don't tell my boss).

I am eager to post photos of this entire endeavor and will once my life stabilizes along with my back account.

-Nomad

[deisher6]

Hey Nomad:
Glad to hear that you are getting to the water part.
I understand both the 'back' and bank account problems.
Look forward to pictures.

smooth sailing

regards charlie