Rudder Paint

[Scott]

Greetings!  I'm a new member and have enjoyed and benefited from the wealth of information on this site.  I bought a C16 (1977) last year which is in fairly decent shape considering the age.  I sail regularly on Lake Ontario.  Had a blast last year on one memorable run charging through 5-8 foot swells which the little 16 footer handled with ease.  Really like this boat!  I'm continually working to clean the boat up and keep her in the best condition possible on a budget.  Question is:  Prior owners painted the rudder with black anti-fouling paint.  My understanding is that this could cause premature deterioration due the paints tendency to react with the anodized aluminum.  Are there any issues if I use a good stripper to remove the paint?  Would this process cause further damage to the rudder?

[Paul]

Really depends on at least two things that come to mind, IMHO.

One, did the previous owner prime the rudder?  I'm assuming you are referring to the standard rudder that comes on 16's.  An etching primer is designed to work with Aluminum.  You could just sand down to the primer and re-coat.

Two, I am not too familiar with paint strippers as I personally have never used them.  They can have some rather nasty chemicals.  Having said that, you could research the stripper you'd like to use to see if it's compatible with aluminum.

By the way, welcome to the forum.  Glad you're enjoying it.  When you gain some experience with the rudder situation, please contribute and let us know how things turn out.  Just as a friendly suggestion, you may want to try posting in the "Boat and Hardware Modification" section or the "16" section as it keeps things organized and will probably be read and replied sooner.  Good luck and hope this helps.

Eight foot waves!!!  WOW. 

[Craig Weis]

Good morning Scott. Unless she sits in salt water...
Sailing a C-P 19 I would simply sandpaper my rudder down to shiny aluminum and then using automotive wax. Just wax the rudder maybe 4~5 times or until it felt smooth to the touch.

Sailing season is so short in Wisconsin that a few months in the fresh water really does not foul the surface.

And I'm too cheap to buy paint for marine aluminum.

Years ago I switch rudders to an IdaSalor plastic foiled rudder. I like this rudder as being a bit balanced with some of the rudder fwd. of the 'rudder post' and tucked up under the transom and hull.

This acts to balance the rudder. So one can relax a bit and use less force on the tiller. Like power steering. skip.

[Dreamer]

Thanks for the cleaning tip.   I know this is a late replay, but I was about to clean my rudder and was searching for advice.    My husband John and I just bought our 1985 ComPac this past July.   As a new ComPac owner, we read this forum a lot.   

We  spend out budget on new sails this year, since the 1985 vintage sails were beyond cleaning and repairing.  So sadly, no Ida rudder for me this year.   But, our rudder really looks bad.  So the sanding and waxing trip got us inspired for today's boat project.  But just wanted to let you know your advice is still helping other owners.   Thank you!!!

Happy 2011!!!

Sharon and John
Nockamixon Sail Club
Quakertown, PA
ComPac 19, Livin' R Dream

[kickingbug1]

    gotta say that this is an excellent opportunity for you to make a foiled rudder. check here and you will see that many sailors have made excellent rudders (greene, doug and bob to name a few). clearly the best modification you can make to your boat and pretty inexpensive. welcome aboard