"Roger Long" wrote in message
...

According to two boatyards I've talked to, it's far more common than you
would think. They say the only foam and glass rudders that don't have
some water in them are the ones where no holes have been drilled to check.

Two out of four of my rudders (one each on two cats)had water inside, before
any holes were drilled. As easy as it is to plug a hole in fiberglass, I'm
skeptical about what your boatyards say.

Two haulings ago I drilled two holes(different heights) fore and aft through
both walls of the rudder post (ss pipe) of each rudder. Now I don't have to
re-drill the rudder to drain any water. I just stick a long tube down the
post and use my oil change pump to extract any water. This can be done while
afloat, as well.

Wilbur Hubbard wrote:
"hpeer" wrote in message
...
Roger Long wrote:
The recent rescue of the British couple has put emergency steering
firmly on my radar screen. I have three different ways to turn my rudder
stock but there is still the issue of internal failure at the weld where
the internal steel plates attach to the stock. This simple expedient
will give me something to work with if that should ever happen.

http://www.rogerlongboats.com/09Misc.htm#Hole

My rudder is configured so that internal failure will probably leave it
still attached to the boat.

--
Roger Long




Well, you made me look. My rudder already has a hole as you describe.

I now have:

Wheel steering with cable and quadrant block
Tiller back up, nice long tiller too
Auxillary rudder style wind vane
Hole in the rudder for a rope

Steel rudder supported by steel skeg.

I think I'm good to go on that one.



You're going nowhere until you remove the jack stands and launch the boat. .
.

Wilbur Hubbard



Ah so THAT is the problem!

I would never have guessed.

Gee thanks.