<html><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; ">Mary,<div><br></div><div>I strongly suggest you pay attention to your rudder. The rudder shaft is stainless steel. Attached to it inside the rudder is a "web" (think pieces of stainless steel). The actual rudder you see is fiberglass that is attached to this internal structure. If your boat # is 808 the rudder is probably filled with foam; if it's an old boat it's probably more like solid glass. Water gets in through cracks, often around the top where the rudder shaft enters the rudder.</div><div><br></div><div>When oxygen is present stainless steel creates a thin layer of oxide that protects it. In an anaerobic atmosphere (which a sealed off rudder interior is) this protective layer doesn't form and the stainless steel will erode, weakening it. Overtime the rudder post or webbing will weaken and several serious problems may occur including the webbing breaking free from the post so the rudder rotates around the post freely or the rudder post bends or breaks. In either case you lose steering.</div><div><br></div><div>You might want to open a section of the rudder and examine the interior structure to determine how serious it's compromised. If there's clear evidence of deterioration a complete rebuild or replacement might be in order. If the structure appears okay, the next step is to determine how the water is entering the rudder and seal that point off.</div><div><br></div><div>If there's been any damage to the rudder (striking rocks) you should check to see that the repair is not leaking. The point where the rudder post enters the rudder is another check point. You may want to strip off any bottom paint and check for cracking/crazing. I know Gordie Nash is currently repairing a rudder where the post broke off a the entry point. </div><div><br></div><div>It's something I'd address sooner rather than later. Most sailboat repair places have a pile of broken rudders out back somewhere.</div><div><br></div><div>Pat Broderick, former Tuna</div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><div><div>On Sep 21, 2013, at 6:13 AM, Steve Pedersen wrote:</div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"><blockquote type="cite"> <div dir="ltr"> <div dir="ltr"> <div style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial'; COLOR: #000000"> <div>Hi Mary,</div> <div> </div> <div>I haven’t experienced the problem myself, but in Don Casey’s “Complete Illustrated Sailboat Maintenance Manual”, he addresses the problem of “Weeping Rudders” in it’s own section. It sounds like a very common problem—essential the fiberglass skin cracks and allows water to saturate the foam core. The book, which I would highly recommend for anybody with a plastic boat, has detailed instructions for dealing with it.</div> <div>If you have hauled your boat for the winter, it sounds like you should have plenty of time to let it dry out and make a good repair.</div> <div>Best of luck,</div> <div> </div> <div>Stephen Pedersen</div> <div>Wren—hull #365</div> <div>Watsonville, California </div> <div style="FONT-SIZE: small; FONT-FAMILY: 'Calibri'; FONT-WEIGHT: normal; COLOR: #000000; FONT-STYLE: normal; TEXT-DECORATION: none; DISPLAY: inline"> <div style="FONT: 10pt tahoma"> <div> </div> <div style="BACKGROUND: #f5f5f5"> <div style="font-color: black"><b>From:</b> <a title="quedau@aol.com" href="mailto:quedau@aol.com">Mary Falslev</a> </div> <div><b>Sent:</b> Friday, September 20, 2013 11:46 PM</div> <div><b>To:</b> <a title="Tuna@myfleet.org" href="mailto:Tuna@myfleet.org">Tuna@myfleet.org</a> </div> <div><b>Subject:</b> [Santana 22] Rudder drip</div></div></div> <div> </div></div> <div style="FONT-SIZE: small; FONT-FAMILY: 'Calibri'; FONT-WEIGHT: normal; COLOR: #000000; FONT-STYLE: normal; TEXT-DECORATION: none; DISPLAY: inline"><font color="black" size="2" face="arial"> <div><font style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Sailing season is almost over here in northern Utah, and I just hauled my Santana 22 out for the season. Every time I haul her out, I get about a month of rudder drip. Moisture seems to be seeping out of the rudder from its bottom surface. I am worried about the rudder eventually just rotting away. Have any of you had this problem? If so, what did you do about it?</font></div> <div> </div> <div>Mary Falslev</div> <div>Sail number 808</div> <div>Benson, Utah </div></font><div> <br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div><hr> _______________________________________________<br>Tuna mailing list<br><a href="mailto:Tuna@myfleet.org">Tuna@myfleet.org</a><br>http://myfleet.org/mailman/listinfo/tuna<br></div></div></div></div> _______________________________________________<br>Tuna mailing list<br><a href="mailto:Tuna@myfleet.org">Tuna@myfleet.org</a><br>http://myfleet.org/mailman/listinfo/tuna<br></blockquote></div><br></div></body></html>