Help interpreting a modified gudgeon bracket

[DawnGloaming]

I just acquired an older Sunfish (70s? 80s?) that is a little bit of a project. It lacks a rudder but the gudgeon bracket is odd and the backing plate is DIY. Has anyone seen this before and know the purpose? It looks to me like it should still be able to accept the regular rudder assembly.

 

[Wavedancer]

Yes, that's certainly odd. There are others more knowledgeable, but I think, as you surmised, that one can use a 'regular' rudder (the newer kind).
Maybe the previous owner attached an outboard?
Not sure whether removing the wooden panel makes sense.

 

[Breeze Bender]

I’d remove that whole mess. It looks like the gudgeon may be screwed into the block, but the block is screwed into the hull. What’s backing those screws? I’d bet there are leaks in that area.
You’ll need to fill the holes and add a port and backing plate (depending on year of boat) if you want to reattach the gudgeon properly.

 

[signal charlie]

That's some home brew right there. We've seen it before, a sloppy rudder assembly conversion. I seriously doubt there is a backer plate for those screws inside the hull, and the wood looks shot, so I it would hold long enough to get you to the middle of the lake, but not back.

The metal part was the correct part at one point until someone drilled holes in the top and bottom and added a rusty bolt. You could reuse it but it is not expensive to find a gently used gudgeon.

Check our blog for the process to properly do a rudder conversion for the "new style" rudder (1971-current day). http://smallboatrestoration.blogspot.com/2013/05/sunfish-rudder-conversion.html

Post a few pictures of the deck of your boat, she's probably pre 1971. Look for a Serial No. tag by the coaming. If so you'll need a gudgeon backer plate with the hump in it, to fit the shape molded in for the carriage bolt used on the old style rudder system. If she has a flat transom you cna use either the humped plate or a flat plate.