Rudder head fix or replacement

L

Lafayette Mike

Active Member
What do you all think? I bought a used 1999 Sunfish that is in very good shape. Disassembling the rudder to refinish it and I see the rudder head has a crack. It is on one cheek only, but does go all the way through the plastic. Based on your experiences, can this be "glued" back together using an apporpriate adhesive, or is the stress an strain going to casue it to get worse and finally crack all the way through. Hate to spend $60 if I don't have to, but I also hate to spend more if my rudder falls off! :)

rudder.JPG
rudder.JPGThanks

Mike
 
There's a lot of pressure on the rudder while sailing so that thing needs to be solid-get a new one so the rudder doesn't fall off, I think. Post some pictures of that '99...
 
If you spent the money for a newer boat (99), id assume you sail on slightly more than light wind and flat water on lakes and ponds, but if you don’t sail any harder than that, i have an idea for a solution.

I’ve never tried it, so really i don’t know too much what I’m talking about.

Buy a high strength plastic glue and apply it along both sides of the crack and try to finesse a little into it. Let the glue fully cure. Apply another layer around the cured glue and allow that to cure. Use marine Tex or some form of epoxy over the glue.

The combination might hold? It’s just a theory and i guarantee many members could disprove it quickly.
Just an idea that popped into my mind
 
Mike.

I found a similar plastic Sunfish rudder head mixed in with some other parts and gear I bought a few years ago, and it had a crack in about the same place. I tried WEST epoxy but it would not bond with the plastic. However, WEST now has a new 50/50 mix epoxy, G-flex, that they claim sticks to all manner of materials. This product might (?) work but I am still not sure I would sail 5 miles off shore in a Lake Ontario 'noreaster with it.

Alan Glos
Cazenovia, NY
 
Yeah......I'll probably get a new one. It's replacing my 1972. In very good shape, dry, came with extra booms and sails. Needed a ratchet and new halyard but that was about it. $800....so I did OK! :)
 
At 90+ dollars for new you might consider picking up a used complete rudder on ebay, then you'll have spare parts.

Cheers
kent
 
Ugh, that's just a poorly designed part. There is no reinforcement riser in the
direction of stress. One corner is at a 90 degree angle with no gusset reinforcement.
This needs someone who can redesign the part with some minor changes and print it
out in 3D nylon. I hate to see someone spend $65 for a faulty design. I'm using a couple
aluminum ones, shame they don't come up more often on Ebay.
 
Webfoot1 said:
Ugh, that's just a poorly designed part. There is no reinforcement riser in the
direction of stress. One corner is at a 90 degree angle with no gusset reinforcement.
This needs someone who can redesign the part with some minor changes and print it
out in 3D nylon. I hate to see someone spend $65 for a faulty design. I'm using a couple
aluminum ones, shame they don't come up more often on Ebay.
Click to expand...

I wonder how that thing broke... funny, it looks exactly like mine...
 
Alan S. Glos said:
Mike.

I found a similar plastic Sunfish rudder head mixed in with some other parts and gear I bought a few years ago, and it had a crack in about the same place. I tried WEST epoxy but it would not bond with the plastic. However, WEST now has a new 50/50 mix epoxy, G-flex, that they claim sticks to all manner of materials. This product might (?) work but I am still not sure I would sail 5 miles off shore in a Lake Ontario 'noreaster with it.

Alan Glos
Cazenovia, NY
Click to expand...
My fiberglass guru said, just yesterday, that g-flex made really good repairs in "other" plastics.
 
I have done a repair similar to your issue with plastic epoxy purchased from the local hardware store. It worked fine but never tried it in strong winds and would not be something I would re sell to someone.
 
I'll probably fool around with fixing it. If it looks good I might put it on the "beater" boat in the local lake. If it breaks there, no real harm done.
 
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