Difference between revisions of "Blisters on a Rudder"

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Since repairs were obviously going to be required to the bottom of the rudder I decided to investigate the some blisters.
 
Since repairs were obviously going to be required to the bottom of the rudder I decided to investigate the some blisters.
  
The blisters were not what I expected as osmotic blisters seeming to be more like the intact gel coat being forced away from the core over an area of about 12 to 1.5" diameter. This is not obvious in the pictures.
+
The blisters were not what I expected as osmotic blisters seeming to be more like the intact gel coat being forced away from the core over an area of about 12 to 1.5" diameter.  
 +
 
 +
This is not obvious in the pictures.
 
After opening up some of the blisters they all were wet inside.
 
After opening up some of the blisters they all were wet inside.
  

Revision as of 17:00, 12 March 2019

The Story

I had been aware of blisters in the rudder for some time but chose to ignore them until I damaged the leading edge of the rudder on a sand bank in the middle of the Thames Estuary (Middle Sand). At the same time I was aware of a leak around the rudder tube that required the rudder to be dropped for investigations.

The rudder.jpg

After lift out a hole was dug and the rudder dropped.

Rudder removed.jpg


Leading edge.jpg Top of rudder.jpg

The rudder was damaged at leading edge corner and water was dripping out.

With the rudder upside down water also came out from around the top edge.

Poppedblisters.jpg

Since repairs were obviously going to be required to the bottom of the rudder I decided to investigate the some blisters.

The blisters were not what I expected as osmotic blisters seeming to be more like the intact gel coat being forced away from the core over an area of about 12 to 1.5" diameter.

This is not obvious in the pictures. After opening up some of the blisters they all were wet inside.

Drying out.jpg

The hole along the bottom of the rudder was opened up and the rudder set up in a shed to allow it to dry.


Water continued to drip out through November, December and January but at the beginning of February it was dry enough to pass over to the local fibre glass shop with instructions to repair the bottom and seal the holes up.


The bottom was repaired but when the holes were investigated inside it was found the gel coat was damaged. There were holes possibly as a result of previous attempts to repair osmotic blisters. The holes had been filled but had not been reinforced with glass and the filler was actually soft.

Inside the rudder 1.jpg

Now one thing about fibre glass repairers is they are not delicate.

Close up of inside.jpg

Peeled.jpg [

Test hole refilled.jpg