1972 marine trader rudder box failure

[cabretta69]

Hello!

I'm brand new here and just aquired a 1972 marine trader 34' sedan. She is a bit rough all over but intact and complete, and running strong. Just ran her 7.5 hrs down the Hudson River into Brooklyn this week.

The rudder packing box is leaking and I don't want to take her out of the water until this winter. Looks like a candidate for splash zone until I can rebuild the box completely.

Also not sure if I should replace the packing first or deal with the crack first. Bit of a chicken/egg scenario here.

Any notes?

Thanks!

 

[motion30]

Probably repack the stuffing box first that way no water will prevent you from fiberglassing either way the whole job should not take that much time

 

[Comodave]

Welcome aboard. I would repack it now. You can do that in the water. It will leak but if your bilge pumps are working they should be able to handle the flow. Then see what other leaks there are and proceed from there.

 

[RT Firefly]

Greetings,
Welcome aboard.

 

[SoWhat]

PO probably ran aground and it pushed rudder up or it flexed enough to crack the fiberglass.
At some point you will want to take a dremel and excavate the crack. Repair with epoxy. You might want to install a piece of angle iron for reinforcement. Then start rebuilding for strength by adding fiberglass, both mat and roving (or cloth) over the area. It is just a block of wood to support the shaft under the cracked fiberglass. The boat won't sink.
Packing gland is a separate issue and can be done at anytime.

 

[cabretta69]

PO probably ran aground and it pushed rudder up or it flexed enough to crack the fiberglass.
At some point you will want to take a dremel and excavate the crack. Repair with epoxy. You might want to install a piece of angle iron for reinforcement. Then start rebuilding for strength by adding fiberglass, both mat and roving (or cloth) over the area. It is just a block of wood to support the shaft under the cracked fiberglass. The boat won't sink.
Packing gland is a separate issue and can be done at anytime.

Was thinking the rudder took a hard impact. I like the angle-reinforcement idea. I'll do the packing, and a root canal on that crack and keep enjoying the boat and chasing roof leaks for now.