Bill, I would very much like to see that photo you mention without the teak grate. I am making it my mission to have a boat that doesn't leak or have highways water can relocate to and from voids through.
Was the water dripping from the anchor locker to that point and then to the ballast cavity? Can water that ends up in the space below the sole make it to the real bilge aft of there or does it pool up and hang out? This is the first time I've seen that space, thanks for posting that photo.
BTW- I removed the rudder shoe tonight and it is in great shape. There was a small amount of water dripping out of the holes the pins were in though. I'm going to let the area dry for a while then overdrill the holes, fill with epoxy. Redrill the correct sized holes then rebed with an obnoxioius amount of 5200. Fun Fun!
as built, A-231 had a small pool for water collect forward of the ballast to a depth of 1 inch or so before cascading aft to the bilge. My extensive use of a garden hose below decks during construction and cleaning was one of the contributing factors to water reaching the bilge. One other source for a small contribution was the former outboard well (since removed on A-231) and some cracks in the cockpit locker drain system, plenty of cracks in the keel and false keel area (all since ground out and re-glassed).
You are on track with the removal of the rudder shoe. you may also want to do the same with the rudder strap (two bolts). This was another water entry point for me....
They don't call water the universal solvent for nuthin'...
I removed the rudder shoe without any problems. The shoe is in great shape with no cracks or corrosion. The repair to this area will be straightforward and will be similar to what others have done (grind, coat with epoxy, fair, 5200, etc.)
Once the shoe is back on, is it a good idea to encapsulate it with glass and epoxy?
Is a zinc worth the effort if there has been no corrosion thus far?
This stuff was thick and nasty, but it peeled off easily. It was especially thick at the aft end of the shoe.
Should the keel be extended some with epoxy so that I can avoid having to use that much caulking in the back? It seems building it up aft with epoxy would provide more structure for the shoe to hold on to, especially considering its location to the shaft which is an area that would experience the most torque.
Last edited by Tim Mertinooke; 04-04-2007 at 12:30 PM.
we'll see how the voting from the other members works out..
for what it's worth, A-231's rudder shoe is bedded in epoxy (filling the whole of the shoe). I haven't seen a need to encapsulate the shoe.
I haven't installed a Zinc on the shoe, neither have I seen any ill effect from not having one. (the casting would turn pink in spots due to de-zincification)
"A-231's rudder shoe is bedded in epoxy (filling the whole of the shoe)."
Bill,
I'm assuming you used the epoxy as the adhesive that seals and holds the shoe in place. Did you coat the aft section of the keel with epoxy then set the shoe before the epoxy cured?
Did your method seal the area so that no water migrates into the bilge, if so I may be sold in which method to use?
I was thinking about setting the shoe in 5200 after coating the area with epoxy and waiting until the epoxy fully cured. I think that I am going to leave the shoe exposed as well. It's bronze so it should do its thing and protect itself. I'll be able to inspect it as well which is a very attractive feature to leaving it exposed.
Tim
Last edited by Tim Mertinooke; 04-04-2007 at 05:00 PM.
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