Need a rudder?

[ebb]

Scott, As I said, there is literature on the mix of stainless steel shaft
in a bronze shoe.
Stainless attacks the bronze. I don't think it matters what alloy S.S.
The homemade rudder in A338 had one-piece stainless rudder shaft.
A zinc had been directly attached to the rudder shoe by removing
one of the pins and bolting on the zinc.

The bronze shoe was significantly eaten away, forget which side,
The shoe was loose. As I say, there is text to find on the phenomenon.

So, to be sure this gets across, altho I do not know the history of my
Ariel before I got it, WE cannot use a rudder with a stainless steel shaft
with the bronze shoe. A-338 wrote the book.

Fastening-sick wood is in the same neighborhood as galvanic corrosion.

If you are using zinc, you are creating galvanic corrosion. NEVER mix
metals under water. Wait until you notice something happening with
your regular maintenance. Then attach a small anode with a wary eye.

Don't wire your underwater metal thruhulls and seacocks together.
ISOLATE THEM. Install Marelon.

If you build a new rudder, two-piece or single, isolate every connection
with TEFGEL. Where you have metal faces touching, even the rudder
socket in the rudder shoe,Tefgel that too. Tefgel all metal to metal in the
tiller/head assembly. Stop electric pathways wherever possible.

I recommend, INSIST, that ALL metal in your traditional (original plank)
rudder be Everdur 655 silicon bronze. That can't be stated any more plain.
All interconnections, metal to metal are made with Tefgel. Simple.

If you do this, you will need no zinc, no galvanic connections in the water.

I extensively rebuilt the whole rear end of A-338. Rebent straight the
remaining metal of the ruddershoe and with bondo made a model, and
had California Casting in Richmond cast a new shoe. There was little
fiberglass in the moistly resin "keel post" at bottom - nothing for the
shoe to grab. Just saying you may by now in time have some little probs..

I still believe the original Ariel/Commander rudder is a work of art, worthy
of reproduction, using the best materials and methods.
The three planks that made up the rudder blade are not glued together.
Planks are 'strung' together with 3/8" internal rods.
There is no glue used in the original rudder. When out of the water the
wood is allowed to shrink (BUT NOT DRY OUT). Once back in its element
the Honduras will swell back to its rudderness, as it's done for 50 years ! !
THAT'S one hell-of-a-mahogany.