Wound up being $172 w/shipping, near enough. Anticipating the worst - I'm not *positive* that I need it, but wanted it on-hand just in case I find 'bad stuff' down there when I pull the boat. Bronze rod can be ordered fairly easily, not so a shoe. And with the price climbing above 3BoatBux over three years ago, figured it was a good deal not to be passed up...
That said - I don't see why a shoe couldn't be made of composites - heck, shoe and rudder combined - no more worry about electrolysis ever. Spent some time looking at McMaster and such for materials. Found that you can fairly easily procure 1" OD solid carbon fiber rod somewhat cheaper than a good bronze alloy, though only in 4' lengths (so far - more searching might find a source for longer rod stock). Hollow tube stock can be found in longer sections, but I don't know how much faith I could put into that, considering stresses and whatnot... I imagine that abrasion could be an issue, would probably be *the* issue. But could also be accounted for in designing and constructing. Some well placed sacrificial Delrin might do the trick. A shoe might be made from sheet material glued up and then milled to a proper rudder-post-base accepting shape that could be attached to the after part of the keel...
Food for thought, anyway.
Thanks for the heads up on that auction, C'Pete! I had good eBay fu yesterday - spent all my birthday money.Also scored a set of 8:1 Harken mainsheet blocks for just over a $100 - retail would be $450+! I got them to use during rigging jobs, should be able to hoist myself aloft easily now, without needing to procure the help of a deckhand winch grinder.
And though you don't need that kind of purchase on an Ariel, I could still use them in that way, or as a handy billy.
Hate that the yard did that to your rudder.
Did they pick up replacement/repair costs?
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