Rudder Rebuild

weeping water from rudder

Our Rudder was removed from the sv Solace after investigating some weeping from the rudder. We also drilled into the rudder and discoverd the rudder had a cavity and poured out water.
Upon removal we also saw the rudder stock had corroded where the packing gland material sat, and with the ingress of water into the rudder, also wondered about the quality of the stainless form inside. It was decided to rebuild the rudder from the ground up.

Corrosion on the rudder stock at Picture on right.
We also changed to a seal rather than packing and readers can read that under our blogs in the rudder section. All dimensions of the "old rudder" where carefully recorded, so as to ensure as near as possible, a duplication. Photo's where also taken where necessary.

Cutting into the rudder reveled nothing more than "shop sweepings" with a little resin. A large cavity for water to sit in and probably weeped it's way in at the top of the rudder, where the rudder stock joins the GRP. The rudder stock was cut away from the GRP and sent into an engineering shop to have the shaft repaired where the corrosion was. After completing that, they made a new SS form/frame for the rudder and attached that to the rudder stock

The rebuilt rudder stock with new frame attached and ready for phase 2.

A closed cell foam was fashioned in two halves to the dimensions of the old rudder, and machined with router so the new rudder stock would sit snugly inside the foam "shape".

To the right, the photo shows how the frame sits inside the foam prior to gluing the two halves together.

The photo to the left show the two halves under weights while the gluing process drys. Note, the two halves make one rectangular shape. and the outer shape is yet to take place.

The rudder is then planed to shape, allowing for the thickness of the new fibreglass covering.

Once the final shapeing is complete, two groves are machined into each side.
Hardwood strips where placed into these groves and they sat against the stainless frame and level with the foam surface. This is to prevent movement of the stainless frame inside the softer foam.

 Finally, the process of glassing over the foam begins. When completed a descent bead of sealant was applied where the rudder stock "disappears" into the glassed rudder blade. This job is not for those without some experience. It is slow and tedious work to get things right. About 6 weeks for completion. We probably now have a lighter rudder, and feel safer sailing across oceans knowing our rudder is right.

Finished and installed

Generator Shut Off Mod.

UPDATE
See below for original shut off mod.
We have in fact removed this mod. The main cause of the generator not shuting down was it has a protection circuit to protect itself should it slightly be overheated. Once you push the shut down button, it would continue to run with no load to help itself cool down before shuting down. In addition to our heat exchanger being clogged, we found some gasket material behind the sacrificial anode which bolts to the side of the generator casing seen bottom left on the photo to the above. This clogged the hose delivering water to the heat exchanger. The generator also has a high temperature shut down protection and it was after replacing the heat exchanger we had a high temperature shut down and that's when I found the additional blockage. The gasket material comes from the gasket on the end plate of the generator housing. I have a new gasket ready to replace for next season. The generator has raw water come via the RW pump and goes through the generator casing before going to the heat exchanger to pick up heat from the fresh water cooling from the engine. New Fischer Panda's have the cooling of both the generator housing, and the engine, cooled by fresh water and the sea water just passes through the heat exchanger. Due to potential corrosion I will be changing my FP next year to reflect the way FP now does it's cooling. Keep a watch out for that blog around April 2013.

Generator Shut Off Mod 2011
We have a Fischer Panda Generator  that has for some time had a shut down problem. i.e. It won't shut down from the control panel. A careful  inspection of the shutoff solenoid found no issues and the problem only presented when the unit had been running for some hours. In frustration, I used the valve at the fuel manifold to eventually have the generator shut down by starving it of fuel. However, because of the location of the valve, this would often take 5 minutes or there about. A new shut off solenoid was over $200USD and was no guarantee that it would fix the problem (it could be an electronic control module issue). Here's what I did.
I procured a fuel/gas solenoid valve off ebay for about $30USD and inserted it between the secondary fuel filter and the units own shut off solenoid. That is marked in the above photo with some red wire rapped around it.

The picture to the right shows a close up picture of that shut off solenoid.

i

There was not much room to mount the new shut off solenoid. The whole unit is encased in a sound proof  casing. I had to find a convenient location to mount the new unit. I used an area just under the existing solenoid, with the intention that if it didn't work, I could reverse everything back to the way it was. The unit was secured with cable ties and with a strip of rubber to prevent metal to metal contact and abrasion. I had a spare switch for this solenoid on a switch panel and wired that in to activate/de-activate the unit.

The picture to the left shows the finished installation, and while it could be a little more aesthetically pleasing, it is fully functional. ( After all, I'm in the Pacific Islands, where nothing is available to complete some projects). the generator now shuts down in less than 5 seconds when the solenoid is turned off. I suspect the OEM part is faulty  but who wants to pay over $200USD to fix that.
Cost; $30USD for the unit. Fuel hose and hose clips and wiring, I carried as spares. About 3 hours work.

Fiberglass Repair

The people at the questforwindandwaves.com have completed a re-glassing of their cockpit sole. Here's how he did it, but read the comment at the end.

As part of the current section I am working on (engine room/cockpit area), the biggest job is completing the repair of my delaminated and waterlogged cockpit sole.  In the first post on this subject, I cut out the bottom layer of glass and removed the wet core.  If you haven’t read the first post, check it out here: http://www.thequestforwindandwaves.com/?p=137
This past week I finally finished the repair work and am excited to have it done.  Aside from the hull blisters, this is probably the biggest repair job on the boat.  This is what the sole looked like before the repair job:

The next step was to grind down the remaining core and get a fairly smooth surface to glue in the new core.  Here is the surface post grinding:

I purchased some end-grain balsa to use as the replacement core. Here is the first piece measured and cut. The board underneath it is the backing plate I will use to hold the core in place while the epoxy dries. I covered it in wax paper so epoxy wont stick to it.

After measuring and cutting the core, I painted both contact surfaces (core and sole) with unthickened epoxy to penetrate, then slathered on a ton of thickened epoxy to the core:

Next I smushed it up against the sole undersides, put on the backing plate, then used shower curtain rods to snug it up.


I filled in the edges with thickened epoxy and let the first piece cure.  Here it is after it dried:

I then performed the same tasks on the second piece of core.  Here are both pieces in place, with the edges sanded round:

Next up I applied a few progressively larger layers of biaxial cloth to the undersides.  I used smallish (1 ft or so) strips to keep it manageable while laying up the glass overhead.


Job finished!  I will sand it down and paint it along with the rest of the engine room ceiling.  I stood on the cockpit sole for the first time in a while and it is solid as a rock!
Lessons learned: doing the job from the underside was a mistake.  My initial idea was that working from the underside would ensure the top skin is undamaged and finish/fairing work would be minimized.  The glass underneath is rough and unfinished, so the repair work need not be super neat.However, I underestimated the effort it took to glue in the core overhead with gravity working against me.  It was extremely messy, with epoxy getting all over me, in my hair and everywhere.  My arms were noodles after each work session working overhead.  If I had to do this again I would definitely go from the top and just take my time with the finishing work, particularly since I am fairing and painting the decks regardless.  Gravity working for you is a good thing.  All in all, I am happy with the repair and glad to be moving forward!

Quick Fit Coupling

The company at flow-rite.com has this interesting hose quick connect/disconnect system. Their are many places on a boat where this sort of device can make life simpler. I use a similar device for my bilge pumps which helps me get them quickly out of the bilge if they need servicing. Looks like a great product.



Qwik-Lok is a quick disconnect marine plumbing system and method that can provide increased productivity, higher quality and value while simultaneously reducing costs. The heart of the Qwik-Lok system is the innovative Qwik-Lok socket that fits industry standard marine hose in popular 3/4" and 1-1/8" sizes. Qwik-Lok’s numerous benefits make it much more than just a quick disconnect plumbing system.

Qwik-Lok fittings are installed in place of standard barbed fittings. Zero learning curve required. Qwik-Lok sockets are installed to the hose ends whether it’s pre-assembled in our factory or done at the boat or on the work bench. No more crimping or tightening a hose clamp at arms length in hard to reach areas. Only learning curve here is to get used to how easy life can be.
With the locking ring back out of the locked position and into the neutral position, simply push that end of the hose onto the fitting until the socket snaps into place, then push the locking ring into the latch and locked position.
To remove, just grasp the same locking ring and pull. The latches will automatically disengage and the hose will be free. The only tools you need are one thumb and forefinger.

Marine Wifi

The people over at thewirie.com have come up with a great wifi product. Check it out!

The Wirie and The Wirie^AP Overview

Our products offer you the best combination of performance, ease of use, and durability on the market. Here is a summary of each product's features, click on the product name to learn more about The Wirie and The Wirie^AP.

Available now!	Now Available too!
• 1000mW WiFi Adapter (long-range) • Single USB Cable installation (Max 79') • 100% Marine Grade • Fully waterproof (IP67) • Flexible Mounting Options • Portable (use on boat/RV and ashore) • Requires a computer to operate • WiFi Adapter upgradeable • Simplest configuration, easiest to use • Fully upgradeable to The WirieAP • 8dBi Marine WiFi Antenna • Choice of color • 1 Year Warranty	• 1000mW WiFi Adapter (long-range) • 500mW Local Access Point • Provides onboard WiFi router for local network • Single 12V Cable (No Max length) • 100% Marine Grade • Fully waterproof (IP67) • Flexible Mounting Options • Unlimited installation height • No software installation • Operate from any WiFi device • 8dBi Marine WiFi Antenna • Choice of color • 1 Year Warranty