Chrysler Sailors Forum

Guys, I now realize that we are missing a rudder after searching the boat for the old one.

I was plannig to just cut a new one from the specs I saw out here and was goign to ask if there are any thoughts on materials. I assume I could use Plywood and seal it up, but would rather use something easier to work with and less prone to water issues and was thinking Corian or soem other solid surface material.

I also saw some complete kist at idasailor (but not for C26) but since we already ave a wheel conversion, it seems alot to pay for just the rudder itself. Is there a coplication I am missing?[/img]

I sent you a pm of someone that might have one.

Good luck!

IdaSailor does still make the blade to order at $500 plus shipping, was just asking about one for my old girl.

They use HDPE, high density poly ethylene - search for "hdpe plates" at http://www.mcmaster.com/
and you can find it there in large pieces

If you want to invest a bit more time, try making one with a NACA profile. give better performance.

The original is made of foam with fiberglass over. I have the shallow draft model if you want measurements

I SELL UHMW AND HDPE AND NOT SURE ON THE LIFE SPAND IN THIS APPLICATION THEY TEND TO WARP AND CRACK OVER TIME. I MADE AN OUTBOARD BRACKET FOR MY EASTERLY 31 AND THE UHMW SHOWED SIGNS OF CRACKS AND NOT FROM STRESS AFTER ABOUT 6 MONTHS. YOU MAY WANT TO TRY NYLATRON INSTEAD BUT IF YOU WANT TO TRY UHMW ILL BE GLAD TO OFFER A SAMPLE PIECE ITS HARD TO SHAPE AND CUT JUST LET ME KNOW

ronc98 wrote:I sent you a pm of someone that might have one.

Good luck!

Thanks. As fun as it might have been to make one, you can't beat the real thing. Appreciate your making the connection.

Glad it worked out for you.

Captain Jake is a great guy, He has certainly helped me get things back to working order!

Hi guys,

IdaSailor just doesn't respond at all to my inquires, where else do we turn...( group buy from a fabricator??) anyway I have a teh OEM fixed rudder on my crhysler 26 and really worry that it it hits anythng or catches on a line it will just shear off, so I would like to fit a replacement this spring...anythoughts. ... anyone have on to sell me??

NYCSAILOR See your PM

THanks for the help ASKME...bust as per my response on the PM to you I amstill looking for the rudder blade, not the cheeks...I hope to still use my OEM cheeks but I AM going to replace teh rudder post upper and lower bearings...( al ot of slop developed there over the years) anyone got a "how to" on how this is done?

I've got pics of the dis-assembly at:

http://my.att.net/p/s/community.dll?ep= ... 301349&ck=

Basically just remove the tiller bracket and pull down the cheeks.I needed a little over 4' of clearance to remove mine.

Hey, did you call IdaSailor ? or email them ? Last time I talked to them via phone they were happy to make the blade, I just didn't want to spend the dough on it.

WOW, thanks...I have been emailing them, Joe and also the contact form on the web site...

I will call them and check your how to on the rudder bearings...I got them from IdaSailor --they are like plastic mushrooms... I am thinking I might just replace the whole assembly with stainless while I have this all out.

if you have the aluminum rudder post and cheeks, I'd replace the whole thing if I was you.

OK, working on another rudder resource here and as I was doing so, I found a very good pictorial on how to make your own rudder, and as someone here did advise me to make a mold of my old one and pour some foam!

http://newrudders.com/?page_id=12

I did not get a price.

Glad to see that. If you already have one that has the NACA profile, a mold might allow you to make another one easily and I bet others on this board might pitch in.

Their process looked a little hardcore to me, but I guess that is being pro instead of DIY.

It should be noted that after making plans to make my own, I wimped and bought one.

ASK

EmergencyExit wrote:I've got pics of the dis-assembly at:

http://my.att.net/p/s/community.dll?ep= ... 301349&ck=

Basically just remove the tiller bracket and pull down the cheeks.I needed a little over 4' of clearance to remove mine.

Hey, did you call IdaSailor ? or email them ? Last time I talked to them via phone they were happy to make the blade, I just didn't want to spend the dough on it.

After removing my rudder handel to paint it. I seen that the clamp an key way had sliped. Key way only on a haff inch. Thanks to EE I can fix that. You all should all look at yours. You would not wont to loss a rudder.

catalina groups discussing the Ida rudder

http://www.catalina-capri-25s.org/forum ... C_ID=12887

well my boat is aobut to go in the water soon and I will be hard pressed to get the last bit of this season out of the OEM rudder.

I will need th full work-up including the new rudder blade..so I will defer this to the fall and hope I don't hit anything in the water...

So...I still need a source for the c-26 rudder blade. OR will try and make my own this winter.

called Foss ..they told me they have not made a Chrysler 26 rudder blade in 18 years and won't be doing it...they will make me a custom blade with the post 9 no more external cheeks) for about a grand, might be a good deal as it would be better performance and all new materials etc. But if I could just find or have made a simple MDF replacement balde to bolt onto the cheeks this fall for a few hunderd or so that would be better for the boat budget.

really bothered ida for awhile and htye responded re" the c-26 rudder blade...they don't make them anymore but will make one up for a grand.

So my choices are the Foss custom blade with integral post for a grand..( no rudder cheeks)

Ida's OEM-style replacement blade for a grand

Custom copy my current OEM blade in MDF or foam or plywood core with glass /gelcoat ext.

simply repair/reinforce my OEM blade...

any advice ..thoughts..

When I picked up a new rudder blade, I got the whole rudder assembly. That means I have the old assembly and cheeks (without the actual blade) still on the boat that will be spare whe I put the new Rudder on.

ASK