International Telstar Owners Association

Well I am having a rudder issue as well. Did Simon get his repaired or rebuilt yet...I am pulling the boat this weekend so if needed I can send pics and measurements . I am hull 309.

The process for the rudder will be: Removal of the cassette and rudder shaft from the boat. Repair the damaged stainless steel flag on the rudder shaft. Cut out and fit two pieces of marine structural foam over the rudder shaft and flags. Pre laminate the two stainless flags with structural fiberglass . Laminate these pieces over the foam with epoxy. Shape the foam to the rudder foil shape. Laminate the foam with two laminates of 17 oz. DB 1708 and marine epoxy resin. Sand, fair and prime with marine epoxy and Duratek primer and bottom paint. Install the two piece cassette and install on boat. All these materials are first class marine items and the Marine structural foam is the best for rudder construction and runs about $18 a square foot. The extra step I described above, prelaminating glass material over the flags gives much more surface area to the flags so they don’t just tear away at the foam under stress, which is just how you rudder (and many others we have seen) fail under load. As you can tell from this description, we have built many rudders and have had no failures.

Panman wrote:Simon,

I live vey close to you and my boat is on the trailer currently. If there is anything I can do to help you. Please let me know.

Steve