San Fernando, Buenos Aires, Argentina
A new main rudder was built of stainless steel. It has been painted with primer (epoxy paint), and will later be painted over (with antifouling paint) and be the same color as the rest of the bottom of the hull. In the picture, the new rudder is about to be raised into place.

San Fernando, Buenos Aires, Argentina
After removal, we were able to have a good look at the main rudder. It was built of plywood, covered by aluminum, attached to a stainless steel shaft, with an aluminum bearing fitted over it. The plywood is visible at the top of the rudder blade.

San Fernando, Buenos Aires, Argentina
The main rudder was seeming suspicious, and I was unsure of its condition, so had it removed. In the picture, the rudder shaft is being heated to force it to expand and break free of the bearing it is seized into, so the rudder can be removed. The main rudder was built of aluminum over a plywood core (see picture in next entry). Aluminum and steel don’t tend to work so well underwater on the same boat (different metals cause electrical currents to flow between them, causing one of the metals to corrode), and the combination is generally avoided.

San Fernando, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Late last month I arranged to have the boat hauled out of the water for maintenance and modifications. Yacht Club Argentino was very kind in letting me use their member’s haulout facilities. In this picture, the keel has been lifted most of the way up, so the hull is not far off the ground. The use of old barrels and pieces of wood to support the boat out of the water (instead of adjustable jackstands chained together) is how things are done here (there are a lot of boats here, so it must be adequate).