Replacement rudder for Mull 28

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walterg
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Replacement rudder for Mull 28

Post by walterg »

This was supposed to be the year.....replaced the cabin sole, brand new sails from Thurston, bunch of other work over the winter. First day of my 2 week vacation on the boat, sailing from Salem MA to Plymouth, and the rudder snapped off in 25 knots of wind. All I could do was watch it sink as I tried to get the sails down.
Anybody been through a rudder replacement? Does anyone on the list have patterns, pics or suggestions??
Walter Gotham
Salem MA USA
'87 Freedom 28-Mull #33 "Nova Vita"

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RadioZephyr
Posts: 259
Joined: Mon Jun 27, 2016 10:04 am
Location: Boston, MA

Re: Replacement rudder for Mull 28

Post by RadioZephyr »

Woah, that’s crazy, I’m so sorry to hear it! Where did it separate? Do you have any pictures of what’s left?
Josh
Sunset Spy
F38, Hull #152
Boston, MA

walterg
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Re: Replacement rudder for Mull 28

Post by walterg »

Not yet sure where it broke.....I’m in Scituate tonight and I’m going to have it hauled out here and then see what’s left and try to figure out what to do. Until then I can only see the headstock, which all seems fine. I’ve been searching some old posts and it seems like the same thing has happened with other F28’s.
Walter Gotham
Salem MA USA
'87 Freedom 28-Mull #33 "Nova Vita"

walterg
Posts: 67
Joined: Tue Aug 30, 2016 6:48 am
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Re: Replacement rudder for Mull 28

Post by walterg »

Here's the damage after Nova Vita was hauled today. Appears to have snapped cleanly off at the base of the rudder post. She has never been grounded or suffered any significant impact in my 4 years of ownership.

rudderpost1.jpg
rudderpost1.jpg (23.35 KiB) Viewed 4602 times
rudderpost2.jpg
rudderpost2.jpg (25.32 KiB) Viewed 4602 times
Walter Gotham
Salem MA USA
'87 Freedom 28-Mull #33 "Nova Vita"

Lionel7
Posts: 32
Joined: Fri Dec 05, 2008 12:12 pm

Re: Replacement rudder for Mull 28

Post by Lionel7 »

I had the same failure in about 2004 or 5. I searched all over the country to find a replacement or someone who would build a new rudder. I found finally a company in Road Island who built spars and hardware for America Cup boats. I am away from my records to find the name of the company but I may have posted about it and the post should be in the archives. State Farm was paying the bill. The company found a 28 on the hard and reverse engineered the design and built it with a foam core, carbon fiber layer covered in gel coat. The rudder post was a carbon fiber tube. Their bill was over $10k. State Farm didn’t blink and the whole bill including installation was about 12k. It was one hell of a rudder. At that time the 28’s were worth in the high twenties. Now with them selling in the high teens insurance could total the boat. There were only 25 made. I had hull #2 which was actually hull #1. If you can’t find a post in the archives post again. I could get my son to dig out the records.

walterg
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Re: Replacement rudder for Mull 28

Post by walterg »

Hi Lionel7, thanks for the info, I have already searched the archives and found all of your old posts on the rudder which were incredibly helpful. I'm in the same spot now that you were in 2006 and I am working with the same people. The price has gone up about 20% but obviously it's the highest quality. Whether to sink that much more into her with the current market value of a 1987 F28, that will depend on whether I am as successful with my insurance company as you were. Thanks again for the reply!
Walter Gotham
Salem MA USA
'87 Freedom 28-Mull #33 "Nova Vita"

Lionel7
Posts: 32
Joined: Fri Dec 05, 2008 12:12 pm

Re: Replacement rudder for Mull 28

Post by Lionel7 »

Good luck. It’s a great boat. Sure would be great if you can save her. Going with a friend who is in the market for a boat to look at a nice Freedom 30 later this week. I’ve owned three Freedoms now.

bad
Posts: 184
Joined: Sat Jul 09, 2011 11:14 am

Re: Replacement rudder for Mull 28

Post by bad »

Hard luck. Consider reaching out to the old Phil's Foils, now CCI @ http://cci.one, and Foss Foam Rudders @ http://fossrudders.com/. The former builds some really nice stuff. Regardlessa, it may take a while to get one... Is there a reason for the foil to be Carbon? The post I can understand, since it looks like the original one was composite and broke.

Our boat had a lot of rudder vibration when motoring with the old two blade prop. With the new feathering 3 bade, that all went away.

Erik

walterg
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Re: Replacement rudder for Mull 28

Post by walterg »

Erik, thanks for the tip.....CCI provided me with a quote for a new rudder at a third of the cost (and half the leadtime) compared to GMT Composites, who built the F28 rudder for Doug in 2006. The only problem is that I can't give CCI a lines drawing or any better dimensions of the rudder than what is on sailboatdata.com or in the original Freedom brochure.
Doug, by chance did GMT Composites give you the dimensional info when they built your rudder? Or does anyone on the list have access to any better drawings of the rudder? Maybe there is an F28 owner with their boat on the hard and I could take some measurements??
Walter Gotham
Salem MA USA
'87 Freedom 28-Mull #33 "Nova Vita"

Lionel7
Posts: 32
Joined: Fri Dec 05, 2008 12:12 pm

Re: Replacement rudder for Mull 28

Post by Lionel7 »

No I didn’t get the drawings of the new rudder. I tried Gary Mulls widow in California who had an erratic history of responding. She has all the plans. She didn’t respond. Also tried people from Freedom as Freedom had recently closed. No luck. Finding a 28 to reverse engineer or downsizing an F30 you might find is probably your best bet.

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