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Why bother? Thieves want shiny new powerboats, not old sailboats. Keys are a hassle, most "marine" key switches are about as "marine" as my lawn-mower, and besides, all a thief would have to do is open the locker and jump the wires to bypass your keyed switch.
If you are concerned, replace the standard battery switch with one with a removable handle, so no power is available to start the engine. Or hide a second switch for the ignition somewhere down below, so no power is available to the starter button.
David Weatherston
Towser, Toronto
C&C 27 Mk IV
Plastic World has done some cutting of white Plexiglass for me. They also sell West Epoxy and fibreglass materials. On Sheppard at the Allen Expressway.
David Weatherston
Towser, Toronto
C&C 27 Mk IV
I think the key to resolving your problem lies in deciding what is verifiable information and what is not. I assume that by "title" you mean your state licence or similar. As this may contain information supplied by the original owner or adjusted to fit the state's information requirements, it has to be taken with a grain of salt. The date on this title may also refer to the date of initial registration, not the build date.
We can safely discount it being a 27 Mark I-IV, as these boats ranged from 27' 4" to 27' 10.5" and were not built after '82 (which is not to say that one could not have remained in someone's inventory and been registered in '83, but #721 would have been built in '77 or '78 - a long time to carry a boat in stock). Incidentally, C&C never used the term 'Mark' when selling these boats; from Mark I to Mark V, C&C simply sold them as a 'C&C 27' - period. 'Marks' are a distinction that has arisen among owners and handicappers to distinguish major changes in the rig, hull or fittings. In some areas, I gather, only 3 variants are recognized and your title may reflect this.
The key point (and certainly the most easily verifiable) is that your rudder is outboard, and the Marks I-IV have inboard rudders. The Mark V has an outboard rudder and is 26'6" but they never reached hull 721 and I think the Mark V was still in prototype in '84.
If you really want to solve the mystery, some steps you could take are:
- look closely at the illustrations of the different variants on the site, including the photos of different Marks in the Guide; or
- give us the complete Hull Identification Number (stern, stbd side); or
- post a photo of the boat (see the post, 'Using photos in your posts' in the Forum).
David Weatherston
Towser, Toronto
C&C 27 Mk IV
<advice on installing shore power onboard?>
Spend some upfront time with information from the equipment maker or a savvy local vendor to make sure you meet American Boat & Yacht Council standards. This will save you from being hassled by your insurance company on your 5-year survey and having to re-configure the whole thing. May save you from being zapped, too.
David Weatherston
Towser, Toronto
C&C 27 Mk IV
"it's also the first boat where clean and loved meets my low price. (i'm paying $1,850 or so)"
They do say that when a deal is too good to be true, it usually isn't - and this one is a real stinker. If you are contemplating paying $1850 for a boat that should sell for a sum between $12,000 and $20,000, _and_ by your own admission you are inexperienced with boats, then you absolutely MUST engage a surveyor if you intend to go ahead.
A "thin crack in the corner fibreglass where the bulkhead meets the port wall" could be a cosmetic flaw that has alarmed the owner into this fire-sale price, but this is one of the most heavily stressed parts of the boat. That "thin crack" may be evidence of any number of serious problems, from rot in the bulkhead to the boat having been dropped or squeezed hard in a collision that has been cosmetized over. At this price, I suspect the existence of other problems as well (take a look at Black Arts and you'll see how complicated and costly repairs can be).
Can the problems be fixed? Probably, but boatyards are full of boats abandoned by inexperienced purchasors who either tried to fix a serious problem and abandoned the attempt, or who realized they didn't have the money needed to engage a pro. Get a surveyor (a real accredited one, and not just some buddy who thinks he knows a lot about boats).
"I'm new to all this and this will be my first boat." How new? New to sailing or new to boat ownership? I suspect the first, as the price of this boat isn't setting off alarm bells for you (here, the mast alone is worth $1,000 - $1,200).
If I'm right, I suggest you back off and think hard about starting at this level. Many people like the idea of sailing more than sailing itself, and it's essential to get comfortable on a sailboat before you start running around on a larger keelboat. I do know a couple who pulled off the sailing dream - they started with a 35-footer, moved up to 42 and sailed around the world, but they are the exception. Frequently, people who start with too large a boat take longer than they should to learn to sail properly. The price of the inevitable little mistakes tends to be onerous rather than annoying. The process of learning overwhelms the pleasure and they drop out.
Put your $1850 back in the bank and spend a few years getting comfortable with the sport and with boats. You don't say where you are but look for a club in the area where people are looking for crew for races - even if you don't intend to race, it's a great way to learn how to sail in good weather and bad. Take an adult sailing course. Join a club and sail with experienced sailors (in Toronto, for instance, many growth-minded clubs have extended their adult courses by purchasing one or more dinghies or keelboats that you can sail with others as you develop your skills). Then go buy a 27. You'll in all likelihood be happier and the process will cost you less, in every sense.
David Weatherston
Towser, Toronto
C&C 27 Mk IV
As you are considering a new cradle, think about getting a pad under the engine area aft of the keel.
I had my engine out over one winter for a rebuild and I was astonished at the way the boat changed shape in that area without the engine's weight. I don't know if it really makes much difference to the boat's strength or structural integrity, but with that experience, I would be inclined if buying a new cradle to add that support to the standard layout.
David Weatherston
Towser, Toronto
C&C 27 Mk IV
I have a square boom with a built-in sheave for the outhaul (I mention this because there are variations). I never figured out how the previous owner had rigged his outhaul, so I reconfigured it so a wire outhaul leads via this sheave to a 4:1 cascade inside the boom that in turn leads to a point just aft the gooseneck, where the line descends to the deck and aft. Shock cord keeps the whole mess in tension when the outhaul is released, to minimize rattling; it's not powerful enough to ease the outhaul by itself in winds above 15 kt., but will do so in lighter air. The turning block at the gooseneck could easily be a block with cleat, such as Harken's exit Cam-matic, if you want to give the crew something to justify their existence.
You will note that we have a section on deck tracks in Black Arts as there seems to be some consensus on that. As to the rest, one sailor's "evolved layout" is another's kludge. There may even be philosophical differences, such as the unbridgable divide between those who like their sail controls infinitely adjustable and fiendishly complicated, and those for whom the mantra is "choose a or b, now get your head out of the boat".
That said, if people want to submit photos of the way they have organized their decks, there are instructions for posting photos in an earlier item, Using photos in your posts. If these make a real contribution, I will cheerfully swipe them and organize them into a page or pages.
David Weatherston
Towser, Toronto
C&C 27 Mk IV
Results from the NOODs at RCYC in Toronto are now available on the Events page along with a link to Sailing World's coverage.
Congratulations to all who sailed and particularly to Bob Wilson (1st) and Larry Bayer (2nd), the two driving forces behind the 27 Association.
David Weatherston
Towser, Toronto
C&C 27 Mk IV
The problems that plague 27's are much the same as those that afflict any 30-year-old boat: worn-out ______ (fill in the blank, from deck gear to engine), with the addition of the problem posed by water invasion of the balsa-cored deck (27 hulls are solid glass and seem to hold up very well).
Moisture in the balsa may be a minor or major problem, but only an experienced surveyor can tell for sure. There is an extended discussion of this in the thread, "Deck core moisture", so I won't repeat, except to say that it is essential that you have an experienced surveyor look at the boat and give you a detailed assessment. The alternative is a multi-thousand dollar surprise. (BTW, this is only one of many reasons to have a survey, but it's arguably the one area where a savvy amateur is out of his depth – you cannot get a good picture of the state of the deck unless you have a moisture meter and you know how to use it reliably.)
The "worn out" issue is entirely a personal assessment. C&C used good-quality components, but thirty years of use is thirty years of use. As I knew I would, I took a lot of gear off my boat that I regarded as unacceptably clapped out; a neighbour pounced on it as though I was proposing to throw out gold bars. We got surprised here, though – we knew the cushions were aesthetically a mild abomination but we figured we could live with them. One cruise, though, and we were shopping for a marine upholsterer; every morning we'd wake red-eyed from lack of sleep and allergies (and we don't normally have allergies). I don't think anyone could have predicted that issue. The engine, initially fine, developed over the next five years an embarrassing tendency to coat the surrounding water with oil on startup and an accelerating thirst for oil, necessitating a rebuild.
I was going to end this by offering the usual pro-forma apology for not being more specific, but a positive suggestion has just occurred to me. This forum is about 85% questions from people who have run into a problem with their 27's, from masthead sheaves to worn-out cutless bearings; in the aggregate, it's a fantastic snapshot of the issues that these boats now face. All you have to do is pull the pieces together.
Look through the postings, note the issues that are raised in each and you probably will have created a first-rate checklist of the potential issues that you'll find on your target boat. Some may have been addressed by the present owner, some may still be festering and you'll have to factor in the cost of fixing them, but you'll have a very good sense of what you're about to buy. (And please, if you create this checklist, post a copy here.)
Of course this is not a replacement for a professional survey, but if you do make this checklist, you'll probably go in with your eyes more open than most of us. Good luck.
David Weatherston
Towser, Toronto
C&C 27 Mk IV
Joe:
Thank you for the windows update. I hope you don't mind, but I immediately swiped a portion of your post as an addition to the Windows section of Black Arts. Prior to this, everyone has said that the frames do have to come out and that's the sort of additional complexity that makes people shy away from a very rewarding job ('hard work pays off tomorrow – procrastination pays off immediately').
As to replacing the gasket, note the recommendation in Tools and Spare Parts for 3M Spray Penetrant as a superior product for loosening stiff fasteners.
David Weatherston
Towser, Toronto
C&C 27 Mk IV
You may not want to go so far afield from Oyster Bay, NY as St. Catherines, ON. Have you looked at West Marine or a local marine canvas supplier? Mainsail covers – in my experience, anyway – are a fairly generic product.
David Weatherston
Towser, Toronto
C&C 27 Mk IV
The original Atomic 4 manual won't tell you much. Have a look at the Links & Contacts page where you will find links to the Atomic 4 Service Manual, which takes you out to the limit of what most people are comfortable doing, including such tasks as tune-ups, shaft alignment, transmission adjustment and winterization. On the Moyer Marine site you'll find Mr. Moyer's very comprehensive manual, intended to help you do everything you might conceivably want to do, including a complete rebuild. The add-ons from Moyer and Indigo are worth considering.
As to the owner's manual, you might find a .pdf for sale on the C&C Photo Album site. I didn't find much of interest in my Mk IV manual, and it's probably more detailed than the earlier ones. This site and particularly this Forum have become the de facto owner's guide.
Search the Forum for discussions of ventilation. People have inquired about opening ports, but there don't seem to be many satisfactory answers other than installing a fan, and making a screened companionway slide and a rain hood for the forward hatch.
David Weatherston
Towser, Toronto
C&C 27 Mk IV
Remember, the problem with common sense is that it's not that common. Also, what appears obvious inside your head has the potential to mean something quite different to others unless you are very careful in your choice of words.
When you say a "puncture of the hull", I think most readers would join me in envisioning damage to the skin or structure of the vessel, not the failure of a through-hull, which is what you appear to be talking about now. A "puncture of the hull", an "accidental piercing" to use the dictionary definition, would tend to be irregular and almost inevitably larger than a broken-off through-hull and certainly larger than one of those little blobs of epoxy they sell in chandleries. As you now elaborate the situation, the epoxy is an acceptable solution but your wood plugs are, as you say, better. I wouldn't, however, want anyone to come away from this discussion thinking that ten bucks' worth of kneadable epoxy is the answer to all their prayers if they should wallop a floating picnic table (one of the main hazards on this lake) at 7 knots.
As my wooden plugs and mallet are a kit, as it were, I prefer to keep everything together. Different ships, different splices (or some suitably salty bromide).
You'll find a short section on damage control on the Tools & Spares page now; again, thank you for the suggestions.
If it bugs you that people are hitting you up constantly for stuff they should be looking after themselves, do as one friend of mine began doing when he found too many people cadging "a little dab" of this or that – tell them it will cost them a beer. Sensible people won't mind because they won't feel like such mooches and the hard-core parasites (every club or marina has a couple) will go pick on someone else.
David Weatherston
Towser, Toronto
C&C 27 Mk IV
Thank you for your suggestions. I should have thought of the wooden plugs - I have them myself, though I keep a bag of them together with a wooden mallet, rather than fixing them to the relevant seacock. Once they are tapped in snugly (not pounded, which might compound the problem), you are supposed to secure them with seizing wire. The local plumbing store also sells an epoxy tape designed to fix leaking pipes which might work as a temporary patch for hoses.
As an aside, it's probably just as important to think seriously about using emergency gear as it is to have it. A C&C 30 sank in Lake Ontario a dozen or more years back and the people on board nearly died of hypothermia; the owner acknowledged that he panicked and didn't even attempt to locate the source of the inflow.
I've often heard people talking about mending hull punctures with 'instant' epoxy, but I think this is based on a misconception of the nature of a 'hull puncture'. Coincidentally, I saw one of these this Sunday when a N-M 36 (Maggie Kelly for you LORC followers) returned from the club's regatta course taking on water from a port-starboard t-boning. Now this was not a serious sinking-condition situation – the crew was drinking while waiting for the travellift to move into position – but the seriously damaged area was 9"-12" around. Fix that with the little packages of kneadable epoxy they feature in the West catalogue? Don't think so. A double handful might have helped. I'm not saying that you shouldn't have this on board – just that you should be clear about what it can and cannot do. West does sell a damage control package that consists primarily of a chemically activated, hole-plugging sponge.
As to the 3M Spray Penetrant – Google found this for me on a page featuring products designed to protect your weapons systems, so I rang up 3M and asked if they had a package deal of 3M product and a weapons system, but they said that, like batteries, it's a case of "weapons system sold separately". In addition, they don't sell it in Canada.
David Weatherston
Towser, Toronto
C&C 27 Mk IV
The "best way to repair a 2 foot (50cm) rip in an old dacron head sail" is to take it to a sailmaker.
Sticky-back dacron is okay for temporary repairs or for permanent repairs to unloaded areas (for instance, if the foot of a main gets rubbed through against a shroud). The spreader tip area, though, is part of the most heavily loaded area of the sail and sticky-back cannot be expected to hold this load. The result almost certainly will be further damage to the sail.
Failing a trip to a sailmaker, I suggest you buy a current book on sailmaking (there are quite a number around - visit a bookstore like Nautical Mind or call and ask for suggestions for books on sailmaking or sail repair). The sewing work shouldn't be too difficult, but choosing and orienting fabric makes the difference between something you'll be content with and a 'new' tarpaulin.
David Weatherston
Towser, Toronto
C&C 27 Mk IV
Bob:
Check out Black Arts >> Hyperion's new engine for which Ralph contributed photos and text, including cost information.
David Weatherston
Towser, Toronto
C&C 27 Mk IV
I cannot comment on whether you are crazy or not without more information, but I do believe your knotmeter is over-reading.
According to this page, the theoretical hull speed is 6.4 kt. Boats can exceed the theoretical when surfing on waves and so on, but I do think the numbers you're getting are excessive. It's time to read the section of your knotmeter's manual on calibrating your instrument against a known distance.
David Weatherston
Towser, Toronto
C&C 27 Mk IV
You don't mention the vintage of your boat (important as the boats differ in many details) but my Mk IV's ice box drains from the forward bottom into a hose that's foamed-in under the box, but emerges just aft of the front of the engine box. This hose runs across the boat, forward of the engine bearers, and joins a small white pump under the sink. To drain the ice box, you put the end of the outflow hose in the sink and pump. The virtue of this system when it works is that you are not draining water contaminated by old lettuce and bits of salami into your bilge.
Your most likely problem is that the pump is kaput. Try connecting a different pump and clearing the box that way. If your drain hose is blocked (dead food, most likely), you might be able to clear it by disconnecting the pump and inserting a piece of electrical wire in the drain end, then pushing the blockage through. On the other hand, with a good pump, you might be able to suck the blockage out.
The other option is a built in cooling system like the Adler-Barbour – no ice, therefore little to mop out of the ice box. The Association head, Bob Wilson of Legacy has one and he is very happy with it.
David Weatherston
Towser, Toronto
C&C 27 Mk IV
Years ago, one of the sailing magazines suggested running a hose fitting up through the deck to deal with standing water. Specifically, they suggested using a fitting with the hose barb on one end and threads on the other. The idea was to epoxy or 5200 the threaded end flush with the deck so the water would drain away to a tube that exited into the cockpit near its drains.
I have to say it strikes me as a lot of bother for a relatively minor aesthetic problem, but it is infinitely superior to the notion of hacking away a piece of the alloy toerail, a component that when intact must contribute significantly to the strength of the boat.
David Weatherston
Towser, Toronto
C&C 27 Mk IV
I had wondered why the data from that buoy often included wind speeds that didn't accord with what we were seeing near shore during summer. Reading your distances from various harbours, the penny dropped.
In the early 80's, LORC tried to get around the windlessness that had plagued its races previous summers by locating the Keel A course way out in the Lake -- 12 miles south of Gibraltar Point, to be exact. This turned out to be an absolute disaster. We often found ourselves windless, swatting flies and -- this was the killer -- watching the fleets race closer to the shore. We were so far out that we could see races on both sides of the lake when it was clear.
What none of us understood at the time is that a sea breeze is a closed circuit system, so the air that rises over land doesn't sort of disappear somewhere; rather, it flows back out to sea at higher altitude, then drops down onto the water to take the shoreward trip again. The area where this air falls, called the 'impact zone' by some, is almost totally windless. On the ocean, the sea breeze flows from ocean to land, so the impact zone is a band paralleling the shore. On a lake, where the breeze-generating land surrounds the water, the return circulation, coming from all directions, creates a massive impact zone in the centre of the lake.
A huge area with no wind, in which we were trying to race, and which is now home to the weather buoy.
David Weatherston
Towser, Toronto
C&C 27 Mk IV
Recently, an Association member asked how he could include a photo with his explanatory post. It occurred to me that a) many of us now have digital cameras b) many users of this forum have questions, answers or ideas that can best be explained with a photo.
Photos, however, take up web space and they increase our traffic load, all of which cost money. The obvious solution is to say that if you want to post a picture, you, the poster are going to pay the freight by using something you already pay for, but probably don't use.
Here's how it works:
Most internet service providers (ISP's) give you a certain amount of web space when you sign up. They are generous with it because they are almost certain you won't use it. Here's your chance to get your money's worth.
First, size your photo appropriately. Many readers are on dial-up lines and a photo or page in excess of 50Kb is a pain to download (that's why this site uses fast-loading thumbnails). Post your picture on your web space (I'm not going to explain this because the details differ from ISP to ISP – it's fiddly but not hard if you follow your ISP's directions). Double-check that the photo is where you think it is on the web by navigating your browser to it.
You then have two options. You can simply copy the URL from your browser and paste it in a post, as in
"Here's a picture of my backstay:
http://www.cc27association.com/photos/backstay.jpg
blah, blah, blah."
Note that this is a live link that users can click on, that will make the photo appear where your message was. The one disadvantage is that for most users, your photo or site will appear within the frame of this site (it will have our nav bar down the site and the only way to get back to your original post is by using the browser's 'back' button).
Alternatively, you can get fancy with hand-written HTML, as in
"Here's a picture of my backstay. blah, blah, blah."
This not only looks cleaner, it opens the target site in a new window, which makes it easier for less sophisticated users to find their way back here. This is written
"Here's a picture of my [a href="replace the-coloured-text-with-your-photo's-URL" target="_blank"]linkedword[/a]. blah, blah, blah."
I have crippled the code here so it doesn't disappear into the page HTML – to make it work, the [ should be a < and the ] should be a >. "linkedword" is the word readers will click on to go to your photo or site. Be careful not to move or delete the quote marks.)
When you compose a post in this forum, you have the opportunity to preview your post; don't forget to test the link then. Remember also that if you change ISP's or change the location of the photo, you'll break the link. You won't be able to repair this unless you have logged in to the site, in which case you'll be able to go back and modify your post.
One last thing: I think that I speak for the majority of visitors in regarding this as a 'functional' rather than as a 'lifestyle' site. Photos illustrating questions and answers, of boats in enviable spots or during races are welcome. On the other hand, I view a willingness to "share" photos of your cute pet on board, of your toddler "steering" the boat, or of your friends wearing silly hats while drunk, etc. as indicators of the imminent collapse of Western civilization. I will assume that, having posted such twaddle in a moment of weakness, you are immediately consumed by regret for having done so, and I will do you the favour of deep-sixing your embarrassing error.
David Weatherston
Towser, Toronto
C&C 27 Mk IV
Later: Since this method was published, dozens of photo sites have sprung up. These will host your photos for free and are simple to work with. Publish your photos on one of these and link to it.
I wouldn't remove the headliner unless you're particularly adept with a chainsaw – it's continuous through the entire interior and it's bonded to the deck. There are, too, easier ways of attaching hardware to the deck. Do not harbour any illusions about running halyards underneath the deck as in more contemporary boats; it's not possible.
On your deck there is a mast step in the form of a U-shaped alloy channel bridged by 3 or 4 stainless rods. Shackle blocks to the rods or to the holes in the step. Halyards turned by these blocks can then lead to deck organizers (which basically are blocks mounted in frames designed to be bolted to the deck – see the Harken and Spinlock catalogues) and from there to line stoppers at the aft end of the coachroof.
When through-bolting gear to the deck (such as the deck organizers or the line stoppers), the standard trick is to drill the mounting hole right through the deck and liner, then to drill upward, just through the liner, with a 3/4" hole saw. This gives you a hole large enough to insert the washer and nut, and to tighten the nut with a socket wrench. The hole is then neatly capped with a plastic plug. In areas where there are a lot of mounting holes, you may prefer to use a piece of white plexiglass, such as was used originally in the area under the coachroof winches.
Note that when drilling holes in the deck, you should follow the procedure laid out in Black Arts >> Deck Tracks for filling the area surrounding each hole with epoxy. This will prevent your deck from rotting out and falling apart.
All the above having been said, let me say that none of the above is particularly difficult, but it is a multi-stage process that requires some understanding of the boat's construction and use of epoxies and sealants if you are to get a satisfactory result. If unsure of how to proceed, you may be happier if you get someone who knows the work to do the first or first few jobs for you. Watch and learn, and the work you do later will be more pleasant and yield a better result.
David Weatherston
Towser, Toronto
C&C 27 Mk IV
"Iris" is right about using a mirror to look at the underside of the bridgedeck and see the nuts that hold the track in place, but I didn't find the same difficulty in removing them. I had a helper hold a socket wrench with a long extension on the nut while I turned the screw from above. It was fussy work but not particularly difficult. Similarly, replacing the track (which I did on the same holes, as hole spacing is standardized) was fussy but not difficult. My then pre-teen daughter and I did the whole job in a little over an hour.
I'd be reluctant to mount one track on another as the second would stand above the bridge deck level, making the seats even more uncomfortable and creating a tripping hazard for people coming out of the companion. If the screws were that difficult to remove, I'd either heat the screw briefly to soften the surrounding bedding compound or drill its head out. Failing that, I'd rent a grinder and cut into the side of the track and through the machine screws (the old track is quite soft, which is why it gets so beat up).
I replaced my old rig with a Harken traveller, which fits nicely in the recess and moves easily under any load. Like "Iris", I ran the crosshauls up the cockpit sides so the traveller can be played by the helm in gusts. This is a continuous line and runs through auto-ratchet blocks, so if the weather crosshaul is accidentally released under load, the car cannot bang down to leeward and hurt someone.
David Weatherston
Towser, Toronto
C&C 27 Mk IV
Since writing the post above, I have exchanged e-mails with Ralph Ainslie of "Hyperion", a 27 Mk I. Hyperion's rudder was destroyed during Hurricane Juan (as detailed in Black Arts) so Ralph had the opportunity to examine a rudder post and reinforcement that had spent some 30 years in salt water. Ralph, who can be presumed to know more than most of us about metal, as his business includes a machine shop, said the following:
"The support plate from Hyperion was carbon steel welded to a Stainless post. It was stitch welded rather than a continuous weld.
"I don't believe having a weld break is an issue. The support plate looked like it just had some rust scale on it and this would mix with the water in the rudder and bleed when the rudder drained. There was no loss of support. I think that the only problem is that the discharge looks ugly."
Your mileage may vary, as they say, but based on the above, I am confident that the greatest danger to a rudder – other than a hurricane – is that trapped water will freeze inside the rudder and split the outer shell.
David Weatherston
"Towser", Toronto
C&C 27 Mk IV
No one seems to want to answer this with direct experience -- which may, I hope, indicate that rudder failure is very rare -- so let's try some conjecture about the risk and the costs of reducing the risk.
You've told us nothing about who you are, where you are or what you do with your boat, nor have you said anything about the age and history of your boat, so there simply is no way that anyone here can offer more than general advice, which is what I’m going to offer. As a background, let me say that several years ago, I heard from a yacht broker that several C&C’s on the lakes had lost their masts due to rigging failure. I balanced the cost (approx C$700) against the risk (known 'smoking gun' multiplied by known issues with my standing wire and the hassle of losing a season -- I reckon the risk of losing the boat and of personal injury to be extant but low) and called the rigger.
Your rudder obviously has some corrosion on its post and support, hence the greasy brown discharge. However, everyone seems to have the same flow of brown crud and we haven't heard from a chorus of people whose rudders have failed, so unless someone out there can tell us that rudder welds have been failing regularly and no one has been admitting it, we can discount brown crud as an indicator of imminent failure.
That still leaves a small possibility that your rudder might be the first to go. Can we drive uncertainty to zero? If your rudder fails, it will almost certainly do so at the weld between post and reinforcing plate. You could x-ray the intact rudder -- almost certainly an expensive proposition, or you could open up the rudder and inspect it directly -- certainly an expensive proposition.
If it did go, what is the risk? If you day-sail or day-race the boat, or your cruising is limited to protected waters, loss of your rudder would mean a spoiled race or an upset holiday. If your sailing takes you to places and situations where a rudder failure could risk the boat or someone's life, then despite the absence of any indicator of significant risk, you may still want to consider a thorough inspection. Alternatively, you should investigate and implement a method for emergency control of a rudderless boat.
David Weatherston
"Towser", Toronto
C&C 27 Mk IV
