J/30 Class Association Forums J/30 Forum The Boat, Sails and Equipment Soggy Rudder

I pulled Koesh (HIN TSP 30207 0380...does that make her hull 302 or 207?) and after pressure washing it looks like I have vertical cracks in the leading edge of the rudder. I'm assuming the worst, as in swollen core and cracked glass, but I haven't cored anything there yet. My first inclination is to build myself a new, balanced (non One-Design) rudder for local PHRF racing and see if I can find a One-Design rudder for if I go class racing. I also drilled a 1/4" hole in the hull, stbd side about a foot out from the leading edge of the keel and got wet, but not decayed balsa. Anybody have ideas on drying core? I have her at home, on a trailer and can leave her there as long as it takes. I was thinking about low pressure vacuum over a long period of time. Anybody tried it? I won't apply vacuum 'til summer when the air is dry, though.

I had the same problem on Judicious And the remedy was to drill the hull like a teabag by drilling 9 holes per square foot tenting off and having infra red heaters and two dehumidifiers going until the core was dried then epoxy nailing all the holes

Thanks Jim!
I hadn't thought about dehumidifiers. Not sure if they'd work on the gravel pad where I have her stored. I might need to drag her inside for the winter for that to work, but that means I couldn't use my shop for anything else for the duration and I don't think my lady will approve of that this winter...working on a remodel What size holes did you drill? I recall Frank needing to do the same thing on Ciao (#282) but I never got to see the process.

Not sure what size the holes were cant get a hold of the person who did the job at the moment.will keep trying.When you drill the holes do from the outside and only through the outer skin then use a flat nose drill and put in just far enough to clean the glass on the inner skin so that the epoxy will adhere to it

Thanks Jim!
I have a full set of "brad pint" bits and drill stops I can use. I'll experiment with depths until the point comes out clean of balsa and has just a little bit of epoxy scrapings on it. Your listing shows you have "Juducious" in Ireland? What part?
:Doug

Hi Doug,
I am guessing that you are looking at the sail number which is from southern Ireland which was where the original owner was.We keep Judicious on a mooring at Sandbank in the Holy Loch on the river Clyde Scotland.

Hi Jim,
Yes, I was looking at the picture in the Fleets Roster. Looks like you have some excellent water to sail on at Holy Loch, too. We're racing mostly in "the ditch" of the Columbia River, but at least we usually have decent wind here...usually in the low 20's in the summer.
I'll be drilling Koesh much as you did yours, but I'll wait 'til drier weather in spring. Right now I think I'd just be adding to the problem if I left it open to the weather.
Thanks,
Doug Marshall
Koeshtkah #207

TSP is Tillotson Pearson, 30 is J/30, Hull #207, built March 1980, x-Ricochet.