Rudder on the rocks...1980 F25

[Plan J]

Greetings, so we got wet again this weekend after four years on land and apparently forgot how dock lines work, ended up in the rocks at the marina momentarily. Boat was in the water for a few days and operated normally, smooth steering and tracks pretty straight, no abnormal vibrations etc... When I pulled her this morning the rudder is bent to the side pretty good.

Is there a preferred method of straightening the rudder shaft? Parts readily available?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

We are trailering the boat in and out this season (inland waters) so I am tempted to let it be for now but not sure if that's a smart approach.

Picture attached.

IMG_0364-2.jpg (149.54 KiB) Viewed 4621 times

Cheers!

[prowlersfish]

I would replace it , hard to get the shaft 100% straight . A bent rudder can flex the fiberglass as you turn it ,causing cracks . I almost sunk mine because of this .

[Boppy]

Did the same thing to our F26 last year, but really did a number on it. Bent the shaft back almost 20 degrees. It was barely steerable but we limped back to dock. Checked in with my service/storage marina nearby and they told me to check with my insurance carrier first regarding repair reimbursement. Turns out the insurance covered all but $250 of the repair, which included shaft straightening at a machine shop and prop reconditioning. The shaft is stainless and the rudder is bronze. All repairs were top notch. Glad I didn’t crack the hull when I banged up the rudder. Hope that helps.

23E1E624-A045-4C9A-9859-5392B2E581B8.jpeg (134.14 KiB) Viewed 4606 times

[Plan J]

Thank you for the input, very much appreciated.

Boppy, your's was really bad, also glad that there is no hull damage.

I was able to remove the rudder (had to dig a little hole in the gravel...lol) and with the help of a shop press, straighten it out to the point where it should be good to go. Not perfect but I didn't want to crack it further, there is evidence of a tiny crack starting near where the shaft (bronze on this one) and rudder meet. I will send the rudder and prop out for repair after she is laid up for the winter.

[Boppy]

Glad you were able to repair it yourself. Saved some big bucks there! Check you rudder box, etc for leakage when you replace the rudder/post and get it back on the water.

[kbait]

I hit a rock several years ago w/my '79 f25. Luckily, there was a bunch of extra shaft sticking up from the tiller.. I could just cut the bend off and re-use the straight portion. Good job fixing yours!