MacGregorSailors.com

I just saw these new performance rudders available for the later model 26X with the stainless steel rudder brackets atMacgregors owners. They cost $399.00 for the pair.

I believe these are the same ones also avalilable from idasailor.com, a very knowledgeble group of people when it comes to blades for our Macs.

I was a member of the Mac sailnet email forum when Joel first started introducing the HDPE rudder and centerboards for the 26D and S. I read a lot of great reviews about his product on that list. I do not have first hand knowledge, however I was just looking at his webpage earlier today and am seriously considering purchasing the rudders.

I'm not sure whether I'll buy the brackets or the rudders, but at $400 for the pair, I'm sure I'll hesitate to learn what all the commotion is about.

Surely, there is someone who already has these on a X and would provide a performance review?

Apparently, owners of the older model with AL brackets are out-of-luck like me.

The past two years Conch Cruisers trips, we have had two different 26S break their HDPE rudders. On the '03 trip to Bimini, the rudder, which was a laminated sandwich of two mirrored halves, first delaminated at approximately the top half of the rudder, then one of the halves broke close to the bracket. The rudder remained attached by the other half, but it was so flexible that it was worthless in providing control of the boat.

On the Dry Tortugas trip this year, the rudder simply broke off cleanly at the bottom of the bracket. It remained attached by the pull down line and was saved.

In both cases we were able to do emergency repairs so the boats could keep sailing.

I don't know whether the breaks were due to impact or some other abuse, or simply that they were defective. Though, it seems to me delamination, regardless of how caused, is a manufacturing defect. I also know that through two trips, and a total of 37 boat-trips, we have yet to see a fiberglass rudder break.

I do not know who was the manufacturer of the broken rudders, nor whether this is the same outfit. I understand they were both replaced without question immediately under warranty.

My own feeling is that if I had a broken or severely damaged rudder and was in the position to replace it anyway, I might try these. Otherwise, I'm pretty skeptical that a slightly different shape on the rudders will provide $400 worth of improved performance.

Chip,

were you able to get a really good look at the joining methods of the polyethyene rudders.

PE, and even more so HDPE, and worst is UMWPE are notorious for not being suitable for Solvent, thermal or RF welding or conventional adhesives. were the halves of the boards mechanically bolted or welded togehter?

PE is most suited for high impact not high tensile applications, tubing,
cutting boards, bushings.......


I could see PE (of any type) bushings between the brackets and the rudder, but PE rudders seem a solution for the wrong problem.

just one opinion in the dark........

WW wrote:Chip,

were you able to get a really good look at the joining methods of the polyethyene rudders.

Interesting you should ask. Other than the bolts through the brackets, neither rudder was mechanically fastened in any way. The delamintion on the first rudder was quite clean, shiny in the center, no evidence that the center portion had ever been stuck together. It was as if the two halves had only been solvent or heat welded only around the periphery, not in the center. My guess is the weak fastening method simply sheared at the joint when the rudder bent. We repaired this one with multiple screws through the separate parts to prevent further shearing and bolted an additional metal plate across the break.

I didn't notice whether the second was a laminated sandwich, so either it was one piece or that wasn't the problem; in any case it simply broke off fairly cleanly just below the bracket. That one we simply drilled new holes in and remounted the shortened version.

Chip Hindes wrote:The past two years Conch Cruisers trips, we have had two different 26S break their HDPE rudders. On the '03 trip to Bimini, the rudder, which was a laminated sandwich of two mirrored halves, first delaminated at approximately the top half of the rudder, then one of the halves broke close to the bracket. The rudder remained attached by the other half, but it was so flexible that it was worthless in providing control of the boat.

On the Dry Tortugas trip this year, the rudder simply broke off cleanly at the bottom of the bracket. It remained attached by the pull down line and was saved.

In both cases we were able to do emergency repairs so the boats could keep sailing.

I don't know whether the breaks were due to impact or some other abuse, or simply that they were defective. Though, it seems to me delamination, regardless of how caused, is a manufacturing defect. I also know that through two trips, and a total of 37 boat-trips, we have yet to see a fiberglass rudder break.

I do not know who was the manufacturer of the broken rudders, nor whether this is the same outfit. I understand they were both replaced without question immediately under warranty.

My own feeling is that if I had a broken or severely damaged rudder and was in the position to replace it anyway, I might try these. Otherwise, I'm pretty skeptical that a slightly different shape on the rudders will provide $400 worth of improved performance.

Thanks for the feedback. The Mac Owners group said their rudders were cut from a solid piece of stock so this would eliminate the separation problems and give strengh I would think.