Rudder

 Oops! Flow is being completed faster than I can keep up with writing blog posts. This post is about building Flow's rudder. It's actually been quite a while since the rudder was finished, but better late than never. Now let's take a look back at the process and how the rudder came together.

Once the rudder had been sanded to its final shape, the fiberglass cloth was carefully measured and laminated over the entire surface to ensure it would be strong and durable enough for offshore sailing.

The fiberglass cloth was bonded in place with epoxy, taking care to eliminate any air bubbles and ensure a strong, reliable laminate throughout.

Since we wanted to do this in a professional way, we placed the rudder in a vacuum-bagged plastic setup to ensure that even the smallest air bubbles were removed.

Finally, a small amount of filler was applied to a few areas, and the rudder was finished with a coat of primer.

   

Finally, a topcoat was applied. The hardware holes were carefully epoxy-sealed to prevent any moisture from reaching the wood. Two plastic washers were added to the rudderhead mounting bolt so the tiller can be lifted when needed and moves freely.

A big thank you to my older brother Waltteri for using his professional expertise in the laminating process, and also to Lindgren’s boatyard for kindly letting us use your facilities.