Replacement rudder on E27?

[Razman23]

I found a E27 for sale but the owner says that the bolt that holds the tiller to the rudder shaft broke. When he returned to the boat to repair it, the rudder had slipped out and probably sank to the bottom of the slip.

Granted I could always dive in and search for it but I was wondering how hard will it be to find a replacement rudder for this boat?

He says that a company named Fossfoam can make a new one for $800.

[coreywoodworking]

They make replacement rudders for lots of sailboats, and the product is very good. Don't shop further, Fossfoam is the one.

With regard to the rudder dropping out because of one bolt, that's suspect. Most rudders have at least one more bearing inside the hull. You might be looking at this boat because it's a good price, but if an owner let that bolt corrode that much, I'd be worried. I'm on my fourth fixer-upper sailboat and it would probably be a good idea to keep looking. It's amazing what opportunities you can find.

I know of a Caliber 28 (not mine-- I have a C28 also) in Annapolis in great shape (all new sails and rigging, with diesel fuel polished) for about $16,000. Email me at marinewoodwork@gmail for more data.

[Razman23]

Thanks for the info. I checked out Fossfoams website and couldnt decide if their product would hold up.

The boat needs to cosmetic cleanup (buff and waxing on hull) as far as I can tell.

He is selling it for $3500.

He said that the bolt worked loose. He removed the tiller and then returned a couple of days later to re-attach it and the rudder was gone. I dont know how the rudder is afixed on a ericson so I am taking his explanation with a grain of salt.

[rhessenius]

Raz- Before I bought. I would go for a swim and take a look, but I would really make sure that is where the rudder is. There are a lot of E-27's out there for sale to be had for that kind of $. I would really look hard at this boat and question if the lost rudder was a freak occurence or the general care of maintenence by an idiot. There is a loyal group of Ericson present and past owners at www.Ericsonyachts.com that have tons of knowledge to talk you through all issues. Rob Hessenius

[step1sailboat]

Well me and a friend bought this boat in early Feb. We also contacted Fossfoam, and check out all other options as well. We decided to try to locate the rudder below the boat. By using an underwater camera system, we found the rudder. It was directly below the cockpit, and inverted.
Did I mention that it was in 26ft. of water, and the surface temp was 48, the depth below 17ft. was 42. We decided to use a snare to retrive the rudder, and was succesful today!