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Question on rudder paint...E35-3 instruction manual

1911tex

Sustaining Member
My boat is on the hard for bottom anti-fouling work...I just noticed in my '85 manual for the factory Foss Fiberglass and urethane rudder.......warning.."will not warranty a rudder that has been painted a color other than WHITE". O.k. I know this boat has been out of warrantee for 34 years; however, if the anti-fouling bottom coating is "other than white", which will of course include the rudder......what is the downside??
 

Loren Beach

O34 - Portland, OR
Senior Moderator
Blogs Author
When on the hard, direct sunlight may sometimes heat up and even warp a rudder blade. Dark colors of paint exacerbate this potential problem.
Or, so I have been told over the years.
 

Afrakes

Sustaining Member
My boat, with a black painted rudder, spends the majority of it's time on a trailer. As soon as the boat is hauled for the winter the rudder is covered and stays covered until it's time to splash again in the spring. Direct sunlight on a black painted rudder will definitely cause the skin to separate from the foam.
 

gabriel

Live free or die hard
here’s my piece of junk when I bought her October 2017. Was an Arizona boat boat it’s whole life so it endured some sun and heat. bottom paint was very chalky when I picked it up but was originally blue.


When I stripped and repainted the rudder last summer the only damage I found was from the prop bites it got when steering to far to starboard with the outboard down. All the lamination was fine.


I’m not saying the guys above me are wrong it’s just my experience and my rudder may be of different materials or construction. take it for what it is.
 

Afrakes

Sustaining Member
My rudder was replaced two years ago and it came with the same warning from Foss. I think that any light color would be less of a problem than black.
 

markvone

Sustaining Member
Back in the 80's I lived right around the corner from my boatyard which was also the home of the local Ericson dealer, Spicer's Marine in Noank, Ct. They always recommended white paint for all the Foss rudders. They actually had a supply of white Interlux Micron 33 they would apply to all the Ericson rudders. I already had white Micron 33 on my E26-2 and E33RH bottoms so I didn't need the dealer paint Almost all of the Ericsons had white rudders regardless of the bottom color. Another option a few people took was to cover the rudder with a white cover when out of the water.
A white nylon laundry bag can be bought cheap on the internet to use as a cover.

I don't believe the outboard rudders on the E23, E25, E30-1, E31 & E36C are foam cores like the Foss inboard rudders. My E23 had black bottom paint when I bought it from the same dealer above with the white paint.

Mark
 
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