If you are going to keep the boat on-water the rudder should, IMO be sealed with epoxy. Varnish cannot be left submerged. Epoxy requires a covering as it isn't UV stable - antifouling paint will protect the epoxy and keep the marine critters away (mostly). :: Dave Scobie :: M6'8" #650 :: SV SWALLOW - sv-swallow.com :: former owner M17 #375 SWEET PEA - m17-375.com :: former owner M15 #288 SCRED - m15namedscred.wordpress.com <<-- new site! On Thu, Sep 16, 2021, 7:09 AM Andrei Caldararu via montgomery_boats < montgomery_boats@mailman.xmission.com> wrote:
Hello fellow Monty owners, first off, I apologize for having to register a new account on the mailing list, somehow my old account seems to have been bungled up and I was not able to recover it. I have two new maintenance questions: a) The rudder on my 1982 M-17 is the one-piece solid mahogany style. When I got it with the boat about 10 years ago it was wrapped in fiberglass, and coated with a couple of layers of some marine varnish. This summer I kept the boat moored in fresh water, and last time I went to it I noticed that large parts of the fiberglass were peeling off. Is the fiberglass needed, or should I just remove it and re-coat the wood with varnish? If I need to redo it all in fiberglass, what should I do to prevent it from peeling again? b) I have a small leak into the cabin around one of the screws that holds the wood hand rails on top of the cabin. I understand that it is important to re-bed the hand rail before the moisture gets inside the balsa core of the cabin top. What is the procedure for doing that? To begin, how does one remove the small wood caps that are covering the screw heads, without destroying the caps? What material do people recommend for the bedding procedure? Thanks,Andrei.