Hi all,

I recently hauled out my Westsail 32 and while sanding the hull in preparation for antifouling I noticed a small crack in the rudder. When I investigated, it turned out not to be just a surface issue and I saw water actively coming out of it.

I enlarged the area slightly and more water slowly started to drip out. I also suspect there may have been a previous repair in this spot as there are signs of filler.

I then drilled a small 3 mm drain hole at the bottom of the rudder and around 0.5 to 0.75 litres of water came out.

I performed a tap test with the handle of a screwdriver and the rudder sounds solid throughout with no soft spots. Structurally it feels firm and the shape looks fair.

My current plan is to leave the rudder open to dry for several days to a week, then close the openings and inspect for any other possible water ingress points before sealing everything properly.

Has anyone experienced a similar issue on a Westsail 32 rudder, and if so, what was your source of ingress and repair approach?

Any advice or shared experience would be appreciated.

Sounds good but I need to come up with a plan to this mess. I took out the metal bracket to see if the damage goes further. But structurally it seem fine. So I think I will let it dry properly. Fill in the cavity and fiberglass it. Hopefully this will do the trick.