Looking to buy a Cat34, need advice from members

[Noah]

Here is what you MAY be seeing in that aftermarket rudder. Supposedly the Rudder Craft rudders are meant to drain water and their foam material does not become saturated.
https://www.catalinadirect.com/images/features/Rudder%20Craft%20Spade%20Rudders.pdf?CFID=5039003&CFTOKEN=ec143df485ec8cbd-607D1062-D721-8FB9-3BB147005EAB02CD

[Matthieu G]

A few years ago the "oversized rudder" subject came up with much heated discussion
https://c34.org/bbs/index.php/topic,10327.0.html

Thanks Noah for the link to that previous discussion and for the Rudder craft info page.
This sheds a lot of light on the different C34's rudders.
And concerning the one in my photo, these black stains are not a good sign.

[Noah]

I am not so sure it is that "cut and dried". The way Rudder Craft talks, their rudders will allow water to enter but will drain without becoming saturated. That MAY be the case with the one you pictured??? I believe the one pictured is not an original OEM Catalina rudder so its history and construction is uncertain to me.

[Jim Hardesty]

their rudders will allow water to enter but will drain without becoming saturated.

I don't see how that helps with the webs inside the rudder rusting and failing.  If rust is seen it needs to be addressed.

Rudder repair/replacement is one of the more straight forward repairs and when it's fixed it's fixed.  Easy to put a dollar cost on it and unlike many boat jobs little chance of costly surprises.  Unless buying a ready to sail boat is a priority would not stop me from buying a boat that needs a new rudder.  Of course that gets figured in the price.
Jim

[Ron Hill]

Guys : I agree with Jim, if there is rust - that means the grid inside the layup is ordinary steel and not a stainless grid as in the new elliptical rudders.   

A few thoughts

[Noah]

If it is truly rust we are seeing in the pic, not just dirty draining seawater. Hard to tell from pic without being there.

[glennd3]

My weep holes are on the bottom of my rudder. I know it is a replacement from Catalina. I can get more info but I do not like calling the PO because she starts to cry when she thinks of the boat and her husband who passed.