Sailing Triteiavideo

Broken Rudder!!! Damage, Immediate Fix with Longterm Considerations... New Rudder?

12 January 2026 · 33 min · 27K views · Rebak Marina, Langkawi

Tattooed sailor fits teak plug into damaged rudder

What this video covers

Coral damage in Indonesia cracked the bronze bottom fitting on Triteia's rudder — a bronze tube-and-socket assembly at the rudder's lower end — discovered during a haul-out at Reebok Marina and Boatyard on Reebok Island in Langkawi, Malaysia, 18,000 miles into a circumnavigation from Los Angeles.1:34 James removes the shoe and plunge-cuts the corroded bronze rods with a multi-tool, finding severe galvanic corrosion (bright pink metal) throughout the fitting.6:08 He fabricates a replacement from nylon rod stock sourced at Multiquip, drilling it in place using the existing rudder bolt holes as guides and securing it with a threaded bolt on top and a lag screw on the bottom, bedded in Sikaflex.16:31 Nylon is chosen over stainless to avoid galvanic corrosion with the surrounding bronze hardware; lost teak filler plugs are remade and epoxied in.10:44 Separately, close inspection of the rudder's overall condition — large cracks and deterioration around the bronze strap — prompts James to consult Captain Noah Pfeffer, who recommends glassing the rudder with 1708 biaxial cloth in epoxy as a three-to-five-year fix but calls it not permanent.27:49 James decides to build an entirely new rudder in Thailand instead, using 3/4-inch marine ply core with a glassed exterior and new stainless pintles, delaying the Indian Ocean crossing by roughly six weeks.28:55 Stainless fabrication and contractor costs favor Thailand over Langkawi, confirmed by advice from Sailing Nanji.30:54

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Boats in this video

Alberg 30Their boat

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