Sailing Triteia · video

What this video covers

Building a new rudder from scratch on an Alberg 30 mid-circumnavigation, James works in Thailand to replace a 61-year-old all-wood rudder damaged in August 2021 when Triteia struck a partially submerged sea container while sailing between Los Angeles and Hawaii, breaking the rudder free from the tiller post.0:59 He sailed the remaining 1,000 miles to Hawaii using a drogue for steering, had bronze tangs welded onto the tiller shaft as a temporary fix, and decided during a haul-out in Langkawi that the original rudder could not be trusted for the rest of the circumnavigation.1:17 The build uses laminated marine ply as the structural core — fiberglass adds shape, not strength — with West System epoxy and slow hardener chosen specifically for Thailand's heat.2:46 Two initial epoxy coats seal the core before any cloth goes down.6:03 The layup strategy builds thickness on the leading edge using layers of glass mat and woven roving, tapering toward the trailing edge to create a hydrodynamic profile.10:47 James applies two layers per session to avoid rushing the cure and trims excess cloth with a razor blade before it fully sets.16:28 Working in the tropics limits batch size; three pumps of mixed epoxy covers one side per pass before heat accelerates the cure.2:58

Boats in this video

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