Dark fluid dripping from rudder post

[Richard]

When I last had the boat on land, I saw dark fluid leaking around the rudder shoe. I assume this is rust from the rusty rudder cage that is finding its way out. I have not dropped the rudder.  Any comments on the seriousness of this issue?

[psherwood]

You might want to worm your way back into the man cave and inspect the
rudder cage, which, unfortunately, is built with mild steel. Take a
light and a mirror with you. With luck, yours isn't too badly rusted and
can be scraped/wire brushed somewhat and bathed with Ospho and then
coated with your anti-rust marine metal paint of choice. A messy,
awkward, time consuming job, but in the grand scheme of things not the
end of the world.

If, on the other hand, you discover that some parts of the rudder cage
are severely compromised by rust, you're looking at a big replacement
project. Some members of this list have redone their rudder cages and
can go into detail about what is entailed.

You also might want to know why there's enough water in there that some
is dripping out the bottom. Is there water evident around the rudder
post and base of the cage when you're floating? Does there appear to be
a lot of play in the rudder post? Could it be something easy like the
deck plate in the cockpit above the top of the post (where you'd fit the
emergency tiller) is loose and isn't sealing? Usually it's stuck tight
and a hassle to remove if it hasn't been removed approx annually, had
its threads greased, and replaced. But it's a weird world and who knows
anymore...

Phil
ex Cynosure

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[Kyle L]

We have noticed this at our haul-outs as well, and I was told by my fiberglass guy that it's normal and that he sees it all the time. He himself had a Baba 40 and has been doing structural work at various yards around Seattle for 40 years. I don't stress about it. There are so many joints in and around the rudder to trap water and it makes sense to me that it would seep out on land. Our rudder cage and steering quadrant are all in great shape, and the boat is fairly new as a 2004. Certain chemistries of resin and adhesives can also discolor due to moisture, so it may not be rust. Hope that helps ease your concerns. I do realize that worrying about rudder integrity is completely normal and valid. Maybe do NDI (non-destructive inspection) or tap testing to see if you have any serious delamination issues. But again I think this is normal so I wouldn't worry about it.

[Marty McOmber]

I agree with all that has been said.  

One other area that might produce the goo is the skeg itself. They basically filled the skeg mold with lots of chopped strand mat (as they so loved to do) and so there will be a lot of voids in the skeg where water can collect and develop its lovely appearance.  Basically this is the same way they built the mast step, which I became intimately familiar with this winter, but that is another story. 

But if you have an 1980s era boat, and you haven’t dropped the rudder, then it is something you probably should do if time and budget allow. I’d definitely sound the rudder as Kyle suggested and if there are any concerns, then drill some holes and see if you have water in the rudder.  Passport in the 1980s didn’t use the best quality stainless steel. Our rudder post suffered from bad crevice corrosion where it passed through the hull. It was compromised enough that we decided to replace the rudder a few years ago.  

We took the old rudder apart, and the stainless armatures inside it were in fairly decent shape and there wasn’t much water intrusion. Still the armatures were welded to the rudder post, and since the post was trashed, the whole thing needed to go.   

To drop your rudder, you’ll need to make sure the boat is blocked up so the bottom of the keel is about 2 feet off the ground. That should give you enough clearance to the ground for the rudder post to exit the hull.  (Or you’ll need to dig a pit under the rudder if the yard allows).  The bronze shoe is held in place by four copper or bronze bolts and likely something akin to 5200.  Drill out the heads of those bolts on one side and knock them out. Then swear a lot and get that shoe off.  The rudder should then drop out. (Put some blocks under the rudder so it doesn’t drop on your foot :) 

The rudder cage is really there to stop the rudder from jumping up and out of the skeg shoe in a seaway and a convenient place for rudder stops.  It does provide some lateral support as well for the top of the post.  

As Phil noted, we are one of the folks who replaced that whole shebang when we made the new rudder — removed the cage and installed a Jefa rudder tube with bearing and a Jefa deckplate/bearing at the top with new emergency tiller. You don’t need to do all of that and there are less crazy and expensive ways to address the cage/steering if needed.  

We actually thought the original cage was in okay shape and I was diligent in keeping it rust free and painted. But we discovered that, despite our efforts, the cage components that were encased in the fiberglass plinth (and out of sight) were badly corroded — basically gone.  When we removed the plinth entirely, we found a lot of water had infiltrated it over the years — the poor mild steel of the cage never had a chance. Only one leg was actually attached to anything, but you wouldn’t know that by looking at the exposed parts of the cage. By the way, under that plinth (and more chopped stand mat) is a big old bronze plate that is connected to the lower portion of your rudder packing gland.  

If you want to check whether there is water in the plinth, just drill a 3/16”hole into the lowest point on the forward side until you hit the foam they used to form the plinth (about 1/2 inch or so).  If you see the Mississippi spewing forth (or it weeps), you may want to investigate further.   

I have pictures of all this.  But it’s not Halloween yet and don’t want to scare anyone any more than I probably already have.  

If you have a worst case scenario and need a new rudder — and would like to do it yourself (or with the help of a good fiberglass guy like we had) - several of us have done so and can guide you in the particulars. There is also a place out of Florida that makes replacement rudders and might have a Passport 40 mold already.  

Hope that helps.  

Marty

   

Sent from my iPad

On Oct 15, 2025, at 6:43 AM, Kyle L <kyle.l...@gmail.com> wrote:

We have noticed this at our haul-outs as well, and I was told by my fiberglass guy that it's normal and that he sees it all the time. He himself had a Baba 40 and has been doing structural work at various yards around Seattle for 40 years. I don't stress about it. There are so many joints in and around the rudder to trap water and it makes sense to me that it would seep out on land. Our rudder cage and steering quadrant are all in great shape, and the boat is fairly new as a 2004. Certain chemistries of resin and adhesives can also discolor due to moisture, so it may not be rust. Hope that helps ease your concerns. I do realize that worrying about rudder integrity is completely normal and valid. Maybe do NDI (non-destructive inspection) or tap testing to see if you have any serious delamination issues. But again I think this is normal so I wouldn't worry about it.

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[Richard]

Marty,

 

I am ready for a Halloween fright and would like to see the photos of your rudder cage repair. It cannot be any scarier than looking at my rusty cage and picturing what is ahead. Can you post them on the forum for others, as well?

I am planning to tackle the project this fall/winter while the boat is in the water.  Though, in reality, I will probably need to haul her to drop the rudder. 

Thank you for sharing so much of your knowledge on this user group.

Richard Lanier

[Richard]

Kyle,

Thanks for talking about your experience with dark liquid seeping from the rudder shoe. After discussing it with a commercial fisherman in my yard, we decided it is rust from the rudder cage. I put her back in the water. Though, at some point, I want to drop the rudder to do an inspection.

Richard