When the boat's an old one and parts are unavailable, making your own is a great solution, confirms Ric Steeves, owner of Noah's, a boat-building supply store in Toronto. (In fact, Cottage Life publisher Al Zikovitz went the same route last summer when the rudder of his '40s-era wooden powerboat snapped in half. His homemade one suits the look of the boat and works just fine, Zikovitz reports.)

Since the replica you've made is softwood, the fibreglass coating is important, both to stiffen the rudder and to keep moisture (and thus rot) at bay. Steeves suggests you apply two layers - 6-oz. fibreglass cloth should work well - and use epoxy resin. Less-expensive polyester resin is commonly used to make fibreglass boat hulls, but Steeves says it doesn't stick to wood as well as epoxy does, and for a rudder-sized job the expense (around $34 for one quart, sufficient for this size of boat) would be well worth it. Morten Fogh, of Fogh Marine in Toronto, adds that when you mount the pintles and gudgeons, the hardware should be in direct contact with the rudder blade and fit snugly, with no sloppiness or play. A good fit is particularly important for the bottom pair, which will take most of the strain.

Next time you have to make a new rudder - not for another 30 years, we hope - Dirk Kneulman, a partner in Ontario Yachts in Burlington, Ont., suggests that you consider a couple of other good options for the material. You could build it with mahogany - a "soft" hardwood, fairly easy to shape - which is traditional for wooden boats and is very resistant to rot. Or you could use marine-grade plywood - extremely stable and stiff because of its construction - which is easily cut out with a jigsaw.