In summer of 2000 we discovered that we lost a connecting plate from the rudder to the skeg. I did notice a kind of wipping action when making a hard turn in either direction while sailing in Georgian Bay, but had no idea as to what was going on until I looked at the pictures the Canadian Park Workers took our bottom while the rail car carried Sankaty down from one pool to the 65 ft. lower pool on the Trent-Severn waterway.
The before and after pictures of the bottom of the rudder are below. (The replacement part was found through the Mariner Yacht Owners Group Forum page.) The skeg shoe is now attached with a 5 inch long 3/4" SS bolt and the nut is inside the skeg. I learned later that replacing the SS rod with a brass rod is probably a better approach from the integrity and longevity stand point. Some folks call it a Rudder Heel particularly those that have full lenght keels.
Above is a shot just prior to inserting the 5" bolt
