Another mid-Atlantic rescue, 40 days adrift

[JayCarver]

Here's another account of things going wrong at sea, beginning with the rudder jammed to starboard.

Yacht Rescue: British Couple Stuart Armstrong And Andrea Davison Rescued After 40 Days Adrift | UK News | Sky News

[AjariBonten]

Well, finally one of these stories about someone who appears to have had all the right experience, who had ample supplies; who didn't puch the panic button at the first sign of trouble.

Good find, Jay

[sailingdog]

But they couldn't solve their rudder problem in 40 days??? Even cutting off the rudder, so the boat would at least go relatively straight would have been an improvement.

[AjariBonten]

Wellll, maybe, if it didnt end up with a major leak through the rudder post port. But, yes I would have explored it; maybe they did.

[Boasun]

Take a look in your own rudder room and see if you are storing a lot of new/used spare parts in there.
Is there a possibility of them jamming the quadrant? Jamming the steering cables? breaking off a hydraulic fitting? And assorted other nightmares of what could go wrong.
Can you get to that quadrant at all?
Do you have an emergency tiller if you have to cut the steering cables or remove the hydraulic ram? You have the tools to do this?
When was the last time you closely inspected the Pintles & gudeons that holds the rudder to your vessel? A skeg or keel hung rudder would have these items. They are like the hinges of a door. A spade Rudder (I hate this type of rudder) is hung only by the Rudder post. When was the last time you did a through inspection of hanging assembly?

Most importantly: Have you practiced a steering casualty? And use your emergency tiller??

Now this is all just food for thought. But you should be aware of what you have to do if the real problem ever happens... So test or build your skills here.

There have been times when some of the boats I have operated had steering problems and haved lashed the rudders amidship and use the engines alone for steering. Have had a spade rudder broken off by another captain and had to steer that vessel the hard way.

[Valiente]

Why is this also posted in Off-topic?

[Boasun]

Originally Posted by Valiente

Why is this also posted in Off-topic?

So they can have twice the readers??