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Steering goes south while tacking

2K views 23 replies 13 participants last post by  St Anna 
#1 ·
What would you do when the steering goes south ...... while tacking?

After all nite sailing up the Bay at around 6 am just off Cove Point, while tacking to avoid the barge coming aft on the port side, the steering cable/chain broke. I lost control of the boat and heading to the collision course with the barge.

Here is what I did:
I immediately let go both sails
I started the engine
Then i don't know what else I can do except watching the boat get closer the barge. I saw the wind blew the bow toward the barge. I tightened the head sail and let the boat swing completely around and step on the throttle. I missed the barge just 150 yards. It was a close call. I was lucky.

Besides not waiting until the last minute to tack, what else would you do in this situation.

I need to learn how to handle this better :)
 
#2 ·
I'd love to hear replies to this. I was in the ship channel, absolutely no wind, and my motor quit. I started drifting towards a huge barge and had no way to steer or anything. Like a scene in a movie, when I was about 20 feet away I got the engine going again and avoided a collision.
 
#4 ·
Does your boat have an emergency tiller? Mine does and it connects directly to the rudder post so you can directly move the rudder. That said, it would take me a few minutes to deploy it even though its close at hand. Just unscrewing the cover would take a minute or so, so it might not have been much help in the situation you describe. I guess Murphy's Law says if you're steering chain breaks it will do so near a dock or another vessel.
 
#5 · (Edited)
I have to say your VHF is your friend...always have it on and ready to transmit or receive especially at night...it doesnt take more then 10 seconds...what else can you do in 10 seconds?

In a situation like that forget protocol... Something like this will do..

" Pan pan pan..To the barge headed north in xxx.bay the sail boat directly in front of you will luffing sails has lost all steering repeat we have lost all steering please acknowledge"

I know some boats don't have a lot of power on board but at 99.00 a base unit VHF to me seems like one of the best investments any boat can have...and worth a dedicated battery and small solar trickle charger or shore power charger...Hand helds are ok but I dont trust them in an emergancy.

Quick access to one fired up and ready to go let me warn a large trawler steaming up Swinomish channel of a small sail boats grounding situation on the rocks... and he throttled down just in time to keep from totally washing the poor guy high and dry possibly holing his boat.
 
#7 ·
Depends

I don't have much to add but... it depends a lot on how close and how fast that barge was approaching. (They are usually going a lot faster than they appear)

It sounds like you did the right thing and you were lucky the motor started. (luck may not have much to do with it, you may keep your motor in good shape)

True, VHF is very important BUT in many cases (depending how far the barge was) a call isn't going to matter much other than alerting the tugboat that he is going to have a lot of paperwork to do after he runs you down. In most cases the barge isn't going to be able to maneuver or stop in time. It's going to be your responsibility to get out of the way. If you had a second person on board, by all means try to let the tugboat captain what is going on, as you try to get out of the way.
 
#9 ·
I lost stearing once motoring into our marina. I used the throttle and transmission lever to stop my forward progress and keep from hitting anything as my wife got the emergency tiller out and I rigged it up. We didn't have a barge coming at us, but now everyone knows where the emergency tiller is stored and what it looks like in case I ask for it again.
 
#11 ·
I was doing about 4.5 kn when it happened. i did not know how the boat reacts if I throw it into reverse. I just started the engine and left in neutral as standby. After the barge passed, I put in forward. The boat just spinning in circle; I don't know why. I got my emergency tiller back on with in 5 min. But with the short handle and no leverage, it is so painful to set the proper course.

I was about to give up and called TowboatUS, then I found out that my autopilot still works. So I steer by wire for another 6 hours to get back to home port. On Sat, the weather was so beautiful in Annapolis there were boats everywhere. I dodged and ducked from traffic coming from every direction. It was fun push buttons to steer the boat.
 
#13 ·
Dawg,

Sounds like you escaped ok...so whatever you did worked!

Besides, the Engine, Emergency Tiller, Vhf Radio, Danger Signal..etc

I'm trying to picture the order of events and if there was a possible sailing solution?

Were you able to complete your tack? If so, do you think dropping the main..just letting the halyard go...and easing the jib..would have allowed you to fall off...better? as opposed to heading up..

If you weren't able to complete the tack, ..do you think you could have done the same thing on the other side...drop the main, fall off with the jib...and jibe the jib...?

You had to make a decision in a hurry with no time to try multiple options....
The option you chose worked...but I do understand..trying to do the after action analysis....I've escaped a few mishaps..and always re-play the events.
 
#16 ·
Running off under jib alone might have been a possible solution. Also, there is some ability to steer most boats if the rudder control is lost, provided the rudder isn't jammed over hard to one side or the other. Guilietta has a good video on steering using the sails only.

This is why you keep your VHF and your AIR HORN handy... :D

BTW, in shallower waters, dropping the anchor is a pretty good option. I used it last summer when we lost the engine due to a line wrapping the prop. If I hadn't anchored out, my boat would have bounced through a mooring field and then into a set of docks like a giant pinball-not a good thing.

One thing that I found helps is keeping your mind on what your options are if something happens. As you're sailing along, you should be thinking about what you would do if the engine quits, a shroud breaks, etc. This helps keep you sharp and adds points to the black box.

Dawg,

Sounds like you escaped ok...so whatever you did worked!

Besides, the Engine, Emergency Tiller, Vhf Radio, Danger Signal..etc

I'm trying to picture the order of events and if there was a possible sailing solution?

Were you able to complete your tack? If so, do you think dropping the main..just letting the halyard go...and easing the jib..would have allowed you to fall off...better? as opposed to heading up..

If you weren't able to complete the tack, ..do you think you could have done the same thing on the other side...drop the main, fall off with the jib...and jibe the jib...?

You had to make a decision in a hurry with no time to try multiple options....
The option you chose worked...but I do understand..trying to do the after action analysis....I've escaped a few mishaps..and always re-play the events.
 
#14 ·
When I was in the Navy running the captain's gig a 26 ft personnel boat, I lost the engine due to dirty fuel in its tank. Use the starter to move that boat slowly back to the ship. Ran the starter with the engine in gear to build up some headway and then let the boat's fetch carry her for a distance, then the starter again. Did this several times but was able to make it back to the ship. Just think it was 1975 and had an electric powered Captain's gig.:D :D :D
 
#15 · (Edited)
Wow RockDawg,
It looks like you did everything right - the autopilot, engine, using headsail to steer. If the main is up, in some instances of breeze slight aft of the beam, you can lose all steering - therefore, if you can get on this course, you can steer quite straight regardless of rudder.

I have replaced my steering cables because they had some colour on them.
On a previous boat, I lost all steering. The quadrant was bolted to the rudder post and had a key in it. The key sheared off into 2 pieces. The first owner had for some stupid reason, painted the rudder post. This left a fraction of a millimetre of now powdered paint. I had no play in the bolts so could not tighten them any further [this was after the fact and after the 'end of the world is nigh' feeling].

We suddenly started pointing towards the shore, just missing another yacht. After a few , lets say 'interesting and stressful' moments, I found the emergency tiller which connected directly on top of the rudder post and all was good after that, except - no autopilot and we still had a good number of hours before anchor.

You did well. Always plenty of advice after the fact in hindsight - and it probably will never happen again - something else will!!
 
#17 ·
What would you do when the steering goes south ...... while tacking?

After all nite sailing up the Bay at around 6 am just off Cove Point, while tacking to avoid the barge coming aft on the port side, the steering cable/chain broke. I lost control of the boat and heading to the collision course with the barge.

Here is what I did:
I immediately let go both sails
I started the engine
Then i don't know what else I can do except watching the boat get closer the barge. I saw the wind blew the bow toward the barge. I tightened the head sail and let the boat swing completely around and step on the throttle. I missed the barge just 150 yards. It was a close call. I was lucky.

Besides not waiting until the last minute to tack, what else would you do in this situation.

I need to learn how to handle this better :)
Depends on the space and the wind and the boat.

1. Sometimes dropping all sail and anchoring can work. We often forget that one.
2. Drop the main fast, and fall off with the jib. You might even be able to jibe; depends on the boat and if the rudder jammed. Dragging something heavy may help her turn.

The older I get the more room I give commercial traffic in crossing situations. You scared him too.
 
#18 ·
The steering broke at the initial of the tack, so the bow has not passed thru the wind. As i let go the sails (released the jib and main). My boat slowed down but still heading onto the course of the barge. The wind was still blowing 10 to 12 kn and turning bow toward the barge, but I will have about 100 yards away. Instead of fighting the boat turn to starboard, I tightened the jib and let the wind swing my boat 180 degree around. By doing so, I was out of danger.

Then here come my wife, coming up on the deck asked what happened. She was sleeping and throwing up all nite long because the rough sea that we went through for 6 hours (10 pm to 4 am).

Damn I was lucky this time. Need to learn more to prepare the "what if".
 
#20 ·
As I said, you did fine mate.
Remember, you can always back the jib to get bow out of the wind (and the boat out of 'irons'), Then get on the best point of sail for your boat and use the traveller to help add or release weather helm -

As you said about your wife and the weather, you obviously had no srest - which makes it 10 times more scary.

Easy to say after the fact, but try not to lose any confidence in yourself or the boat. Air horns and radio calls are correct, but as I know from experience, you cant work the sails and the radio at the same time. Maybe your wife could have used the radio. In Australia, working vessels use channel 12, 13 or 14. Sometimes they wont answer channel 16! They possibly wont hear an air horn.
 
#23 ·
Thanks mate, I think I should have the air horn or flare right by my side. I do need practice to use the radio more.

I was tired but still quite alert. It was a sailing trip to test my endurance sailing nonstop for 30 hrs solo. My wife just tacked along but turned out not much help. She got seasick the nite before at the beginning of the rough sea and slept most of the nite except when she was throwing up.

It was no fun for her, i felt bad for her. :)
 
#21 ·
emergency steering

ive used a canoe paddle from my tender as an emergency rudder in situations think how you turna row boat by draging an oar or even rowing backwards on one side. i have made a spot on deck for one. good for many things in place of pike pole
 
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