Wheres My Rudder?

[jerelull]

Originally Posted by scott_sale

A few summers ago I was finishing a five day coastal navigation lesson with two other students on a 41 foot production vessel. Suffice to say we were very surprised when we lost steerage and 2/3 of our rudder floated way(we learned later it was a poor layup at the factory). Being five miles from land and ten miles from our destination, what would you have recommended to return the vessel safely?

Happened to us just out from Annapolis last June. The lower pintle broke.

Our first action: Throw out the anchor and stop to evaluate the situation at our leisure.

Since we have a transom-hung rudder, I could have lashed the pintle remains to the gudgeon with wire-ties. Alternatively, could have drilled through the stock and put a bolt through as a temporary fix. If the rudder had floated away, we could have cannibalized the slide-out portion of the settee, using the hardwood "fiddle" as the rudder. After that would come warps and such.

All these are options I'd already worked out years ago, as any problem goes better when a variety of remedies have already been worked out. I can't say how many times potential emergencies have turned out to be relatively ho-hum due to our pre-planning and drills.

In that case, we simply called for the couple-mile tow to a mooring and replaced the pintle the next morning. No muss, no fuss.

Ho hum.

--
Jere

[storywritr]

I've read of many racing boats losing their spade rudders and their various solutions to finish the game. I"ve tried a few and found two that have worked for me on various boats in none emergency practice sessions.

For gross moves, use the sail plan as a steering device, especially the head sail. the main will drive the boat one way or the other and you correct again with the head sail.

The second is with a well balanced boat and sailplan, tow warps and small items like a fender, or anchor or such from the stern on one side of the transom. The boat will slowly turn to that side. When correction or adjustment is needed just move to the other side or remove the item from the water.

[deadfrombeingonthehard]

Not much can I add to what has already been said (or argued) except one thing. I would suggest you fish out the part of the rudder that broke off, make an appointment with the boat manufacture, and go then politely.... shove the thing down his throat.

Preparing for a lost rudder should be basic to good seamanship. I have been on boats that can be steered with sails. I have been on boats that can not (both had their rudders in tack). I have never jury rigging something, but I do carry sea anchors, oars, and basic building tools. I do that now because I can't in a pinch use my now exwife as a drogue.

[strucksteve]

Sail a catamaran!!!
I've lost a rudder and a tiller on two seperate trips on my Hirondelle 23. Fortunately, being a cat, I simply pulled the offending appendage and took it a little easier on the old boat.

[BigAssHam]

We lost a rudder off the original boat from hell - a Siedelmann 30 - several years ago in the Chesapeake. We rigged the spinnaker pole and hung it off the back. In fact, we modified with duck tape and settee berth storage covers to give some surface area. Worked like a charm, although we had called Sea Tow when it first happened. Sea Tow eventually caught up with us even though we had sailed about 7 miles back to the mouth of the South River ( in hind sight, we should have canceled the call - there is nothing more embarassing then being on a sailboat that is under tow when there is plenty of wind.. )

Anyway, I got the idea from an old picture that I remembered on the cover of Sailing Magazine years ago. One of the Whitbred boats had lost a rudder in the Roaring 40's and they were using the spinnaker pole as a rudder.

[RCurtis99]

Originally Posted by scott_sale

A few summers ago I was finishing a five day coastal navigation lesson with two other students on a 41 foot production vessel. Suffice to say we were very surprised when we lost steerage and 2/3 of our rudder floated way(we learned later it was a poor layup at the factory). Being five miles from land and ten miles from our destination, what would you have recommended to return the vessel safely?

A well found sailboat can be sailed without a rudder using the sails only. While you cannot close haul the boat using just the sails, it is possible to tack up wind, reach or jibe downwind using just your sails.
If your engine is functioning, it can be used as well to add steerage by engaging the prop in either forward or reverse as a way of trimming your course.
Russ Curtis, Captain, Avanti II, Deep Cove BC

[jbeale]

Clayton Ewing's Dyna, a 57' yawl, broke its rudder in the 1963 transatlantic race 1,000 miles before the finish line. He jury rigged a steering device pulling a small drogue and off setting it as necessary off the transom or a pole. She crossed the finish line in 3rd place. Obviously balancing the sail plan (getting the center of effort over the center of lateral resistance) was employed to minimize the amount of drag. In a near-shore, non-racing situation, it would not make sense to go with a minimal drogue. More drag means more steering control.

John Beale

[cardiacpaul]

Me?
First, I'd scream like a girl and wet my pants.
Next, I'd have a 'cardiac event', keel over and die on ya.

Think about that next time you want me to crew.

[Valiente]

I find it very interesting that this thread has brought in not only a large amount of lurkers/first posters, but that most of them seem to have lost part or all of their rudders at some point.

I'll better get drilling those floorboards.

[camaraderie]

The explanation Val is that Sailnet sent a marketing e-mail out today and this is one of the threads linked in it. So..we got visits from new folks. Hope they are all Republicans!