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Old 07-23-2008, 04:23 PM   #1
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In the past 6 months I've read 3 different accounts of major rudder problems occurring on the crossing to Marquesas. S/V Christiana is the most recent. Their account and what they did in route to deal with the problem is worth a read.

http://www.sailblogs.com/member/gibtonz/
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Old 07-23-2008, 04:47 PM   #2
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In the past 6 months I've read 3 different accounts of major rudder problems occurring on the crossing to Marquesas. S/V Christiana is the most recent. Their account and what they did in route to deal with the problem is worth a read.

http://www.sailblogs.com/member/gibtonz/
The MRCC sounds quite nice.

I'm glad they managed a temporary fix and hope all works out well for them.

We're rather paranoid about the rudder and its potential loss. Concerned about rudder repairs or other such things, we've planned on keeping some of our old recently replaced bronze chainplates (3/8" plate x 3" wide x (various 36" to 48") length) to have materials for such repairs. Since we keep a pancake compressor onboard for the hookah dive equipment, hubby also insists on having our small pneumatic drill onboard for the reason of using it in-water emergency of hull repair or rudder or whatever.

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Old 07-24-2008, 02:53 PM   #3
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Since we keep a pancake compressor onboard for the hookah dive equipment, hubby also insists on having our small pneumatic drill onboard for the reason of using it in-water emergency of hull repair or rudder or whatever.

As a result of this blog, I've been considering the exact same thing. A pneumatic drill would be an essential tool for working below the waterline on a rudder. A couple of pre-drilled stainless plates will surely be onboard before we depart.

I have a pancake compressor but never considered using it for hooka diving. Have you actually given it a go?

I keep two sets oof scuba gear onboard and plan on buying a couple tank this weekend. Unfortunately the boat is filling-up real fast with dive equipment and large genakers...not sure where guests will sleep.
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Old 07-24-2008, 05:32 PM   #4
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Trim,

Out of the 51 boats that participated in the 2005 Caribbean 1500 (1), two boats had severely damaged rudders, and one boat lost it's rudder entirely, sheared off at the rudder post. I would not have thought the odds would have been so high! Having a recovery plan is a good idea. Oh, and one boat was dis-masted!

(1) Chesapeake Bay to Tortola, BVI.
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Old 07-24-2008, 09:25 PM   #5
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As a result of this blog, I've been considering the exact same thing. A pneumatic drill would be an essential tool for working below the waterline on a rudder. A couple of pre-drilled stainless plates will surely be onboard before we depart.

I have a pancake compressor but never considered using it for hooka diving. Have you actually given it a go?

I keep two sets oof scuba gear onboard and plan on buying a couple tank this weekend. Unfortunately the boat is filling-up real fast with dive equipment and large genakers...not sure where guests will sleep.
Yes, it (pancake compressor) works great. Of course, one MUST use an OIL-LESS compressor when considering breathing the compressed air. We set up the system for cleaning the hull on our Rawson 30. Dave cleaned the hull 2x/month during summer months and about 1x/month winter months for almost 2 years. You can make up your own hose and system or just buy a hookah setup. We made our own. "Alaskan Mining and Copper" has lots of hooka parts btw.

We like using the compressor since it does keep us from having to have lots of scuba bottles onboard. Further, when you're working on the hull underwater, its nice to NOT have all the extra tank, BC, etc on. The hooka set up is light.

For emergency repairs, pre-drilled stainless (and/or bronze) onboard makes good sense--along with pneumatic tools.

We happen to already own two small pneumatic drills as well as various impact wrenches that we used on a house project and while re-building the boat. Having pneumatic tools already, we'll be taking some of them onboard with us. You might need an accumulator tank since the air drills can run you outta air pretty fast. You could hooka off a scuba bottle while using the pancake compressor for the tools.

Since you'll have a drill onboard (and if you don't want to pre-drill...) you can take along one of those little aluminum (Sears Craftsman) stands that turn your hand drill into a drill press and/or grinder. They go for between $30 and $70 on Ebay... Pretty cool thing to have and takes up hardly any space when not assembled (quick assembly). You can tell that we're going to have one on board, right?

Best of luck to you in your preparations!
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Old 07-25-2008, 05:26 AM   #6
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Rudder Failure Far Far From Land

Both the RORC and the ISAF regs provide that categories 1,2 and 3 Off shore races the yacht may be called upon to demonstrate the ability to steer the boat without a rudder.

Here is an extract of section 4.15 :-

"4.15 Emergency Steering

4.15.1 Emergency steering shall be provided as follows:

a. except when the principal method of steering is by means of an unbreakable metal tiller, an emergency tiller capable of being fitted to the rudder stock;

b. crews must be aware of alternative methods of steering the yacht in any sea condition in the event of rudder loss. At least one method must have been proven to work on board the yacht. An inspector may require that this method be demonstrated. "

Also worth looking at is this presentation :- Go down to Coyne Presentation :::COYNE at Symposium

I have seen floor boards that have been previously drilled to take "U" bolts - the board is brought up to a spinnaker pole , the "U" bolt is then fitted over and the nuts applied and tightened up. The emergency rudder then inserted into the sea while the pole is fixed at a fulcrum point, the other end has line bent from port and starboard blocks to winches. The system works on some boats - but on others the forces on the rudder are to great to be effective. Dragging 2 small drogues is also used. On my catamaran we experimented with a bridle on a block running between the transoms - then moving a single drogue from one side to the other until we were able to hold a course of sorts, but then we also had the benefit of dagger boards to play with.
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Old 07-25-2008, 04:09 PM   #7
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Rudder Failure Far Far From Land

Both the RORC and the ISAF regs provide that categories 1,2 and 3 Off shore races the yacht may be called upon to demonstrate the ability to steer the boat without a rudder.
The TransPac race also requires one to have alternative method of steering should one lose the rudder. The folks I know who've done the TransPac (in a 50' ketch), in addition to their emergency tiller, demonstrated and used a system with 2 home made drogues on chain (one port, one starboard) and steered by winching (in one side and out the other) the chain using their coffee-grinder style winch that is located just aft of the cockpit. I've heard of other folks doing similar things with drogues.
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Old 07-26-2008, 03:41 AM   #8
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The following text is pulled from the Latitude 38 May 2002 link

I can't imagine abandoning the boat. How awful for these folks. Does anyone know what ever happened to the ketch Life's Dream? Or to the family? I googled but didn't find anything about the boat being found.

May 31 - Pacific Ocean

"My wife, 10-year-old daughter, and I sailed from Hawaii on May 2 to return to the mainland and join this year's Baja Ha-Ha," reports Capt. Harvey M. Owens of the 50-ft ketch Life Dream. "Unfortunately, we were caught in the big storm on May 18, and rode out winds in excess of 50 knots and seas of more than 30 feet for three days. We were hit by a rogue wave in the middle of the storm, which knocked us down and broke the rudder. When things go wrong, of course, they only multiply. When I started the engine to try to get some control, a stray line wrapped the prop. With no steerage and no hope of getting control of the boat, we had no choice but to abandon our boat.

"Fortunately, the 850-ft container ship Sea-Land Innovator was just a few hours away, and diverted course at the request of the Coast Guard to pick us up. We had several hours to gather our belongings and to prepare the boat. When the time came, I left the engine running to keep batteries charged and the pumps working as long as possible - although we'd only taken a small amount of water aboard. I dropped the anchor at the end of 300 feet of chain, hoping to slow the drift and to give the boat a chance if she gets close to land. The boat was closed up and watertight when we left. Four hours later, we were rescued, although our boat's mast and damaged in the process of our getting transferred to the ship.

"Life's Dream was built by me over a period of 10 years, and her name says it all. She's our home and has almost all our belongings aboard. Most likely, she's still floating. If I could find her and get her to a boatyard, the repairs wouldn't be a problem. We abandoned ship on May 20 at 38º04N, 134º23W - approximately 585 miles off San Francisco. Based on the Coast Guard's calculations, she's drifting to the southeast."
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Old 07-28-2008, 06:59 PM   #9
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I wasn't there, and there isn't much to the post. To me it sounds like they left too soon. I would rather be seasick in a rolling boat than jump into 30 foot waves hoping a freighter will pluck me out of the water. Or having it come alongside, and sinking us while we are aboard.

What happened to hove to, lying ahull, drouge, paraanchor, bags of sails, and line being dropped over, and of course a makeshift rudder? I read nothing in the way of an attempt to save the boat. You save the boat, and you are saved.
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Old 07-29-2008, 12:34 AM   #10
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Some good points made Imagine ! However, I also was not there - 22/20 hindsight is always an issue. But, how many countless times has the decision stay on the boat, been the best decision?

In Jan 2003, I was involved with a yacht that lost its rudder a couple days out of Thailand some 800nm from Srilanka - I took the initial report from the skipper and we discussed options - the obvious was to return the relatively short distance to Thailand where repairs could be effected etc. NoWays! the skipper said he was going to continue to Srilanka whatever. Another yacht Talinga2 was close and arrangements were made for it to buddy the crippled yacht close by. So by the use of a spinnaker pole, knowhow and determination - TRAMONTANA was 'pole steered' by hand to Srilanka.

Here is sv Longpassages log's account of the incident :- Lost Rudder

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SV Tramontana a few years later.
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Old 07-29-2008, 03:31 AM   #11
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So by the use of a spinnaker pole, knowhow and determination - TRAMONTANA was 'pole steered' by hand to Srilanka.
Now that's nifty to use your spinnaker pole as a rudder. I wonder how they did it exactly and how well it worked? Clearly managed 800 miles
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Old 06-30-2014, 06:13 PM   #12
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A worthy topic.

Here is a link to an article describing three methods of steering a boat during an Atlantic crossing. They lost their rudder, then tried three methods to effect steering.

They made it to the Caribbean after sailing 1,400 miles without their rudder!

Sail-World.com : 1400 Miles Without a Rudder

Here is another account of a different boat in the Pacific. What is interesting about this one is that they did make a rudder and insert it into the boat, but it failed soon after. Lessons learned too.

Rigging a spare rudder | Cruising World


I think this topic: "Lost Rudder" would make a very good topic for the Cruising Wiki. Just needs some content added etc.
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