zoidberg
Well-Known Member
Two of the 'Jesterers' are grappling with this problem at present, and one - GOOD REPORT - is towing the other - MINKE. They've been doing this for several days, and are now close to 100nm from Terceira. Details are sparse, but it is reported that 'GR's rudder has been recovered onto the deck, and that jury steering of some sort was tried.
They're anticipated to make landfall - insh'allah - during Sunday night/Monday morning.
This is far from a new problem. Many 'jury' arrangements were rigged, in theory and in practice..... according to Harland's 'Seamanship In The Age Of Sail'.
Several involved rigging a spar ( spinnaker pole? ) horizontally across near the stern via gunports/freeing ports ( lashings? ) and trailing drag-devices on lines from the outboard ends which, hauled in on one side, increased the drag on that side and so turned the boat. Half-barrels, bundles of gear, draggy hawsers were all tried. This seems to have been a sluggish but easily-rigged arrangement.
A sailing boat could improve on this using large fabric drogues towed from the ends of the horizontal spar, each with a tripping line led forward from the narrow end via a block on the end of the spar, to winches in the cockpit.
Another approach suggests carrying a jury rudder stock, made up of 50mm stainless tube, with pintles ( example - rudder_pintle_50mm ) clamped around and to which the essential 'toilet door/floorboards' are bolted. And, of course, a spare tiller fashioned from an ash axe handle. The gudgeons could be purchased from a chandlery, or could be a pair of eye-bolts secured through the transom with robust reinforcement.
A split backstay would help....
They're anticipated to make landfall - insh'allah - during Sunday night/Monday morning.
This is far from a new problem. Many 'jury' arrangements were rigged, in theory and in practice..... according to Harland's 'Seamanship In The Age Of Sail'.
Several involved rigging a spar ( spinnaker pole? ) horizontally across near the stern via gunports/freeing ports ( lashings? ) and trailing drag-devices on lines from the outboard ends which, hauled in on one side, increased the drag on that side and so turned the boat. Half-barrels, bundles of gear, draggy hawsers were all tried. This seems to have been a sluggish but easily-rigged arrangement.
A sailing boat could improve on this using large fabric drogues towed from the ends of the horizontal spar, each with a tripping line led forward from the narrow end via a block on the end of the spar, to winches in the cockpit.
Another approach suggests carrying a jury rudder stock, made up of 50mm stainless tube, with pintles ( example - rudder_pintle_50mm ) clamped around and to which the essential 'toilet door/floorboards' are bolted. And, of course, a spare tiller fashioned from an ash axe handle. The gudgeons could be purchased from a chandlery, or could be a pair of eye-bolts secured through the transom with robust reinforcement.
A split backstay would help....
