Jury rudder

[jesterchallenger]

Someone asked me the other day if I had a contingency plan if my rudder fell off. Unlikely, as it is keel/transom hung with four substantial attachments. The tiller is laminated teak and almost bomb proof. But I have a spare anyway. And my Hydrovane has a separate rudder (and tiller) which I can use to steer the boat as well. If a wave takes off the main rudder, it will probably destroy the Hydrovane rudder though, the latter being more lightly built. I carry a sweep (in making it as we speak) for use in calm conditions if the engine fails and that can also be used as a steering device. Failing that, I can fasten a ply bunk top to the end of one of my spinnaker poles (I am also scheming that up as well!). So I have three back ups planned, just in case.
Reading elsewhere on this site I noticed a piece about the ARC. Apparently a fully crewed 53ft one-off racing boat lost its rudder a day after the start. Attempts to tow it back with a lifeboat failed because the cleats the towline was attached to pulled out of the deck and so the boat was abandoned. Am I missing something here? Fully crewed - only 200 miles (my estimate) from land - fairly new 53 footer - inability to rig jury steering - unable to effect a safe tow. I wonder what our regulatory-powers-to-be would have had to say vis a vis seaworthiness and safety had they inspected this boat alongside a typical Jester Challenger before the start.

 

[fergie_mac66]

Attempts to tow it back with a lifeboat failed because the cleats the towline was attached to pulled out of the deck and so the boat was abandoned. Am I missing something here? Fully crewed -the start.

I would have thought that the mast root could have been used as a strong point to tow with using cleats just to hold the tow central but then dont know the towing conditions

 

[nicholas49]

jury rudder

Hi, I have unfortunately experienced rudder loss, returning from the Azores in jester 2008 -we did at least have plenty of sea-room,being 600 miles from land.The rudder shaft snapped at the exit from the tube(2" down inside the moulding). First attempt was to steer with the servo-blade, which worked to a limited degree until the weather worsened.We(I had my son with me) then tried the Viking Oar, a washboard bolted to the spinnaker pole, this might work if you had 10 vikings to hold onto it, but in rough weather, forget it.We then tried using the sea-anchor, this was a little better but not much. It shredded itself(brand new Plastimo) and we didn't notice it had gone.Wind increased to Force7-8 and we lay a-hull for 18 hours, no problems.From then on we kept going by various adjustments of the storm jib,doing 30-40 miles a day in the general direction of England,wind force 5/7 all the way till we got to the continental shelf. It then calmed down and we were able to fit a rudder we had made from spinnafer pole and washboard. Particular feature of this was 2 straps from the bottom of the shaft to the genoa winches, which gave it forward support. We had tried to fit this rudder earlier, but the strength of the waves prevented this. With our rudder lash-up, we were able to sail to Scilly successfully.The violence of the motion with no sails up was astonishing, which rather ties up with the other thread.It is very difficult to achieve anything on deck in bad weather-and what we got was not especially bad.I had a spare tiller with me, a spare emergency rudder was one of the many jobs I had not got round to.
Best Wishes, Nick(Dolphin of Fowey)

 

[NickiCrutchfield]

I've not tried this but I understand that it is possible to steer by lashing the spi pole athwartships at the stern `and then deploying a bucket on a rope bridle. Adjustment of the bridle causes the bucket to drag on one side or the other thus steering the boat. I like the idea and thank Eric (Sterenn) for it.

 

[Ceirwan]

I've not tried this but I understand that it is possible to steer by lashing the spi pole athwartships at the stern `and then deploying a bucket on a rope bridle. Adjustment of the bridle causes the bucket to drag on one side or the other thus steering the boat. I like the idea and thank Eric (Sterenn) for it.

Sounds a good idea and worth experimenting with.
Perhaps a drogue as a bucket creates a hell of a lot of drag and might not take the strain?

 

[JunkMing]

Nick, many thanks for the post. It was great to get the detail on how you coped with the rudder loss. It was a piece of exemplary seamanship, an object lesson for the 'Help! Get me out of here!' school of modern ocean sailing, and a perfect illustration of what the JC is all about.

Roger

 

[jesterchallenger]

Thank you for the benefit of your experience, Nick, most interesting. I particularly note your comments about forward guys for the 'Viking oar' - hadn't thought of that. And yes, as Roger pointed out, exemplary seamanship.
Duncan

 

[oldsaltoz]

Racing off the East coast of Oz a few years ago on a friends boat when the steering was lost due to tiller failure, it broke off at the base leaving very little to fix anything to it.

We rigged the emergency steering gear, a spinnaker pole with a slab of ply secured with U bolts.

However after about 20 minutes it was much easier to steer with the sails, needing little or no correction by the pole over stern.

We crossed the finish line and got one of the yacht club start boats to come alongside and take us into the marina.

If you have never tried this you should, not only good in an emergency, but helps newbie's to understand some of the forces involved in propelling a boat under sail.

Avagoodweekend......

.

 

[Ceirwan]

Its worth noting that any practice of emergency steering, to do it properly you should remove the rudder, not just lash it amidships!
I know... Not very practical .

 

[Oyvind]

During a singlehanded race in the Skagerrak a few years ago, one of the contestants lost his rudder.

He used a sturdy bucket and a bridle for an emergency steering arrangement. This was quite succesful, as I recall he didn't even withdraw from the race. I believe he just led the bridle to the spinnaker winches and steered with these. Lacking a set of spare winches, a block and tackle would probably work equally well.

 

[fisherman]

Instead of a bucket, a round dahnfender drags really well, try it. I came home with one towing off the end of my landing derrick, swung out to stbd as the boat has a natural screw to port. Stood in the stern with a strop to pull it in and out.