Sailing Alone Across an Ocean on a 30ft Sailboat and Losing the Rudder 1000 Miles from Hawaii

[Nauti Fox]

I don't know if this has been posted here, sorry if it has, enjoy it if it hasn't....

 

[Sandy]

I lasted about 10 mins with this channel. Don't watch it after drinking even a small gin and hide the razor blades.

 

[Wing Mark]

I lasted about 10 mins with this channel. Don't watch it after drinking even a small gin and hide the razor blades.

Looks like someone hid the razor for sure.

 

[Nauti Fox]

Looks like someone hid the razor for sure.

And there's me thinking that steering the yacht for hundreds of miles using a drogue was pretty impressive.....

 

[AndrewB]

I've never understood why long-term blue-water cruisers don't routinely carry an emergency rudder.

It's not really different from mobo owners carrying a second, get-me-home outboard.

 

[Sandy]

Looks like someone hid the razor for sure.

I'm delighted to hear it. Just not my cup of tea.

 

[Sandy]

I've never understood why long-term blue-water cruisers don't routinely carry an emergency rudder.

We do. On my boat it's one of the V berth bunk boards and the spinnaker pole.

Thankfully, I'm adding a Hydrovane over the winter and somebody can sleep more comfortably.

 

[BobnLesley]

I've never understood why long-term blue-water cruisers don't routinely carry an emergency rudder.

It's not really different from mobo owners carrying a second, get-me-home outboard.

Unlike an auxiliary outboard which needs only a simple attachment bracket , the loads applied to the rudder - particularly offshore - can be massive, so it's not just a case of carrying a spare one and hanging it off the back on a small bracket.

 

[Daydream believer]

We do. On my boat it's one of the V berth bunk boards and the spinnaker pole.

Of course you have tried it in F5 off shore haven't you

 

[Sandy]

Of course you have tried it in F5 off shore haven't you

All you need a rudder for is for a fast or significant change of course. Steering can be done by the sails, trailing warps or the sick bucket off the transom. You have tried this in a F5 offshore haven't you .

This is not a race round the cans or weaving your way through Lake Solent, it is a totally different way of sailing, more passive rather than active, see my post about the 'Thor Heyerdahl Racing Series' on the tread about the loss of a vessel on a GGR qualifying passage north of New Zealand. Lets say your rudder was damaged just off the Azores you would be aiming for the general direction of Plymouth, but may end up anywhere on the south coast, then requesting a tow rather than parking the boat in Mayflower Marina. Other Plymouth marinas are available.

My V bunk board has a greater surface area than my rudder and there is a lot of stuff onboard to jury rig a 'steering board'. There would be no expectation to use this 24/7 for the remaining 10 days of the passage, but perhaps nudge the boat 25 nm north of Brittany, I hear tows are expensive there and being a Scot...

Rigging the day and night signals for not under command would be more of a challenge. I shall need to give that some thought.

 

[BobnLesley]

My V bunk board has a greater surface area than my rudder and there is a lot of stuff onboard to jury rig a 'steering board'...

Rigging the day and night signals for not under command would be more of a challenge. I shall need to give that some thought.

So you've already dealt with the minor 'challenge' of keeping your bunk/steering board attached to the spinnaker pole then?

 

[Sandy]

So you've already dealt with the minor 'challenge' of keeping your bunk/steering board attached to the spinnaker pole then?

The kit is onboard for the steering board. It's the NUC night signals that is the problem. I can use the two bits of the mooring ball and some stuff for the day signal.

 

[Daydream believer]

All you need a rudder for is for a fast or significant change of course. Steering can be done by the sails, trailing warps or the sick bucket off the transom. You have tried this in a F5 offshore haven't you .
Rigging the day and night signals for not under command would be more of a challenge. I shall need to give that some thought.

So it is all cloud cuckoo land theory & you have NOT tried it.
A magazine did try it years ago & deemed it not effective, by the way.
I did not ask you about trailing the sick bucket.
And I asked you so it is not about whether I can do it
But I can lock my wind vane oar & get limited steering using the autopilot so i do not have to hand steer

 

[Rappey]

Lake Solent

Why do you keep reffering to part of the english channel, the solent as a lake? Its not even close .

 

[Neeves]

We rigged an emergency rudder using one floor board and the spin pole. The floor boar was prepared - it had holes in the 2 forward corners which led to either side of the transom and we had two U bolts that fitted round the pole, holes prepared in the floor board. The board was marine ply and fairly robust. I'm not sure why anyone would think that 2 well fitting 'U' bolts would not hold a bit of ply to the spin pole.

We did try it and did work surprisingly well. The ropes in the corners kept the board roughly vertical and steering itself was accomplished b y simply pulling the spin pole port and star board. It was not much use for large and rapid changes of course - but as Sandy said - if you are aiming at 'land' you can worry about the fine tuning of course when you get there (or get a tow). Its a bit of a faff as you need to adjust all the lines - but what else are you doing?

A bucket needs to be steel, gal or stainless - or its useless and will collapse (and simply increase the amount of plastic pollution in the oceans). You could carry a small drogue - but it will slow down your passage - and you might run out of food and water


However its all a bit academic - under what conditions are you going to loose all of a modern rudder without it causing major issues to the integrity of the yacht. I can see you losing part of the rudder (and causing no other damage) but the whole rudder - I'm sceptical. If the rudder blade collapses then most rudder stocks have splines - specially devised to allow you to tie/lash a prepared board - though not easy, or even possible, unless its calm.

But whilst it is a bit of a nightmare scenario - its a bit like life rafts and LJs - how many are actually deployed in anger how many rudders are lost (and why not carry two 'U' bolts). Steering fails - but that is a different issue - and solution. We had ours fail twice - the AP ram works independent of the wheel - simple. The first failure was the cable failing the second the casting for the sheaves collapsed - why do they use cast aluminium for the sheaves housing in contact with steel cables?

Jonathan

 

[Tradewinds]

We rigged an emergency rudder using one floor board and the spin pole. The floor boar was prepared - it had holes in the 2 forward corners which led to either side of the transom and we had two U bolts that fitted round the pole, holes prepared in the floor board. The board was marine ply and fairly robust. I'm not sure why anyone would think that 2 well fitting 'U' bolts would not hold a bit of ply to the spin pole.

We did try it and did work surprisingly well. The ropes in the corners kept the board roughly vertical and steering itself was accomplished b y simply pulling the spin pole port and star board. It was not much use for large and rapid changes of course - but as Sandy said - if you are aiming at 'land' you can worry about the fine tuning of course when you get there (or get a tow). Its a bit of a faff as you need to adjust all the lines - but what else are you doing?

A bucket needs to be steel, gal or stainless - or its useless and will collapse (and simply increase the amount of plastic pollution in the oceans). You could carry a small drogue - but it will slow down your passage - and you might run out of food and water


However its all a bit academic - under what conditions are you going to loose all of a modern rudder without it causing major issues to the integrity of the yacht. I can see you losing part of the rudder (and causing no other damage) but the whole rudder - I'm sceptical. If the rudder blade collapses then most rudder stocks have splines - specially devised to allow you to tie/lash a prepared board - though not easy, or even possible, unless its calm.

But whilst it is a bit of a nightmare scenario - its a bit like life rafts and LJs - how many are actually deployed in anger how many rudders are lost (and why not carry two 'U' bolts). Steering fails - but that is a different issue - and solution. We had ours fail twice - the AP ram works independent of the wheel - simple. The first failure was the cable failing the second the casting for the sheaves collapsed - why do they use cast aluminium for the sheaves housing in contact with steel cables?

Jonathan

Where did you try your system out? Offshore in a big ocean swell and moderate winds or what?

Not out for a fight - just curious.

 

[Sandy]

Why do you keep reffering to part of the english channel, the solent as a lake? Its not even close .

Simples - It is a well sheltered area that offers wind and a smooth sea even in a F8, just like a lake.

I venture into the Solent once or twice a year, but find it a tad busy for my liking and the tidal curve is upside down. There are some huge ships, fast ferries, hovercraft, RIBs, fast motor boats and oodles and oodles of sailing boats. I'm based in Plymouth where there might be three shipping movements a day, the ferry from the mainland does a respectable 10 knots, the RIBs are usually driven by 'men in black', the number of sailing vessels is not that great and while the breakwater does give some shelter in a F8 the sea state does get to moderate.

 

[mjcoon]

However its all a bit academic - under what conditions are you going to loose all of a modern rudder without it causing major issues to the integrity of the yacht.

I believe some orcas are getting quite good at dismantling them!

 

[Neeves]

I believe some orcas are getting quite good at dismantling them!

I have noted the reports - but in the grand scheme of things the numbers are not high.

We have a majestic convoy of whales migrating up and down the east coast of Oz, from the feeding grounds in Antarctic waters to breeding grounds in the warmer tropics - whale attacks of rudders is simply not reported.

Where did you try your system out? Offshore in a big ocean swell and moderate winds or what?

Not out for a fight - just curious.

In the sheltered waters between Lantau Island, Lamma Island and Hong Kong Island.

I suggest you take a bit of 12mm marine ply, roughly the size of a rudder and a floor board. Take 2 x appropriately sized 'U' bolts (for the spin pole) - they are quite hefty - with suitable backing plates both sides ('U' bolt side and ply side) clamp together - and try it. As long as you realise the ply floor board can be replaced - you can ramp up the tension and you will find that the structure is robust. Now add tensioned cordage from the corners of the board to the transom (port and starboard - when the 'rudder' is deployed. You need to adjust the sails to give an approximate correct bearing and the jury rigged rudder give you the fine tune. As Sandy said - you are not in a race - you are simply aiming to meet land roughly close to the nearest sanctuary. Our spin pole was quite skinny and the concept might not be suitable if you have a large yacht with beefy pole and you might need a different solution (steel bucket of the transom on 2 ropes?). We now have a steel bucket (bought in HK) which we carry on our cat (plastic ones are simply not robust) but on a cat we are unlikely to lose both rudders (unless the Orcas are VERY hungry).

But I'd reiterate - how often do yachts lose their rudders such that they have no steerage (I'd expect t some of the rudder to survive most events) and how often of those very few cases lost their complete rudders, did not suffer structural damage and were subject to 35 knot winds or greater?

This is all like an anchor thread - instilling fear. But losing a complete rudder, but not causing structural damage, is like dragging of a modern anchor , or boarding a LR - yes it might happen, so be prepared, but the reality is the frequency is much lower than implied.

Then - when sailing from Manilla to HK missing HK was a significant risk as arriving in China (by mistake) resulted in prison sentences - so you needed to be very confident of what you were doing. Its a 450nm passage and we did it once by DR and were out by 10nm - which I thought was reasonable. I confess hitting HK was not that difficult because 'then' all the aircraft you would see were either going to or coming from HK.


Jonathan

 

[LadyInBed]

Why do you keep reffering to part of the english channel, the solent as a lake?

I think I am right in saying that the Solent is not classed as "open water" (hence no passage plan required) therefore, not part of the English Channel, hence the derogatory term lake.