Steering failure - Plan B

zoidberg

zoidberg

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There are numerous examples of steering failure offshore, enough to have me pondering a 'Plan B'. The greatest likelihood on my Cutlass27 is a fracture of the tiller/rudderpost linkage. I'm considering fitting a means of attaching a pair of lines to the after-body of the rudder, and am thinking of an eyebolt-with-eyenut right through, or a dinghy-style 'gudgeon' triple through-bolted. ?

I could readily rig a spinni-pole horizontally across the cockpit, with sheave-blocks on the ends to give a good lead to the lines. ?

Ideas and observation are invited....

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So what makes you suspect a steering failure? I always say to customers who ask that sort of question, "If you go to sea with something you are not 100A1 about, fix it because it will always be on your mind and spoil your sail" Said that, how many airline pilots sign off faults on the aircraft before taking to the skies. Your decision, your belt and your braces.
 
I spoke to my insurance surveyor about this when the last insurance survey was done. Glady has Whitlock Mamba (shafts and gearboxes) steering, and his observation was that the usual cause of steering failure was cables or hydraulics, and that he had never come across or heard of a Mamba failure, so not to worry. My original idea was to install the below deck autopilot (which I did last winter) but it was reassuring to hear his comments.
 
I count myself fortunate to have lost a mast, and, separately, lost a rudder, in quite small boats in quite moderate weather.

I am here to tell you that:

Steering with a sweep (spinnaker pole and bottom board etc) does not work.
Towing a barrel does not work.
Steering with the sails does not work.

When I bought the boat I have now, the surveyor (an old friend) said, of the rudder, “That’s OK for now but you are not crossing an ocean with it!”. So I do understand Zoidberg’s point.

I think the eyebolt and lines is good but you need to have the lines pre- rove because diving under the counter at sea is not on. Maybe lead them both aft, slack?

Or buy a Hydrovane?
 
I 'test' my steering. Two pieces of 2 by 4 clamped up with a bit of threaded rod through the propeller aperture effectively lock the rudder blade amidships. I use a spring balance to apply a load at the end of the tiller. The load is applied in one direction and maintained for 15 minutes. If all's well, the load is reapplied in the opposite direction. When I did this year before last, the tiller broke!
I use a load of 100 lbs. this being about the maximum that I could apply to the tiller myself, using both hands and with feet braced on the opposite cockpit set. My broken tiller did, in fact, have a rotten patch concealed inside the stainless steel rudder head.
 
I would have the most likely scenario was the small skeg giving way after hitting something. The whole rudder then not being controllable and the the tangs holding it to the rudder stock failing.

Bits of rope won't help if you have no rudder. Think of alternative methods of steering or just stop worrying.
 
lpdsn said:
Having seen it attempted on a boat with a rudder jammed amidships I'd agree with you.
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There is a world of difference between getting some steering from some sort of jury rigged system, and getting enough steering to overcome a stuck rudder.
A rudder stuck amidships might not be too bad in say F4, you ought to be able to steer some sort of course with the sails.

I think you have to be realistic about this, no bodge is going to give you the kind of steering you will need if the weather is sufficient to break the rudder.
It's unlikely to give you enough control to get close to anything. All I'd be looking for is to get away from any imminent danger I suspect. If you are mid atlantic and a whale eats your rudder, you might have to sail a long way. If you are UK coastal, you're probably looking to stay safe until either you can fix it or get a tow?

Failure of e.g. steering cables is a different animal, some sort of emergency tiller is a sensible precaution.

The scariest incident I know of involved a mooring jamming between rudder and hull, on full lock.
 
lw395 said:
There is a world of difference between getting some steering from some sort of jury rigged system, and getting enough steering to overcome a stuck rudder.
A rudder stuck amidships might not be too bad in say F4, you ought to be able to steer some sort of course with the sails.
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It was light airs. Flat seas. They were motoring. 1990s cruiser racer with narrow-ish chord keel and spade rudder. No turning moment from the rudder & no turning moment from the seas. So if the jury rigged rudder was going to work it'd have worked then. Took them three attempts even to line up for the marina entrance.

Remember that with modern designs the lateral resistance of the rudder is significant, so with no rudder it's going to be difficult to keep the boat going in a straight line even with decent sail trim, and virtually impossible taking into account seas and heeling. Maybe slightly easier for a long keeler.
 
It's my nature - experience, choice - to think through the possible modes of failure and have a 'Plan B' for as many as I reasonably can. That's why fire extinguishers, lifejackets, liferaft, two VHF devices, two GPS devices, and a hidden store of beer in case of being 'locusted' by fellow-club retired RMs.....

I have half an idea of how to repair and rig e.g. an emergency stay, and the bits I should carry to achieve that. Should a seacock/hose fail, I have some bits that could help.

And so on....

For my money, it is wholly appropriate that I give thought to the possibility of steering failure - a tiller with a s/s linkage to the internal head of the rudder post. Stainless steel fractures. It gives no warning. That has happened to enough others, who have written about it in various tomes and mags. And I've seen the massive bulk of a full-grown Sei whale, right up close and well west of Biscay. In fact, a family of them. One gentle nudge from one of those, a wallow in a cross sea, and its 'goodbye, rudder'.

It would seem to be an easier solution on an Island Packet, with a stern ladder....

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....but I don't plan on carrying a shotgun!
 
third engines said:
So what makes you suspect a steering failure? I always say to customers who ask that sort of question, "If you go to sea with something you are not 100A1 about, fix it because it will always be on your mind and spoil your sail" Said that, how many airline pilots sign off faults on the aircraft before taking to the skies. Your decision, your belt and your braces.
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I am not sure sure why you mention airline pilots. An airline pilot is provided (essentially by the manufacturer) with an enormous document called "Minimum Equipment List" It addresses almost every form of equipment failure and permissions to proceed without that device working. (and any limitations to be imposed under those conditions. ) Fairly simple when you are talking a failed VHF radio. They often carry 4 sets because electronics are cheap compared to cost of delays. More complex when you want to take off with a 4 engined aircraft on 3 engines. (no passengers obviously) Any doubts about structural integrity requires grounding. Any bravado would see him lose his licence.
Anyway regarding steering failure. I would think the best option would be to carry the makings of a transom mounted rudder and tiller. ie gudgeons on the transom, pintles on a piece of board to which a tiller can be clamped. Not easy to fit in a sea way but doable I think with a bit of fore thought. This would duplicate all steering systems and only a rudder jambed hard over would be a problem.
Re steering with sail setting. Much depends on the boat. In a instructor reacreditation I was asked to and achieved a figure 8 and then even a simulated MOB by weight shift and sail trim on a 26 ft light weight racer with rudder tied amidships. Gentle weather of course.
My own boat is perhaps doable but is very skittish. Needs lots of practice and a willing crew.
OP should try the bucket dragged from either side of transom. (or extension of transom) good luck olewill
 
Our wheel is connected to the linkage driving 2 rudders with stainless cables, we have had one fail - which was a major inconvenience as we were entering a narrow channel, a very sheltered anchorage (Island Head Creek). Fortunately our autopilot drives the cross beam -so it was easy to switch from wheel steering to 'electrical'. We carry spare cables - but it took all day to replace (poor design).

When we raced we modified , simply pre-drilled, one of the 'floors boards' to take 2 'U' bolts that also fitted our spinnaker pole, augmented with ropes to cockpit winches - its 'OK' for long passages in association with sail trim - but impossible for confident complex manoeuvres. As we now have 2 rudders it is not a major issue for us - but rather than worry about it I'd simply build, prior to departing, a complete emergency external rudder, stock and tiller with necessary brackets already installed on the transom. For passages of any duration (and short handed) hand steering might become a nightmare and I'd consider adding a tiller pilot to the kit. I certainly would not envisage high latitude sailing without a spare rudder assembly (and pilot). Most people plan their adventure on the basis of auto-pilot etc - it comes as a cruel shock when you need to hand steer - and worse if you need to cobble together a rudder etc. Building an emergency rudder, stock and tiller is hardly complex (in the comfort of your garage, or kitchen) and much easier than when your yacht is rolling around and you and your wife are violently seasick. Do it now - don't even think any further.

Sunfish, hitting keels and rudder, have been a major hazard for yachts on the Sydney/Hobart - its not only containers, trees and whales.

Jonathan
 
My rudder is driven by wires from the quadrant to the wheel. My autopilot drives the quadrant so if the wire / wheel fails the autopilot can still drive the rudder.
I believe that this arrangement is accepted as emergency steering by ARC.
 
Airline pilots do depart with defects, very true. But, there is a list of allowable defects. If it’s not on the list, it’s a no go.

Atb
 
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we had a rudder jam last week departing the pontoon, going astern I turned the tiller and it stuck fast suddenly. Much panic, and wobbling of the tiller going forwards and astern while trying not to hit all the other boats and all of a sudden the end of a pallet bobbed up and it freed off. It put us off going out, and the next hour was spent testing and examining as best we could for signs of damage. I shudder to think of losing the rudder, our boats have a slight rep for it too as they rust away... Ours is fine!
 
solent clown said:
we had a rudder jam last week departing the pontoon, going astern I turned the tiller and it stuck fast suddenly. Much panic, and wobbling of the tiller going forwards and astern while trying not to hit all the other boats and all of a sudden the end of a pallet bobbed up and it freed off. It put us off going out, and the next hour was spent testing and examining as best we could for signs of damage. I shudder to think of losing the rudder, our boats have a slight rep for it too as they rust away... Ours is fine!
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try going astern slower
 
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