Yachtmaster question #6

Don't see the problem. Should be able to steer OK with the rudder on the other hull /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

OTOH when that happened to me while sailing a tri (rudder quadrant snapped) I sailed back close hauled and the boat steered itself - for 800 miles.
 
Most boats will heave too without a rudder.This stops you getting blown down onto the lee shore and the boat will be more stable and comfortable while you consider making a temporary rudder from the spinnaker pole etc.with 15 nms of searoom theres no immediate panic,or need for assistance providing you can balance the boat to make some windward progress. With the North going tide a sea anchor could be an option if they had one.
 
Dropping the anchor after putting out a PAN call for assistance would be a good move. OK, so Pete only has 40 m of chain on board, but hey, he has lots of ropes on board hasn't he, including a long stout kedge warp? And he doesnt have to worry about swinging room...... And of course he has one of these proper new fangled anchors that are guaranteed to work every time, so no worries.....
 
Start engine
Drop sails
Rig a sea anchor/drogue at the bow
Run engine in astern at low speed - should hold an into the wind angle as the boat will weathercock aft to wind.
This should enable them to hold position off lee-shore whilst await tow.(call to coastguard - Mayday a bit excessive if tactics working.
Put kettle on - keep feed and watered.
 
I think preparation is probably a high priority in this situation

Preparing the crew
Preparing anchors
Preparing safety gear/liferafts

Any estimates of drift rate for a yacht, bare poles, F7??
1-2 knots? So that may give you a few hours before you hit anything. Not pleasant conditions but still afloat.

TLOM
 
1. Make clear to all on board that the damage was caused by a "floating container". It's the modern way. It just won't sound right blaming a log. Swear them to it. Then brief them to help do the following:

2. Get a position on the chart, or if fully electronic, write it on a scrap of paper along with the time, wind speed and direction and rate of drift if known.

3. Stream some kind of sea anchor or drogue, and strike all sail.

4. Get NUC lights on.

5. Rig and prepare the best ground-tackle available with the longest rode, it might get shallow enough (it will in th end) to utilise it.

6. Since it's unlikely that they'll manage to rig a jury rudder that will work, start pan-pan-panning. Decide at what depth or proximity to coast this will become a mayday.


Lots more that could/should be done perhaps, but I think being disabled like this, with night falling, the pan-pan is pretty high on the agenda. That's what it's for.

Just my knee-jerk thoughts.
 
[ QUOTE ]
Get the warps out of the locker and tie (bend?) them together, attach that to the end of the anchor chain to increase scope and decrease snatch.

Or if he has a kedge, use that rode attached to bower anchor warp.

[/ QUOTE ]

I remember a race where we anchored near Codling buoy off the Irish Coast. Tied almost every warp on the boat to the anchor and sat there till the wind picked up. Cant recall how deep it was, but it was pretty deep. Having said that, there was no wind.
 
1) If you haven't already done so, put in a couple of reefs plus equivalent rolls in headsail.

2) Heave to for the night.

3) Start engine and run in forward gear at lowest revs, if necessary adjusting mainsheet and traveller position so as to maintain head to wind.

4) Switch on navigation and steaming lights, radar (if available) and radar transponder (if available).

5) Estimate your track and speed.

6) Put out pan-pan and say that you do not require assistance, particularly while it's dark.

7) Reassure crew, and heat up some soup to go with the bread and butter (or whatever you were planning to have for supper).

8) At first light, if the wind is still in the West, roll out a bit more genny and run downwind, putting another reef in main if necessary.

9) Arrange for a tow to meet you about 2-4 miles from the shallows.
 
Get the liferaft on deck and secure the painter.

Have grab bag accessible (even more so) and flares standing by.

Consider rigging up towing bridal.

Inflate tender if carried

(to be included to above list)
 
[ QUOTE ]


6) Put out pan-pan and say that you do not require assistance, particularly while it's dark.



[/ QUOTE ]


I suspect that the at the first sniff of a Pan Pan there will be assistance coming at you from all directions whether you have asked for it or not.

TLOM
 
Still intrigued. Heave to without a rudder. Is it (just) a question of balancing the sails?? It is not really the sort of thing that you can practice - unless you are able to unship your rudder easily. Therefore, the first time to find out if your boat can do it is the time when you really really want to know. Am I missing something obvious?
TLOM
 
Thats nother key point raised IMHO....

The effort to stay off the lee shore is key.... sails will be helping the wind overcome the tide, and this needs dealing with....

OK..... the question as written, and my thinking... eg, the scenario I was trying to create...

Firstly the trouble happens when the boat is in a difficult location.... to their South East is the Belgian lee shore... which is very shallow, and best avoided in rough conditions....let alone without steerage.... To their north west/west is the TSS... no place to be without good steering, and to their immediate south is the Sandettie junction, again, no place to be....

So.... they need to, as a priority, maximise the boats ability to stay off the lee shore.... so sails down, anything that might act as a sea anchor to give the tide a hand... a sea anchor if they have one, or a drogue, buckets on warps, blankets on warps etc etc etc...

Then once stabilised, contact the CG, probably via a pan pan, to present situation, and then last, try to establish emergency steering....

Jimi had it, I think.... there really is no easy way out of this one.... they can't approach the Belgian coast, and to try to establish way, back towards the UK would mean crossing a wide and busy TSS under emergency steering, again, a no-no in my book.... so a tow is the only sensible option, while at teh same time stabilising the situation to avoid it getting worse...

Lots of other good points raised too about lifejackets, plots, access to safety gear. etc etc
 
I would avoid the engine at this stage, something that took the rudder off is likely to have given the prop a wack as well. So keep the engine in reserve as the shaft may not be straight any more and a lengthy run could result in it failing when you really need it!

I would then reduce sail to a tiny jib and deploy a bridle with some sort of central drougue. This will help keep the stern pointing into the wind (as the course is mainly down wind) and then hopefully adjusting the bridle will be able to obtain a course up to 20 or so degrees either side of ddw. I would then try and set a course for a sheltered area in about 5m of water where I could drop the hook. Failing this aim for the best safe haven and alert the coastgaurd of your situation, requesting a tow once you are close in.
 
[ QUOTE ]
I suspect that the at the first sniff of a Pan Pan there will be assistance coming at you from all directions whether you have asked for it or not.


[/ QUOTE ] Yes, of course, but one has to have a plan based on what you can control.

I really must learn to work faster. In the 30 minutes it took me to produce a reply, there was a great swatch of learned opinions.

I would definitely not drop the sails unless it proved impossible to heave to. Also I'm feeling rather better about spending the hard-earned pension on a long 16mm warp and new ground tackle.
 
[ QUOTE ]
Still intrigued. Heave to without a rudder. Is it (just) a question of balancing the sails?? It is not really the sort of thing that you can practice - unless you are able to unship your rudder easily. Therefore, the first time to find out if your boat can do it is the time when you really really want to know. Am I missing something obvious?

[/ QUOTE ] I guess there will be different answers for different boats. My first option (heaving to) is based on the assumption that downwind progress will be faster under bare poles or trailing warps than actively hove-to. (Most of the boats moored near mine seem quite capable of riding up on their moorings against the tidal stream when there is a relatively modest contrary wind.)
 
1. Tell crew to get into safety gear

2. Inform Coastguard so ships, fishingboats etc. can keep clear

3. If it is a fancy yacht log into internet and start another "rudder lost" thread and simultaneously a "what do I do thread?"

4. Use jury rigged rudder to approach a predetermined safepoint for a tow which the Coastguard almost definitely send staight away

5. Recommend that the Coastguard signs up to this forum and joins in the fun.
 
I'm not sure about some posters reluctance about the Pan Pan call, and the suggestions to "arrange a tow when close in," and suchlike. The Pan will elicit a properly managed response from people trained to help. They won't accept a codicil that you don't need help. You're going to get it, and don't worry about it. The CG are not there to test radios on, or to repeat missed forecasts. This is their real bread and butter. I think all the circumstances here add up to a PAN PAN with capitals, and is very close to becoming a Mayday. Even a "For Information Only" call to them will elicit a physical response in most cases (Been there).
As for heaving-to or even trying to sail out of this position, these options sound impossible and will almost certainly result in a Pan Pan later on. "Why didn't you Pan earlier."
Lots of other good suggestions, though.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Other threads that may be of interest

geem
Atlantic crossing 2025
2
Replies
39
Views
2K
geem
geem
Barton Seagoon
Containers fallen into the Solent
2
Replies
34
Views
2K
wonkywinch
wonkywinch

Share this page

Top