Worst sailing day ever. Started pleasant enough. Sitting at anchor in Wassau Sound rafted to power boat friend. Weather building. Easy reach 45 min. home. Time to go can't get anchor up. Only one (lost one last time). Passengers becoming upset. Going to cast off from other boat. Fell onto other boat. Fracture two ribs. Cut anchor line. Trying to get on proper heading and suddenly lose control due to no response to wheel. Sheared rudder cable. Called Sea Tow. Ran aground in 3' seas before arrival. Pulled me off and bent rudder shaft. Hell of a day! Anyone know about how to straighten the rudder? Not leaking! I'm thinking maybe the rudder has shifted somehow on it's inner workings?
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Oh what a day!
David: Does not sound like much fun. You may want to consider a trip line for you anchors. This would allow you to either dinky over to the anchor and release it. What type of anchors are you using and what do you THINK that they are snagging on? I do not know about straighting a rudder. They usually have a tube inside with a frame welded to it. This is then foamed and covered with fiberglass and gelcoat. If you straighen it without an inspection you may be looking for another tow!
David: Does not sound like much fun. You may want to consider a trip line for you anchors. This would allow you to either dinky over to the anchor and release it. What type of anchors are you using and what do you THINK that they are snagging on? I do not know about straighting a rudder. They usually have a tube inside with a frame welded to it. This is then foamed and covered with fiberglass and gelcoat. If you straighen it without an inspection you may be looking for another tow!
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Terry Arnold
bent rudder
David, sorry about the bad luck. If the boat is not leaking at all from the grounding and bent rudder sounds like it may be just a simple bend of the rudder shaft as it exits the bottom of the boat. If this is so, rudder should still turn freely until it impacts the skeg. You should check the upper bearing and the rudder tube anchorage from inside the boat. Any movement of the internal anchorage and bearing will probably evidence itself with the upper bearing or its tabbing moving or in the tube anchorage cracking. If the internals look ok, drop the rudder out the bottom. Since the H33 has a solid shaft, you may be able to simply have the bend straightened. Here is a photo of the rudder shaft and upper bearing.
David, sorry about the bad luck. If the boat is not leaking at all from the grounding and bent rudder sounds like it may be just a simple bend of the rudder shaft as it exits the bottom of the boat. If this is so, rudder should still turn freely until it impacts the skeg. You should check the upper bearing and the rudder tube anchorage from inside the boat. Any movement of the internal anchorage and bearing will probably evidence itself with the upper bearing or its tabbing moving or in the tube anchorage cracking. If the internals look ok, drop the rudder out the bottom. Since the H33 has a solid shaft, you may be able to simply have the bend straightened. Here is a photo of the rudder shaft and upper bearing.
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David McCollough
Can't get much worse
Steve, I appreciate your response. 30# Danforth. It should have been a typical mud bottom but I've pulled up cable and stuff before. Pretty heavy traffic area. I've been wondering how the rudder is connected to the shaft. I don't think I can simply pull it back in place. I'll be getting with it in another week or so. When my ribs heal. Man that hurts!
Steve, I appreciate your response. 30# Danforth. It should have been a typical mud bottom but I've pulled up cable and stuff before. Pretty heavy traffic area. I've been wondering how the rudder is connected to the shaft. I don't think I can simply pull it back in place. I'll be getting with it in another week or so. When my ribs heal. Man that hurts!
Cables
David: Our boat is in the California Delta. We have the same problems in this area. There are cables all over the place. You never know when you are going to snag one. Luckily I have only had to cut one anchor line in 25 years of boating in this area. I have pulled up cables from time to time. Pulling up cables with damaged ribs is not much of an option. I would suggest that you look into some sort of a trip line for future adventures. As far as your rudder is concerned, you will probably need to have the boat pulled. You may as well do that while you are on the mend. That way your boat will be ready to go about the same time you are <g>. Hope you feel better fast. I know how painful this can be.
David: Our boat is in the California Delta. We have the same problems in this area. There are cables all over the place. You never know when you are going to snag one. Luckily I have only had to cut one anchor line in 25 years of boating in this area. I have pulled up cables from time to time. Pulling up cables with damaged ribs is not much of an option. I would suggest that you look into some sort of a trip line for future adventures. As far as your rudder is concerned, you will probably need to have the boat pulled. You may as well do that while you are on the mend. That way your boat will be ready to go about the same time you are <g>. Hope you feel better fast. I know how painful this can be.
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Tom
Terry...I took a look at your picture
Was that fiberglass job on the right of the picture something done by the factory or something you added after the fact... Also the date of the picture is such an ominous date.....I think in America for a long time to come that date with be etched in our minds
Was that fiberglass job on the right of the picture something done by the factory or something you added after the fact... Also the date of the picture is such an ominous date.....I think in America for a long time to come that date with be etched in our minds
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Terry Arnold
September 11 ignorance was bliss
Tom, the new tabbing is some I added after noticing that the original seemed sloppy and coming up at the edges. Should have done the other side too. Funny how everybody remembers just where they were on 9/11. I had just bought a new digital camera and spent the morning happily making pictures of projects on the boat and working on it.
Tom, the new tabbing is some I added after noticing that the original seemed sloppy and coming up at the edges. Should have done the other side too. Funny how everybody remembers just where they were on 9/11. I had just bought a new digital camera and spent the morning happily making pictures of projects on the boat and working on it.
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