Learn from my mistake - lost my rudder

May 22, 2020
76
Catalina 22 Iowa
Today I rigged my Catalina 22 and was ready to go. I was sailing in the Mississippi and, between the wind and current, I decided to use the outboard to get out. I had to rig the mooring lines to hold the boat in place until I could move away from the dock. I put the motor in gear and headed out. I was watching both lines and pulling them as as I headed out. It was going pretty good as I pulled the last foot of line in. I was steering with the outboard and was moving my hand to the tiller when it jumped, came off the gungeons and disappeared into the river. I set a course, dropped the main and circled around. I needed to get right back to dock to ensure that no one ran over my rudder with their trailer. No problem motoring back and I docked fine. I tied up and waded into the water - cold. God was smiling on me and I walked right down the ramp and stepped on the rudder. After a deep breath and a quick swim I had my rudder assembly back.

1. My rudder currently has an issue where I can't lock it up. I now know that this needs to be fixed immediately.

2. I should secure my rudder. I do so in my smaller boat but have never done so in my larger boat. I'm open to suggestions on how to do so.

In any case, secure your rudder and make sure you can lock it up when needed.

Man I was blessed today. The fishermen certainly got a kick watching me swim today.
 
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Likes: LloydB
Nov 23, 2018
46
Vandestadt & McGruer Ltd. Siren 17 Choctawhatchee Bay
My rudder has a hole in the pintle for a hairpin. That's all that secures it to the boat while sailing. I forgot to put the pin in once, but since my rudder is made of wood, it simply floated off the back of the boat. I was lucky!
 
Aug 10, 2020
511
Catalina C25 3559 Rocky Mount
my rudder has a pivot so it swings up in shallow water. it has a line running to the bottom end and it cleats up by the tiller to hold it in the swung up position. I made the line long enough to tie it off to a cleat on the boat as well. it's a just in case line.... my gudgeons also lock down if you turn hard one way it drops down and can't come up and out.
 
Aug 12, 2018
163
Hunter 26 Carter Lake, Colorado
My C22 rudder had something similar to this, much handier for trailer sailing than a split pin through the pintle, etc. Of course, if your rudder gets jammed onto the ramp because it won't swing up, then maybe it is best for it to fall off (since you were able to recover it).
rudderclip.jpg
 
Sep 24, 2018
2,549
O'Day 25 Chicago
If you decide you want a safety line, secure that line to the side of the boat that does not have the outboard. This way if the motor is running the rudder is likely to be pulled away from it so it's less likely to be eaten by the prop
 
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Likes: IASailor
Jan 19, 2010
12,362
Hobie 16 & Rhodes 22 Skeeter Charleston
I lost my rudder once. After a week sailing in the NC outer banks , I loaded my boat on the trailer and drove the five hours home only to realize I had left my rudder in the grass next to the ramp. I put a reward in the local community webpage and a guy mailed it to me. Go figure. I had already made a new one . And as it turned out a friend of mine needed a new rudder so I gave him the new rebuild. Did I mention the friend was a pastor!
 
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Likes: 31seahorse
Nov 8, 2010
11,386
Beneteau First 36.7 & 260 Minneapolis MN & Bayfield WI
The fishermen certainly got a kick watching me swim today.
Nice save!

but you set back our war for best seamanship with the fisherman and powerboaters by YEARS. ;^)
 
May 22, 2020
76
Catalina 22 Iowa
So, what do you think the water temp was?
I asked my wife to bring my swimsuit and a couple of towels as I figured I would be very cold once I got out of the water due to the wind. However the water was much colder then I expected and I was actually fine once I got out of it. I talked to my neighbor and he figures the water temperature was about 50. It felt warmer than that however. I went scuba diving off the coast of Maine in March one year and the water then was 41°. That was cold!
 
May 22, 2020
76
Catalina 22 Iowa
Nice save!

but you set back our war for best seamanship with the fisherman and powerboaters by YEARS. ;^)
I'll say this. While I was on the dock, one guy couldn't get his fishing boat on the trailer another guy came and left pretty quickly as he couldn't get his motor going. So I think I didn't put us too far behind...
 
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Likes: Jackdaw
Sep 22, 2018
1,869
Hunter 216 Kingston
2. I should secure my rudder. I do so in my smaller boat but have never done so in my larger boat. I'm open to suggestions on how to do so.
I’m not sure how your rudder “popped off” the boat. I understand that if it was not kicked up it likely struck bottom but the retaining clip ALSO might not have been engaged.

@twistedskipper posted a photo above and the two photos below show how that “clip” should look and how your rudder has one.

A suggestion would be to confirm that the clip is engaged fully by trying to lift the rudder off WITHOUT squeezing in that clip. :)

6C999B73-6103-4A50-8BF7-135E12E71542.jpeg
D51DC6ED-A395-489D-9830-F589710FCC06.jpeg
 
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Likes: LloydB
Nov 30, 2020
79
Macgregor 22 Dania, FL
The hairpins for the cross-hole are available in stainless from e-rigging.com

Chip
s/v Sand Dollar