lost rudder in storm!!!!!!!

[Larry Shulman]

today we completely lost our rudder on our brand new 400, conditions were 6 foot waves, on Long Island sound, 25 knots, no sail up, and running hard about 5.5-6 knots on the water. At no time were we anywhere near water under 30 feet, I am confused, scared and in shock. Lucky we lost it at the end nearing Huntington Bay and we were brought in by tow, by the marine Police.If anybody has any insight please let me know.Larry Shulman5166942034Could a snag on a lobster pot or slamming off a wave do this???? Scary

 

[Richard]

Rudder or steering?

Loosing a rudder under the conditions you describe would be very unusual. Snagging a lobster pot would be more likely to foul your prop than to damage the rudder, and the seas you describe don't sound too serious. Are you sure you didn't have a failure in the steering linkage? This could happen on a new boat if something weren't tightened properly at the factory, and generally it's easy to fix. If it really is the rudder, I'd speak directly to the Catalina factory.

 

[LaDonna Bubak - Planet Catalina]

Richard's right

I don't care how big or little the seas are or blah, blah, blah, your rudder SHOULD NOT FALL OFF!!! If it has, Catalina (or their local dealer) will be getting a nice hefty bill for a new rudder and some kind of permanent rig to keep it from happening again, not to mention the cost of the tow.A side note, anyone else concerned about this (if Larry was right about the rudder falling off, I suppose we all should be concerned) you might want to take a hose clamp & attach it right below the quadrant (or tiller) where the rudder post enters the stern tube.This should (hopefully) prevent rudder loss if the factory installed clamp/bolt fails. This, of course, won't help steerage but will keep you from losing your rudder!A thing you might want to be aware of is that since the 400 has two mechanical wheels, Richard's point of a mechanical failure is a definite possibility. Check it out before making an irate phone call to Catalina!LaDonna

 

[Ernie A]

Here's what happened...from the dealer.

Ahoy--Mr Larry Shulman, for whatever reason, has not responded to his post which left many Calalina owners concerned. I feel that it's reasonable for other C-owners know the situation.Here's what Kevin Coney of Coney's Marine, Huntingtron, LI-NY, had to say about Mr Shulman's relatively new C-400:1. The rudder laminate failed. The rudder internal skeleton remained intact and in good condition. The rudder stock did NOT drop.2. The reason for the laminate failure has not been ascertained. The failed rudder will be shipped to the Catalina factory for analysis this week when the new rudder is installed. [The new rudder would have been installed already had not Floyd arrived first.] Catalina seems to have responded quickly and appropriately.3. The speculated reasons given for the laminate failure fall into two catagories: (a) There might have been prior damage to the rudder by grounding or by snagging a lobster warp, mooring, even the ground tackle if anchored in a strong reversing current. Any of these possible incidents could have passed un-noticed.(b) There may have been a bad batch of foam which forms the blade of the rudder.4. In either instance, it is my understanding that Catalina does NOT plan a recall UNLESS they determine that the problem was bad foam WITH clear indication that it was more than an isolated instance. Again, we will have to wait until Catalina analyzes the failed rudder. When haulling this fall, it might be a good idea if rudders received a bit more than just cleaning and cursory inspection.Ernie AprilWindCatcher (C-42 #618)