Wife and I were about to go out on our first overnight trip with our 1 year old daughter. I got out of the slip and was headed out of the marina when the rudder pin broke (I didn't realize it at the time). Not knowing that I had lost control, I couldn't figure out why the boat was getting blown in the last red marker into the marina. One I got pushed off of the marker, I was then getting blown towards the bridge pilings when I realized the rudder had floated up. I decided that I was better off out in the River (St. John's) than trying to get back into my slip without steerage (thought was safer for other boats 
). So, I loosened the lock on the engine and started steering by pushing the engine from side to side. Once I got safely out into the channel, I began to try to pull the rudder back down, only to find that the downhaul line knot apparently pulled through the hole in the rudder. About this time, a thrunderstorm decides to pop-up, so the winds and wavelets are a little rough for me to try to stand on the rudder (with the engine going) to try to get it back down where I could slide the metal trailering pin back in to regain steerage. So, I decided to try to motor up to the outside of the doc and tie up. Luckily, one of the sales people from Whitney's either heard my radio call to them or happened to see me out there struggling and came out to help me tie up. Waited about 30 mintues for the storm to do its thing and then her and her husband came back out to walk the boat around the dock where it would be more protected. I went out today, undid the pulleys that were inside the rudder post (they don't provide much mechanical advantage anyway), took off the crappy thin line that WAS attached to the rudder and took the bigger line all the way to the rudder and was able to cleat the rudder down. Don't know what I am going to do to resolve this issue permanently, this is the second time that the rudder has popped up when I was motoring near the docks. I think I will also look at linking the engine to the wheel as well... and but a gift card for Linda and her husband to a nice restaraunt . Darren
). So, I loosened the lock on the engine and started steering by pushing the engine from side to side. Once I got safely out into the channel, I began to try to pull the rudder back down, only to find that the downhaul line knot apparently pulled through the hole in the rudder. About this time, a thrunderstorm decides to pop-up, so the winds and wavelets are a little rough for me to try to stand on the rudder (with the engine going) to try to get it back down where I could slide the metal trailering pin back in to regain steerage. So, I decided to try to motor up to the outside of the doc and tie up. Luckily, one of the sales people from Whitney's either heard my radio call to them or happened to see me out there struggling and came out to help me tie up. Waited about 30 mintues for the storm to do its thing and then her and her husband came back out to walk the boat around the dock where it would be more protected. I went out today, undid the pulleys that were inside the rudder post (they don't provide much mechanical advantage anyway), took off the crappy thin line that WAS attached to the rudder and took the bigger line all the way to the rudder and was able to cleat the rudder down. Don't know what I am going to do to resolve this issue permanently, this is the second time that the rudder has popped up when I was motoring near the docks. I think I will also look at linking the engine to the wheel as well... and but a gift card for Linda and her husband to a nice restaraunt . Darren