This is a good exercise to practice. I read a couple of years ago on this forum about steering with sails alone. Tried it and was amazed what you can learn from this. I was able to steer my boat all around the bay without the rudder. I can just swing mine out of the water. Don't know how it would be in heavy seas and high winds. Also teaches you a lot about balancing the sails. A must do exercise.
Steer With Sails
- Thread starter Don Guillette
- Start date
Rudder snapped on my Mac 26D, Outboard did allow play to steer. Used a kayak paddle as rudder to get back to the marina.
If I were on the boat I have now and we lost steerage due to failure of cables on the quadrant;
No. 1 push the button to engage the autopilot (hydraulic direct drive to the rudder post) and try to get moving the hell out of the way, probably under power!;
No. 2 remove the wheel & pull out the emergency tiller [EmT) for stand-by. It's a goofy deal, that's for sure--a short piece of aluminum pipe, angled slightly, with a deep socket at the short end that fits over the head of the rudder post. A couple of years ago I tapped the socket for 3/8" set screws that I could use to tighten the tiller to the post head;
No. 3 hook-up international code flag "Delta" ["Keep clear of me; I am maneuvering with difficulty."] to a halyard running to a cheek block at the masthead, port side, and prepare to hoist;
No. 4 Radio Vessel Assist and advise them that I might need a tow home; give position and situation; advise please stand-by. Probably transmit Pan-Pan if I lose complete control of the yacht, etc., while in the traffic lane.
No. 1 push the button to engage the autopilot (hydraulic direct drive to the rudder post) and try to get moving the hell out of the way, probably under power!;
No. 2 remove the wheel & pull out the emergency tiller [EmT) for stand-by. It's a goofy deal, that's for sure--a short piece of aluminum pipe, angled slightly, with a deep socket at the short end that fits over the head of the rudder post. A couple of years ago I tapped the socket for 3/8" set screws that I could use to tighten the tiller to the post head;
No. 3 hook-up international code flag "Delta" ["Keep clear of me; I am maneuvering with difficulty."] to a halyard running to a cheek block at the masthead, port side, and prepare to hoist;
No. 4 Radio Vessel Assist and advise them that I might need a tow home; give position and situation; advise please stand-by. Probably transmit Pan-Pan if I lose complete control of the yacht, etc., while in the traffic lane.
My previous boat had a flat blade rudder, so if you did not steer with the sails, you did not steer at all. A much as I disliked that boat, it taught me a lot of how to be a better skipper. You always had to be one step ahead of what ever the boat was going to do. A slight wind shift, and the boat was going to change directions, the rudder was irrelevant.
I used to sing " I need a rudder that won't drive me crazy".
I used to sing " I need a rudder that won't drive me crazy".