You and your crew are enjoying a coastal cruise. All has been going well with the wind, weather, and boat. The leg you're on involves sailing at night and you have established a rotating watch system. The boat is moving along near hull speed and you are asleep in your bunk when you are awakened by a loud thump which causes the boat to shudder. Grabbing your PFD/harness and a flashlight, you rush up on deck to see what's going on. It appears you've hit something in the water. The crew member at the helm then shouts that he's lost steering. Whatever you hit, it has destroyed your rudder. What would you do? (By Warren Milberg)
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Rig the emergency rudder
First check to see that no one is injured. No mention of point of sail or amount of sea room so those are unknown. The boat will probably round up, near head to wind, so I'd drop the sails. After I verified that the rudder was gone and the hull was sound, (no big leaks, and not just a broken steering cable). I'd rig the emergency rudder, get some sail up and plot a course for the nearest safe harbour (perhaps the original destination). Emergency rudder is a washboard bolted to the spinnaker pole. The pole is lashed to the stern railing and controlled with the spinnaker guys lead to the cabin top winches (so the primaries can be used for sail trim). Using a combination of sail trim and the emergency rudder it should be possible to make my port of choice. If I felt the conditions or lack of sea room warranted it, or if the hull was breached, I'd make a PAN PAN call or a MAY DAY.
First check to see that no one is injured. No mention of point of sail or amount of sea room so those are unknown. The boat will probably round up, near head to wind, so I'd drop the sails. After I verified that the rudder was gone and the hull was sound, (no big leaks, and not just a broken steering cable). I'd rig the emergency rudder, get some sail up and plot a course for the nearest safe harbour (perhaps the original destination). Emergency rudder is a washboard bolted to the spinnaker pole. The pole is lashed to the stern railing and controlled with the spinnaker guys lead to the cabin top winches (so the primaries can be used for sail trim). Using a combination of sail trim and the emergency rudder it should be possible to make my port of choice. If I felt the conditions or lack of sea room warranted it, or if the hull was breached, I'd make a PAN PAN call or a MAY DAY.
Lost rudder
First check to see that no one is injured and hull was secure...no large leaks. I'd drop the sails and if the water was of a deph that I could anchor I would drop anchor. I would verify that the rudder was gone and not just a broken steering cable. I would make a call to to the nearest help...for example I'm a member of US Boat, USCG or Harbormaster. If not in an area where we could anchor I'd rig an emergency rudder by taking one of the hatch covers off from the cockpit...(given weather allowed this...no heavy rains and the seas were not coming over the sides)...lash it to my boat hook and then lash that to the rear railing. I would start my engine set a course for the nearest safe harbour. If no engine, then put up a small amount of sail and using a combination of sail trim and the emergency rudder it should be possible to make my way to port.
First check to see that no one is injured and hull was secure...no large leaks. I'd drop the sails and if the water was of a deph that I could anchor I would drop anchor. I would verify that the rudder was gone and not just a broken steering cable. I would make a call to to the nearest help...for example I'm a member of US Boat, USCG or Harbormaster. If not in an area where we could anchor I'd rig an emergency rudder by taking one of the hatch covers off from the cockpit...(given weather allowed this...no heavy rains and the seas were not coming over the sides)...lash it to my boat hook and then lash that to the rear railing. I would start my engine set a course for the nearest safe harbour. If no engine, then put up a small amount of sail and using a combination of sail trim and the emergency rudder it should be possible to make my way to port.
Been there, Done that!
It's really not the crisis it might seem, and any sailor knows how to deal with it, but it takes a bit of lateral thinking. You have all noticed that if your sheets are too tight for the conditions your vessel will round up. You also know that if you ease the sheets the vessel will fall off. I went through this in the English Channel on a passage from Ostende in Belgium to Southampton in England. I was only two hours out of Ostende when this happened, so I had to select the most favorable direction, and found I could maintain a better course heading towards England, although this meant crossing the busiest shipping lane in the world. The loss of rudder didn't affect my journey too much - I was only six hours later than my ETA.
It's really not the crisis it might seem, and any sailor knows how to deal with it, but it takes a bit of lateral thinking. You have all noticed that if your sheets are too tight for the conditions your vessel will round up. You also know that if you ease the sheets the vessel will fall off. I went through this in the English Channel on a passage from Ostende in Belgium to Southampton in England. I was only two hours out of Ostende when this happened, so I had to select the most favorable direction, and found I could maintain a better course heading towards England, although this meant crossing the busiest shipping lane in the world. The loss of rudder didn't affect my journey too much - I was only six hours later than my ETA.
Towing a Warp
All of the other responses are right on. The only additional item to add would be towing a warp. I just came from the Toronto Boat Show where a couple showed an Atlantic crossing where a fellow sailor had lost their rudder. Since they were the closest, they sailed to them and then left them there. The skipper of the damaged vessel did not want to abandon ship, but was unable to make headway. They eventually adandoned ship and the vessel was destroyed as it washed up on a beach a few months later. I was appalled at the lack of effort on the sailors that left the boat alone. Anyway, the conditions were 15-20 knots from the starboard quarter with 8-10 foot seas. Rigging an emergency rudder would have not worked due to the strain on the system and probably would have caused more damage. The best solution here is to drag a warp off the stern. The warp should be attached to both stern cleats with a bridle. The warp can be as simple as an extra anchor rode, with chain to hold it down. If more is needed, tie a sailbag in a bundle to the end. You then attached a tweaker to each of your cockpit, outboard winches. These are used to adjust the warp to either side to counteract the weather helm created while sailing. These are sailboats, so sail them and adjust the sail area and trim for minimal helm. Just make sure the warp is long enough to bridge a couple of waves and stay in the water. In a following sea, it is the best way to keep you stern in position.
All of the other responses are right on. The only additional item to add would be towing a warp. I just came from the Toronto Boat Show where a couple showed an Atlantic crossing where a fellow sailor had lost their rudder. Since they were the closest, they sailed to them and then left them there. The skipper of the damaged vessel did not want to abandon ship, but was unable to make headway. They eventually adandoned ship and the vessel was destroyed as it washed up on a beach a few months later. I was appalled at the lack of effort on the sailors that left the boat alone. Anyway, the conditions were 15-20 knots from the starboard quarter with 8-10 foot seas. Rigging an emergency rudder would have not worked due to the strain on the system and probably would have caused more damage. The best solution here is to drag a warp off the stern. The warp should be attached to both stern cleats with a bridle. The warp can be as simple as an extra anchor rode, with chain to hold it down. If more is needed, tie a sailbag in a bundle to the end. You then attached a tweaker to each of your cockpit, outboard winches. These are used to adjust the warp to either side to counteract the weather helm created while sailing. These are sailboats, so sail them and adjust the sail area and trim for minimal helm. Just make sure the warp is long enough to bridge a couple of waves and stay in the water. In a following sea, it is the best way to keep you stern in position.
Strain on the rudder???
As Blue Grace indicated, you really don't need a rudder. You can control the boat with just the jib and main. This is assuming of course that the rudder is not jammed to one side or otherwise causing the boat to want to go in circles. You would have to fix that in any of the situations Sooooo Since there is not much force on the rudder when you take this approach, why would an emergency tiller have a lot of force on it? I'd recommend trying this on a fine day. Get the boat balanced with the helm centered. Lash the helm to center and then steer the boat by using the sails. I tried this after reading it in a book and I have forever been convinced that sail balance is THE way to go to reducing your (or your autopilot's) load at helming the boat. She goes faster too. As a general rule: Powering up the jib or de-powering the main will make for more lee helm and make the boat turn off the wind while de-powering the jib or powereing up the main will make for weather helm and make the boat turn into the wind. When you balance the two the boat goes where you want. There are an infinite number of combinations of jib and main that "balance the boat" so experiment to get the best speed for the conditions. For the "call in the navy on VHF" crowd, I would only consider doing that if the seas where very rough and I didn't have storm sails to handle them. This is not (yet) a life threating situation.
As Blue Grace indicated, you really don't need a rudder. You can control the boat with just the jib and main. This is assuming of course that the rudder is not jammed to one side or otherwise causing the boat to want to go in circles. You would have to fix that in any of the situations Sooooo Since there is not much force on the rudder when you take this approach, why would an emergency tiller have a lot of force on it? I'd recommend trying this on a fine day. Get the boat balanced with the helm centered. Lash the helm to center and then steer the boat by using the sails. I tried this after reading it in a book and I have forever been convinced that sail balance is THE way to go to reducing your (or your autopilot's) load at helming the boat. She goes faster too. As a general rule: Powering up the jib or de-powering the main will make for more lee helm and make the boat turn off the wind while de-powering the jib or powereing up the main will make for weather helm and make the boat turn into the wind. When you balance the two the boat goes where you want. There are an infinite number of combinations of jib and main that "balance the boat" so experiment to get the best speed for the conditions. For the "call in the navy on VHF" crowd, I would only consider doing that if the seas where very rough and I didn't have storm sails to handle them. This is not (yet) a life threating situation.
In the early 80s,
the shaft sheared off the rudder on my Mariner 40 ketch while crossing Georgia Strait. I lashed the wooden spinnaker pole to the teak taffrail and with some paddling it served as a tiller to take me back into False Creek under power. Knowing things can happen, I have ordered the spare rudder system option for my new Hunter 49.
the shaft sheared off the rudder on my Mariner 40 ketch while crossing Georgia Strait. I lashed the wooden spinnaker pole to the teak taffrail and with some paddling it served as a tiller to take me back into False Creek under power. Knowing things can happen, I have ordered the spare rudder system option for my new Hunter 49.
Force on rudder????
If you have ever steared a large boat in a large quartering sea, the rudder is the only way to keep the boat sqaured with the waves to avoid rounding up and/or broaching. Going upwind, I agree that proper helm balance eliminates most of the force on a rudder. I have searched for a great SAIL article I read about a single hander that finished an Atlantic crossing with an emergency tiller. He pointed out that his first attempt with a spinakker pole and a bulkhead door, snapped after just 24 hours. Then his secoind attempt made a stronger rudder, but the stern rail and sorrounding hardware started to come apart after just a few days. The purpose of the article was to say that everyone planning an ocean crossing should #1 check the integrity of their rudder. #2 have a custom built emergency rudder made and stow it aboard. His design was basically a transom hung rudder. It was a very large tubular steel design. He added the hardware to the stern to slide the emergency rudder on. With anything other than a foil keel, your boat tends to pivot around the keel. This makes lashing the rudder in the center position an ineffective way to test an emergency tiller. The centered rudder still provides the force necessary to maintain lift and elminate the cantilever effect when missing. If you do a search on the internet, there are many real life stories of people who have done it. Most involve rudder losses when hundreds of miles off shore. We've all steereed our boats into or with a large sea and felt the rudder pull and tug on the wheel. Those forces are not to be taken lightly. If your on a small lake, you can stand to take a few extra hours to get home. If you are in the middle of the Atlantic, weather windows and provisions dictate a speady crossing. You want the tools and the knowledge to help make that happen.
If you have ever steared a large boat in a large quartering sea, the rudder is the only way to keep the boat sqaured with the waves to avoid rounding up and/or broaching. Going upwind, I agree that proper helm balance eliminates most of the force on a rudder. I have searched for a great SAIL article I read about a single hander that finished an Atlantic crossing with an emergency tiller. He pointed out that his first attempt with a spinakker pole and a bulkhead door, snapped after just 24 hours. Then his secoind attempt made a stronger rudder, but the stern rail and sorrounding hardware started to come apart after just a few days. The purpose of the article was to say that everyone planning an ocean crossing should #1 check the integrity of their rudder. #2 have a custom built emergency rudder made and stow it aboard. His design was basically a transom hung rudder. It was a very large tubular steel design. He added the hardware to the stern to slide the emergency rudder on. With anything other than a foil keel, your boat tends to pivot around the keel. This makes lashing the rudder in the center position an ineffective way to test an emergency tiller. The centered rudder still provides the force necessary to maintain lift and elminate the cantilever effect when missing. If you do a search on the internet, there are many real life stories of people who have done it. Most involve rudder losses when hundreds of miles off shore. We've all steereed our boats into or with a large sea and felt the rudder pull and tug on the wheel. Those forces are not to be taken lightly. If your on a small lake, you can stand to take a few extra hours to get home. If you are in the middle of the Atlantic, weather windows and provisions dictate a speady crossing. You want the tools and the knowledge to help make that happen.
Bridle positioning
No, your not missing anything. It all depends on the configuration of your boat and the location of the winches. If your winches are further up in the cockpit and you have a crowded stern pulpit (ie. post for wind generator, radar and dinghy motor), then the stern cleat setup seems to work best. You can then have your tweaker further down the warp to avoid interfering with the cockpit. Either should do the trick.
No, your not missing anything. It all depends on the configuration of your boat and the location of the winches. If your winches are further up in the cockpit and you have a crowded stern pulpit (ie. post for wind generator, radar and dinghy motor), then the stern cleat setup seems to work best. You can then have your tweaker further down the warp to avoid interfering with the cockpit. Either should do the trick.
Just Read
Most of the relevant data are given by Warren in black and white, but as usual, many insist on creating conditions that contradict the given scenario. Reading, gentlemen, is fundamental. 1) The weather is okay. 2) Steerage is lost, which I take to mean the helm is unresponsive to input (an apparently dropped rudder or one that has separated from the shaft, and not turning with it any more), not locked and turning you in circles. Where do you guys come up with this stuff? The sky is not falling. Anchoring is probably not practical: what are you doing that close to shore at night? I think I'll pass cruising with you, Skipper. First, check the rudder shaft to ensure you're not taking on water. Rudderless steering by sail trim and/or streaming warps is possible in open water on certain points of sail, but you're heading for port now, and you will require precise piloting in close quarters: laser straight in channels, turning into basins, avoiding the rocks, docks, boat traffic and the yachtclub. No way would I try to enter a marina that way. You'd be limited to approaching the seawall, then calling for a tow. Less than desirable, and less than can be reasonably done. Given the relatively benign conditions, a bolted up hatchboard rudder may give you adequate steerage and last long enough to get to your nearest port (you're coastal cruising, so it only has to perform for a few hours). But woudn't it be nice to have thought this out beforehand? Here's a link to a couple of prepared emergency rudders that can be adapted to either tillers or wheels. I rather like the cassette with slide-in rudder setup, though I think reeving the control lines through the spinnaker blocks, using them as turning blocks, then running the lines to a wooden pulley attached to the wheel (this can be seen in the pics for the other option for the reverse transom) would reestablish control to the helm station, instead of fooling around trying to steer with winches, as the cassette setup shows. This cassette rudder bolts to the pre-drilled & lowered swim ladder, and the whole thing looks like something even I could measure, glass up and store compactly in an out-of-the-way place. It's like your manhood: it don't have to be pretty to be functional. (Ladies, pardon my crudeness). What no one has addressed is the fact that it's dark and you will be, at least temporarily, without steerage. If you're coastal cruising, there is a very good possibility you are in or near a commercial traffic lane. Those of you who are drilling boards and poles, bolting up Rube Goldberg systems and lashing them in place will spend an hour or more in that condition, I think. Since you have crew, shouldn't someone issue a /securite/ over the VHF, advising any 22kt cargo carrier bearing down on you in the dark of your position and impaired situation, before you're surfing their bowwave and counting the rivets on their hull? And post a lookout to constantly scan the 24 points of the compass? Turning on more lights, like the deck flood, would be a good idea, Colregs notwithstanding. Oh, and white sails up increase visibility, so mine stay up. After installation, I'd furl the genoa and gently motorsail in under a steadying main, keep those crew stationed as lookouts, monitor the apparent function of the emergency steering system, and sing pirate songs to keep morale up. Yeah, Jeff, but how many of us will actually spend the couple of hours to build a drop-in emergency rudder ready to go? I wonder… Here's the link.
Most of the relevant data are given by Warren in black and white, but as usual, many insist on creating conditions that contradict the given scenario. Reading, gentlemen, is fundamental. 1) The weather is okay. 2) Steerage is lost, which I take to mean the helm is unresponsive to input (an apparently dropped rudder or one that has separated from the shaft, and not turning with it any more), not locked and turning you in circles. Where do you guys come up with this stuff? The sky is not falling. Anchoring is probably not practical: what are you doing that close to shore at night? I think I'll pass cruising with you, Skipper. First, check the rudder shaft to ensure you're not taking on water. Rudderless steering by sail trim and/or streaming warps is possible in open water on certain points of sail, but you're heading for port now, and you will require precise piloting in close quarters: laser straight in channels, turning into basins, avoiding the rocks, docks, boat traffic and the yachtclub. No way would I try to enter a marina that way. You'd be limited to approaching the seawall, then calling for a tow. Less than desirable, and less than can be reasonably done. Given the relatively benign conditions, a bolted up hatchboard rudder may give you adequate steerage and last long enough to get to your nearest port (you're coastal cruising, so it only has to perform for a few hours). But woudn't it be nice to have thought this out beforehand? Here's a link to a couple of prepared emergency rudders that can be adapted to either tillers or wheels. I rather like the cassette with slide-in rudder setup, though I think reeving the control lines through the spinnaker blocks, using them as turning blocks, then running the lines to a wooden pulley attached to the wheel (this can be seen in the pics for the other option for the reverse transom) would reestablish control to the helm station, instead of fooling around trying to steer with winches, as the cassette setup shows. This cassette rudder bolts to the pre-drilled & lowered swim ladder, and the whole thing looks like something even I could measure, glass up and store compactly in an out-of-the-way place. It's like your manhood: it don't have to be pretty to be functional. (Ladies, pardon my crudeness). What no one has addressed is the fact that it's dark and you will be, at least temporarily, without steerage. If you're coastal cruising, there is a very good possibility you are in or near a commercial traffic lane. Those of you who are drilling boards and poles, bolting up Rube Goldberg systems and lashing them in place will spend an hour or more in that condition, I think. Since you have crew, shouldn't someone issue a /securite/ over the VHF, advising any 22kt cargo carrier bearing down on you in the dark of your position and impaired situation, before you're surfing their bowwave and counting the rivets on their hull? And post a lookout to constantly scan the 24 points of the compass? Turning on more lights, like the deck flood, would be a good idea, Colregs notwithstanding. Oh, and white sails up increase visibility, so mine stay up. After installation, I'd furl the genoa and gently motorsail in under a steadying main, keep those crew stationed as lookouts, monitor the apparent function of the emergency steering system, and sing pirate songs to keep morale up. Yeah, Jeff, but how many of us will actually spend the couple of hours to build a drop-in emergency rudder ready to go? I wonder… Here's the link.
A Few Degrees Shy of a Circle
Did I really refer to 24 points on the compass? Must have been thinking hours in a day. Of course, there are 32 points to the compass.
Did I really refer to 24 points on the compass? Must have been thinking hours in a day. Of course, there are 32 points to the compass.
Having a rudder is a luxury
I discoverd what post #5 (Bill Roosa) is talking about when I got my first sailbaot. Which of course is the one I have and use tday. I bought the boat needing some repairs. One of which was a weak rudder support bracket. Mine is a MAC25 Sloop with a 9.9 Evinrude kicker. To make a long story short, my rudder fell off on my first daytrip and I had to steer by the sheets. Which after a while became 2nd nature. Took her out several hundred times in the first 2 years before I figured out a good fix for the rudder. Well, the addition of the new rudder was a luxury I had to learn all over again! Got so used to steering by sail, that I finally tyed-off the rudder straight and steer by sheet 90% of the time. So I guess this post doesn't really scare me like the others did. Tom 1980 MAC25 sv/Insagal
I discoverd what post #5 (Bill Roosa) is talking about when I got my first sailbaot. Which of course is the one I have and use tday. I bought the boat needing some repairs. One of which was a weak rudder support bracket. Mine is a MAC25 Sloop with a 9.9 Evinrude kicker. To make a long story short, my rudder fell off on my first daytrip and I had to steer by the sheets. Which after a while became 2nd nature. Took her out several hundred times in the first 2 years before I figured out a good fix for the rudder. Well, the addition of the new rudder was a luxury I had to learn all over again! Got so used to steering by sail, that I finally tyed-off the rudder straight and steer by sheet 90% of the time. So I guess this post doesn't really scare me like the others did. Tom 1980 MAC25 sv/Insagal
no big deal
assertain the situation trim sails accordingly and sail on to the nearest port for repairs your not in a squal so get over it relax and enjoy whats left of your now shortened or delayed trip
assertain the situation trim sails accordingly and sail on to the nearest port for repairs your not in a squal so get over it relax and enjoy whats left of your now shortened or delayed trip
three easy steps
1. Snap on my Scanmar Emergence Rudder 2. Shorten sail until the new rudder can hold course without ANY weather helm. 3. Shorten the watch schedule since we'll now be sailing without the aid of an autopilot and the helmsperson will be steering by tiller.
1. Snap on my Scanmar Emergence Rudder 2. Shorten sail until the new rudder can hold course without ANY weather helm. 3. Shorten the watch schedule since we'll now be sailing without the aid of an autopilot and the helmsperson will be steering by tiller.
Check Below!!
Turn right around and go below and check the bilge. Ok, so the boat's not shipping any water. Or is that the ship's not boating any? Anyway,Go topside and check the wake and make sure she isn't draging the old rudder. If she is try as hard as you can to recover the old rudder. Those things aren't cheap, you know. I've seen boats that have a line rigged all the time to the rudder just in case it comes unshipped. Going to add that little feature myself this year, after I rebuild my leaky rudder. Oh what to do next?? Depends on where you and your sailboat are. Toss out an anchor if it's safe to anchor, set an anchor watch and go back to bed. Wait till after its daylight and you've had a good solid breakfast to figure out the next step.
Turn right around and go below and check the bilge. Ok, so the boat's not shipping any water. Or is that the ship's not boating any? Anyway,Go topside and check the wake and make sure she isn't draging the old rudder. If she is try as hard as you can to recover the old rudder. Those things aren't cheap, you know. I've seen boats that have a line rigged all the time to the rudder just in case it comes unshipped. Going to add that little feature myself this year, after I rebuild my leaky rudder. Oh what to do next?? Depends on where you and your sailboat are. Toss out an anchor if it's safe to anchor, set an anchor watch and go back to bed. Wait till after its daylight and you've had a good solid breakfast to figure out the next step.
Where in the dickens did I leave my rudder?
What I did was put the outboard in and go home to fix my rudder. My crew is a cat. If I had no motor, I'd sail with sails set as I've practiced and steer by shifting my weight (done that, but not because I lost rudder). I've dragged a bucket (warp?) because I needed to control my speed under a long tow from a provider with a coke habit and found it real nifty. If no wind (huh?), I'd anchor. If no bottom, I'd drift and puke because I think if I lost my rudder it was in rough seas with heavy wind. If I was sinking from a hull breech I think I'd yell at my radio, then drop sails or a tarp over the leaking side and haul in my steering/crapper/laundry bucket to bail and think about how I should have properly maintained my boat to prevent this, because from experience have learned in some places no matter how bad I need it or how loud I scream on my VHF nobody answers. May I propose a question? How did YOU lose your rudder?
What I did was put the outboard in and go home to fix my rudder. My crew is a cat. If I had no motor, I'd sail with sails set as I've practiced and steer by shifting my weight (done that, but not because I lost rudder). I've dragged a bucket (warp?) because I needed to control my speed under a long tow from a provider with a coke habit and found it real nifty. If no wind (huh?), I'd anchor. If no bottom, I'd drift and puke because I think if I lost my rudder it was in rough seas with heavy wind. If I was sinking from a hull breech I think I'd yell at my radio, then drop sails or a tarp over the leaking side and haul in my steering/crapper/laundry bucket to bail and think about how I should have properly maintained my boat to prevent this, because from experience have learned in some places no matter how bad I need it or how loud I scream on my VHF nobody answers. May I propose a question? How did YOU lose your rudder?
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