Michael Keyworth has tested methods for steering without a rudder and has published his results in this white paper. It is well worth reading.

We lost steering when a gear box on our Bowman 57 seized mid-Atlantic. We reduced sail and I stayed on deck adjusting sail trim and essentially steering our ketch with the sails while Alex took apart the complex rod steering system. I also established contact with the vessels in our SSB net and two boats behind us diverted to our position to assist if necessary. Fortunately, Aleria sailed herself beautifully.

Eventually, after many hours of coaxing, the gear loosened to work well enough to reach Barbados. Although we did suffer a second steering failure en route -- and totally different problem which was probably caused by the first problem but was much easier to fix, we had to continue on to Grenada as there was no one who could help us fix it properly in Barbados. We prayed a lot on that trip.

We thought of several alternatives while we were at it and had suggestions from the SSB net as well. Virtually all of the alternatives would have required cutting the steering shaft, which we thought was a rather drastic matter but would have done it if we couldn 't work out a viable alternative. We do have an emergency tiller but it involves standing up through an open hatch in the aft cabin coach roof to steer, which is not a great ocean crossing option. The Monitor self-steering has a backup rudder option so that was another thing we could try. Fortunately, soaking the gear box in Liquid Wrench and a lot of "manual persuasion" did the trick.

Michael Keyworth 's solution seems very elegant and a very good use for a drogue.
Every boat is different so each solution is likely to be different. Has anyone else had the experience of rudder failure? What did you do?

Vice Commodore, OCC 

Thank you Dick. Good expression!

Here is a relevant article by Wayne Canning in Ocean Navigator: Steering Inspections. He recommends removing the rudder for detailed inspection every five years. I would prefer to see that done more regularly - say, bi-annually - but appreciate that on larger yachts that is probably asking too much.

For ease of reference, here is an additional article that is less detailed but nevertheless may be helpful: Steve D'Antonio in Cruising World, Sailboat Rudder Inspection.

One small tip I might pass on - I don't believe it's noted in either article - is that whenever you drop the rudder, be sure to weigh it and record that number for future reference. A rudder that gains significant weight is almost certainly absorbing water, which generally leads to weakened laminates.

Finally, owners of yachts fitted with Edson chain and wire rope steering system should be aware of the maintenance routine described in the final page of their Planning, Installation and Maintenance Guide.

Best wishes, Roger

+x

 

Roger Harris - 18 Feb 2021

Thank you Dick. Good expression!

Here is a relevant article by Wayne Canning in Ocean Navigator: Steering Inspections. He recommends removing the rudder for detailed inspection every five years. I would prefer to see that done more regularly - say, bi-annually - but appreciate that on larger yachts that is probably asking too much.

For ease of reference, here is an additional article that is less detailed but nevertheless may be helpful: Steve D'Antonio in Cruising World, Sailboat Rudder Inspection.

One small tip I might pass on - I don't believe it's noted in either article - is that whenever you drop the rudder, be sure to weigh it and record that number for future reference. A rudder that gains significant weight is almost certainly absorbing water, which generally leads to weakened laminates.

Finally, owners of yachts fitted with Edson chain and wire rope steering system should be aware of the maintenance routine described in the final page of their Planning, Installation and Maintenance Guide.

Best wishes, Roger

Hi Roger,
Another good set of reference material.
I have known (and done some writing for) Steve D’Antonio for years and consider him to be one of the most knowledgeable and experienced people in boat inspection, maintenance and repair. But possibly his greatest attribute is his ability to communicate what is often complex material to the average sailor/boater. His web site is a wealth of knowledge and can be searched.
As to weighing rudders, at first blush, it sounds like a good idea. I would be interested in field reports of skippers who have found help in doing so.
I am skeptical as (it is my take) most composite rudders (stainless steel shaft to a fiberglass rudder) are pretty quickly saturated (drill a small hole in your composite rudder’s bottom and most of us will find water flowing/dripping out: sometimes an impressive amount. It is pretty much impossible, over time, to seal the ss to fg joint.
If you have the rare monocoque (not sure I am using this term correctly) rudder where there are no seams for water to enter (such as a carbon fiber one piece shaft and rudder or an all-metal assembly), then weighing might makes sense as the “as manufactured” weight should never change (need to take bottom paint into account or strip it off).
As to Canning”s recommendation of dropping the rudder every 5 years (and yours of doing so every 2 years): I would likely temper those figures with rudder design and use. An unsupported spade type rudder hard used by a racing boat might definitely benefit from bi-annual removal. A rudder hung well supported and protected on the aft end of a full keel might not need such regular removal. A skeg hung rudder would be somewhere in between. If you are lucky enough to have many sister-ships made by the same manufacturer, field reports from other skippers can be a good guide to the boat’s vulnerabilities.
I would recommend rudder removal after a hard grounding, even if, the rudder seemed not to have been involved.

My best, Dick Stevenson, s/v Alchemy