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Thread: Emergency Rudders Show-and-Tell

  1. #11
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    Quote Originally Posted by BobJ View Post
    Maybe Dura Mater will have her new sweep by then?
    Tomorrow/Tuesday I am meeting Cornelia Foster, a member of the Iron Oars, a whaleboat rowing group. She will show me their oars, 12, 14 and 16' respectively. She suggests that the 16' oar, made of Ash, would be strongest. She said that she would loan it to me after June 30, when their season is over until August. Dunno if I can talk her out of it for Saturday. I will, however, photograph and measure it. Any advice regarding a local woodworker who could make one? Iron Oars gets its oars from Oregon.

  2. #12
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    Quote Originally Posted by svShearwater View Post
    For Spadefoot which is only 28 feet and 2700 pounds (modern Express 27) we are considering two options. Using the spinnaker pole attached to the stern lifelines and with lines led from the aft tip to the transom corners and forward to winches. The spinnaker pole would have a bit of chain attached to the aft tip and a halyard attached to the aft tip to keep the pole in the water the correct amount. The spinnaker pole idea isn't so different from the sweep idea except we already have a 9' 6" pole and the since it hinges at one tip and steered by control lines led to the aft tip it doesn't have to be as long as a sweep.
    A sweep is a possible good solution for ER rudder near shore, coastal, and even Long Pac. Less so for a SHTP. Getting downwind under emergency steering is greatly facilitated by winging out jib(s). A wung out jib, or twins, keeps the bow downwind, aimed at Hawaii, and minimizes physically steering with the ER.

    The problem with using a spinnaker pole for a sweep is you've eliminated efficiently winging out the jib. My preference is for a dedicated sweep, and retain the spinnaker poles for winging out.

    An alternative to anchor chain to weight the sweep is a "foreguy." This line is attached to the sweep, and run forward, underwater, along the top of the keel root, then across the leading edge of the keel and up to the opposite rail. By tensioning on the "foreguy" the blade of the sweep can be pulled downward, underwater. Just don't run the engine in gear without removing the "foreguy."

  3. #13
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    Default E.R. Practice

    Bob & Co. I'm scheduled for a wedding reception on Saturday or I'd be there with my cassette E.R. I would add a very important (I think) item to the "E.R Kit" -- a method of removing the primary rudder. A bent rudder shaft sank the "Bismark" and would be a devil to overcome with most E.R.s. A dowel of the correct diameter and length and a method of banging it down and driving the rudder post out. And, for boats with packing glands under deck and thingies like that, a method of stopping the inflow of water. A cap with a method of keeping it on the lower tube - there's an amazing amount of water pressure working there. Even a boat with a rudder tube that comes up through the cockpit sole needs a method of stopping water from slopping in. -- Pat


    Quote Originally Posted by BobJ View Post
    Per this thread's header and a call from our Commodore yesterday: This coming Saturday (16 May) at Richmond Yacht Club. We'll meet at the end of D Dock or between D and E at 1000 to look at stuff, then those who can will take an observer or two aboard and head out around Noon. We'll be back by 1500 (maybe earlier if there aren't many boats).

    If you're unfamiliar with RYC, E and D docks are the second and third docks on your left when you come into the harbor. If you turn into the second fairway (between D & E) there may also be a little space to tie up all the way in towards the shore. Otherwise we'll raft up on the end of D. From the land side, drive all the way out to the end - the gangway to D dock is between the Harbormaster's office and the heads. If you come by land, please bring whatever e-steering gear you want to show, a sandwich for yourself and a life jacket.

    If I can get my boat back together I'll be there with both e-rudder and a new drogue. I think Iniscaw (the boat fka Solar Wind) will come over, and Al will hopefully have Bandicoot's Monitor and M-Rud fitted. Maybe Dura Mater will have her new sweep by then? We need more boats to show up so please pass the word. Maybe Max can post this on our Faceplant page?

  4. #14
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    Lightspeed is at the end of E dock by California Condor. I will plan on backing her into the slip that day so the e-rudder cassette is easily viewable. If anyone wants to give the cassette & blade a try for themselves your welcome. If Gordie is around he can explain the construction. Sounds like a fun day, do we have any kind of a time frame?

  5. #15
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    pogen is offline Sailing canoe "Kūʻaupaʻa"
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    Hi Kids,

    I put up an announcement of this on the webpage, and there also should be an email to the membership coming out.

    http://sfbaysss.org/main/emergency-rudder-show-n-tell/

    If I missed anything important let me know please.

    See our website's Resource section where there are two long articles linked on emergency rudders, as they say in Battlestar Galactica, "All of this has all happened before."

    D.

  6. #16
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    pogen is offline Sailing canoe "Kūʻaupaʻa"
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    Quote Originally Posted by P. Broderick - Elaine View Post
    A bent rudder shaft sank the "Bismark"
    I think some torpedoes and bombs came in to play as well in their case.

  7. #17
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    Quote Originally Posted by pogen View Post
    Hi Kids,

    I put up an announcement of this on the webpage, and there also should be an email to the membership coming out.

    http://sfbaysss.org/main/emergency-rudder-show-n-tell/

    If I missed anything important let me know please.

    See our website's Resource section where there are two long articles linked on emergency rudders, as they say in Battlestar Galactica, "All of this has all happened before."

    D.
    Thanks Pogs. (Bump)

  8. #18
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    Default "BIsmark" Battle

    "Righto," as the British gunners and pilots might have said. But, the reason "Bismark" was turning big donuts in the N. Atlantic waiting her sure fate, rather than making a bee-line for Norway was the fact that her rudders were jammed due to a torpedo hit from a 1930s era Fairy bi-plane earlier on. The plane was going so slow "Bismark's" fancy automatic aiming AA guns couldn't hit it.

    I know the reference is a little obscure, but a bent rudder/shaft from whatever cause will provide headaches for whomever's trying to steer the boat. The "Bismark" crew didn't have those long dowels I'm suggesting, shortsighted on their part for sure, so just went round and round until the British Fleet closed in. I suppose a sailboat halfway to Hawaii could just go round and round while waiting for the container ship to track them down - hopefully with better results than the loss of several thousand sailors as in the North Atlantic. -- Pat


    Quote Originally Posted by pogen View Post
    I think some torpedoes and bombs came in to play as well in their case.

  9. #19
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    pogen is offline Sailing canoe "Kūʻaupaʻa"
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    Quote Originally Posted by P. Broderick - Elaine View Post
    The "Bismark" crew didn't have those long dowels I'm suggesting,
    Those would have been some pretty big dowels.

    I found one statement (on the Internet, so it must be true) that the Bismarck's rudder stocks were steel tubes 82cm OD, 30 cm ID. About 1.3 tons per foot of length.

    I recently read C.S. Forester's Last Nine Days of the Bismarck, a very entertaining though not exactly unbiased view of the events.

  10. #20
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    Quote Originally Posted by Philpott View Post
    Tomorrow/Tuesday I am meeting Cornelia Foster, a member of the Iron Oars, a whaleboat rowing group. She will show me their oars, 12, 14 and 16' respectively. She suggests that the 16' oar, made of Ash, would be strongest. She said that she would loan it to me after June 30, when their season is over until August. Dunno if I can talk her out of it for Saturday. I will, however, photograph and measure it. Any advice regarding a local woodworker who could make one? Iron Oars gets its oars from Oregon.
    Hi Jackie, I have lost 3 rudders over the years. My J24 rudder snapped off on a race from the light ship, somewhere inside Pt Bonita. With a crew of 3 we steered the boat home to Richmond using the "sweep" constructed from the spin pole and interior panels we had pre drilled and equipped with U bolts, just in case we ever broke our rudder. We got to Richmond. The weekend crowd in Racoon had to be warned as we weaved our way through the boats. We steered in short shifts with this set up as it was very difficult to maintain a good course, and quite tiring. This led my next E rudder in the direction of a cassette and rudder, and when I had to use that it was super sweet, and put me in Hanalei Bay a day or so behind schedule.

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