Jordan Rescued

[Guest]

Too busy thinking about the merits of Ugg boots sitting on the rail by the sound of it.

[Fish 0]

Sounds like the whole crew couldnt hack it

 

Jumping ship cause you lost the rudder and couldnt steer,

Putting lives at risk trying a ship transfer in those conditions

What a friggin joke

 

There has to be more to it, Please, someone spare me and post the facts

 

LOL

 

L. D.

Fact LD = Armchair critic

Fact LD = Tosser

[wheels 543]

No LD is not an Armchair Critic. His questions are obviousley from someone with experience.

But, LD just chill a little. We really need to hear from Jordan or even better, one of the decision makers if that was at all possible. I don't think any of these guys were nieve amatures that wanted to run home crying to mumy.

 

I could come up with all sorts of, "I would have done" scenario's too and none of them amount to diddly squat without knowing all the facts. We are all only guessing and summising at the moment.

[wheels 543]

On a different note.... If Jordan had stepped on board the ship

wearing Ugg Boots, would they have tossed him back?

I am sure he may have gotten some "special attention" by a few members of the crew.

[Guest]

One obvious lesson already - consider anything tied onto the deck as dispensable. If it's important, put it down below.

[Guest]

I'd go further, I consider loose crap on deck a downright liability, in particular tying things to lifelines.

[Guest]

One obvious lesson already - consider anything tied onto the deck as dispensable. If it's important, put it down below.

That includes all the ugly crew, the firm and perkies keep downstairs

 

Good point though. You often see a lot of gear on the decks of some boat and knot lashed down that crash hot.

[wheels 543]

on the decks of some boat and knot lashed down that crash hot.

eeer yeah, it gives you some cold chills when the bow rises up a big wave and you see the spare 75lb CQR anchor slide down the deck toward the Glas windscreen of the Pilot house, that you happen to be standing in front of. Thankfully the we would drop off the otherside just intime and have it slide all the way to the bow again. Eventually we had a good side roll and it slipped down to the walk around area and got trapped there against the railing. Dang that was a silly thing not tie down. Never even thought of it simply because I had never been in seas that huge before and never had the occasion for the thing to go anywhere. Actually it was so darn big and heavy, never thought it could go anywhere. Lesson learned. Glad it wasn't the hard way.

[Guest]

Yeah Fish, you're only half right. LD doesn't sound like an armchair critic

[morspeed 1]

I have had the misfortune of dropping rudders out of quite a few bendyboats manufactured in the 90's 40 ft - 50ft models....actually dropping them is easy ..done it on the hard and afloat..the usual nylon bearings are sloppy enough for the whole thing to fall all fairly easy..same putting them back in while afloat...however...wouldn't like to try putting one back in in any sort of chop.

 

But..every one I've done had S/S bolts frozen in the aluminium quadrant and every time was a major getting the bolts out ..usually involving gas torches..hacksaws and plenty of leverage with big tools...add to the mix the quadrants in bendyboats are to be found in confined spaces requiring lengthy periods getting all bent out of shape.

 

To Jordans comments re never again at sea in a Bendyboat.to a point he's right...regardless of whether manufactured in Europe or South Carolina..after 2000 they seemed to be coming out of the factory's softer and with inferior quality fit outs.

 

Done a few miles offshore in various models and have to say the earlier ones are damn good boats by comparison.

 

Still, can't help but think its a boat worth saving. turn up with a temporary stern hung rudder,bolt it onto the transom, and you would get home...course ya gotta find it first, but its a tempting idea.

[southernman 73]

When I read Jordan I was thinking of Jordan and her boobs. Now she would not need any flotation now would she!!

 

Sold our Bendyboat - never own another one again or at least from the 90's. The thing was scary in a decent seaway as the hull worked against the bonded interior shell. Coming back from Fiji in a blow we had to put screws into some of the cabinets to make sure they stayed put rather than fall off the boat! The rubbers are a real weakness on these boats for sure.

[wheels 543]

When I read Jordan I was thinking of Jordan and her boobs.

You'll only have to wait another 20yrs, or at the rate he is drinking, maybe 10. Not sure what you'll do about his face though.

[Guest]

dad is a very practical man; prof. fireman, boatbuilder, engineer, mechanic, very good sailor with plenty of miles under his belt and he tried every possible way of steering her. and we all discussed the 'never step down into a life raft' rule and yes, we did think about using a hand drill to make a hole in the top aft corner of the rudder and threading a rope through it to steer. but if we went back to fiji the owner (who was a live aboard so this was his home) had no insurance because it is now hurricane season and they are expecting a big bugger in a couple of weeks. if the conditions were better then yes, someone would have gone over the side to make a hole in the rudder but trying to go under a yacht in 4-6m seas isnt the smartest idea. the boat was well provisioned and we were lying to a 24ft parachute anchor. when we tried to go downwind we could run a reasonable course for maybe 5-10mins then the boat would uncontrolably round up then we would have to spend the next 15 or so mins trying to get her out of irons and to stop her doing 360s. all the crew were very capable of staying on board and the boat was well provisioned (bar the 100l of water we lost overboard) and we did discuss staying aboard to wait it out but we could wait for 2 weeks, be slightly closer to land, still have no steering and still be stranded in the middle of the pacific. so we ruled that out. and from what we saw on the ship the conditions only got worse over the next few days.

[John B 106]

I'm glad you're all well and it sounds to me that you took all the best options available.

 

I had an interesting conversation with guy out on the piles a few years ago. Big Amercan import boat .. centre cockpit with all the clears. Anyway , they'd dropped their skeg about 400 miles north of NZ and the rudder was left flicking around on the shaft ( it was skeg supported) and starting to slog out the bearing . They dropped it out ok before it did more damage but the interesting thing was that they tried all sorts of methods to get that boat to sail but no go , just rounded up perpetually. His theory was that the skeg was part of the lateral plane and without it the clr had gone too far forward to ever get it to sail.

They were fortunate they were with another boat and they set up a tow with all their chain and warp. The weight/ tow forward was enough to allow the two boats to sail a course together back to NZ.

[wheels 543]

Thanks for that Jordan.

I remember making a comment years ago on "that other place" and got shot down for saying it. But the problem with many of the modern designs of boat.... Flat bottom, very little keel and light as a plastic toy, is that when it all goes to custard, you can't or at the best, struggle to control the damn things.

[southernman 73]

It makes sense to me to have the ability to mount a transom hung rudder in an emergency. We have the facility on our current yacht. Inside one of the cabin doors i've installed a alloy plate that will fit the transom brackets. Extra weight on board is probably 15 kg's all up. It would be painful to use and would mean hand steering but after loosing a rudder in the med I consider the ability to have a back up rudder high on the list. Rick Hart who owned the Farr 44 out of Wellington lost his rudder racing to Fiji and I think managed to steer using a drougue set up off two winches but again was painful but it got them to Fiji in one bit.

 

It does not cost much to set something up like this and especially on a modern yacht where their is a high reliability on the rudder for directional stability.

 

Just my thoughts but it does seem to be something that just keeps on happening on modern production boats. I see a business opportunity for someone to set up transom hung rudder kits for Bendyboats going offshore!

[Deep Purple 511]

I noticed Wired has a beefy set of rudder gudgeons on its stern.

[Guest]

I noticed Wired has a beefy set of rudder gudgeons on its stern.

 

Yea we put the gudgeon's on for the Fiji race to Musket Cove. This was always in the design, except not fitted. Wired for offshore carries a rudder box which can fit the canard in, and enables it to be steered with generally great success from a block and tackle to the runner or traveler winches. Never any major problems with the rudder but was always something looked at as a what if. And in my opinion generally overlooked/ investigated in how their boat will be able to steered in the case of a rudder failure by a lot of people.

[tuffyluffy 76]

Thanks for that Jordan.

I remember making a comment years ago on "that other place" and got shot down for saying it. But the problem with many of the modern designs of boat.... Flat bottom, very little keel and light as a plastic toy, is that when it all goes to custard, you can't or at the best, struggle to control the damn things.

 

This from a bloke who owns a concrete cyclone.

[Guest]

have been following this thread with interest, as i (we) lost our rudder off oracle inthe white island race last year....

no were not a bendy boat ....but a semi hard chimed GOP boat with a flat stern.......and jury rigged and sailed 60nm to whitianga at 6kn's...at first there was a 2-3m seaway....and died down to 1m closert to land.....

any way there was a whole thread about it ...look up white island i guess...

i know we weren't quite out inthe middle of the pacific but...i really (enjoy)....get into the challenge of problems like this...when sailing...

diefferent sail combinations help....as does getting something out far to the stern ....but not a board ont he spinnaker pole....

we used about 10 knotted ropes in a 2m snake off our 4.5m pole....that was 2.5m ouththe stern....floating on the water surface..... and additionally we had stays on the pole to the running back stay winches to take the strian off the pole and then for the most part locked off....and then steered using the mainsheet.... ..... yes we did do a few 360's but also travelled 60nm in 12 hours....did consider continuing on inthe race through the colville channel ...but we had been leading by 2 hours and were now 6 hours later last....and the rum was calling at whiatianga....

anyway always intyersting to hear about other rudder woes...