"Skip Gundlach" wrote in message
ups.com...
[about emergency rudder/steering]
Depending on
where we were in the failure, my going under with a brace and bit (I
have a full selection aboard) with the hookah, and holing all that
lovely repair work I did on the rudder, passing a line through same,
with double stops on the immediate exteriors, with the lines led up to
winches would be another.

Skip, if you are serious about this particular solution (and it isn't a bad
one), I have read about people who pre-drilled the hole through the rudder,
then filled it with putty, or something else that would be easy to punch out
at sea. It could make a difference -- I once tried to remove a line from my
prop while at sea in moderate swells, and finally decided that the danger
wasn't worth it. We ended up sailing a couple of days until we reached land
and could tuck into a sheltered spot to do the job. I couldn't imagine
trying to drill through the rudder in similar conditions.

Whatever emergency system you have, you ought to try it in easy conditions
to make sure that all the pieces fit. Of course this isn't always
practical, but do test what you can.

- Paul
- S/V VALIS