http://www.cyca.com.au/newsDetail.asp?key=3510

Did the crew of LOKI have any other options?

Bart wrote:
30+ knots of wind and building with no rudder. And
they needed to weather a point to clear land.

#6 jib and two reefs in.

Would it be possible to sail upwind without a rudder?


With some boats and some conditions, sure. One of the nice things
about a divided rig (ketch, yawl, or schooner) is that you can use the
sails to produce powerful turning moment on almost any course. A big
sloop.... not so much.

The story says they tried using drogues; I'm a little surprised they
didn't try the spinnaker pole. With or without some kind of flat
surface attached, it would have less drag and produce more turning
moment than a drogue off the transom corner.

Would a parachute type sea anchor have limited the
drift enough allow time for some daylight to view
other options?

Dunno, if they were equipped to Cat 0 then they would have had to have
a sea anchor aboard.

I didn't see mention of how much time they had before hitting the
rocks, but since the boat was on the hard the next day, clearly it was
an issue.

Fresh Breezes- Doug King