On Feb 23, 12:55*pm, "Wilbur Hubbard"
wrote:
"jeff" wrote in message

...
snipped some

So this leaves several failure modes - rudder falling off, post separating
inside rudder, and post bending and jamming rudder. *I wonder what the
frequency of failure is for the various types of rudders.

Why not ask Joe. He's the expert on rudder failure. Bwahahhahahahah. Who
would have thought a poorly designed rudder would sink a steel boat?

Wilbur Hubbard

Cecil,greg,wilbur, neal, ect..ect..

I've had a dozen or so failures I can recall.

First in diego garcia on this boat before it was converted:
http://www.ship564.org/boats.html
They ID the boat due to a repair made after loosing steering and
hitting a cement anchor bouy. No one was hurt.
Cable broke

One on a tug pushing 250 thousand gallons of diesel in a fuel flat.
Was in a meeting situation in the ICW. Luckly it was caused by blowing
a stb hydro hose, and the barge rammed the mud bank, had it been the
port side it would have put the barge if front of a loaded gravel
barge. We were in a 1 whistle agreement passing when it blew. Fixed
that by replacing the hose.

Crew & Supply boats....a dozen times, Pumps mostly, clogged
filters..nothing serious, most boats had redundant units.

And RedCloud. It had a worm gear unit like this :
http://www.2carpros.com/how_does_it_...g_gear_box.jpg
Just much more beefy. On the output shaft was a fulcrum to a fulcrum
on the rudder shaft top. The tie rod between them was 1" steel rod and
failed were the fulcrum attached to the rod on the output shaft of the
worm gear. Without stops the rod after sheering went through the
hull.

I guess I could be called an expert now, I paid the tuition cost.

How about you? Have many times have you lost steering, bent props, had
fires, had injured crew, rescued anyone, been in a wreck, made a penny
as a Captain? (imaginary times and fairy tales not included)

Joe