On Mon, 23 Feb 2009 07:13:09 -0500, "Roger Long"
wrote:

I'm thinking of adapting an idea from the old sailing ships an attaching a
stout ring through bolted with straps to the rear upper corner of the
rudder. This is just above the waterline on my boat. I can either run a line
to this while standing on the boarding ladder or keep a light line rigged as
shown he

http://www.rogerlongboats.com/images/Esteerline.jpg

Losing the rudder is mostly a concern on long offshore passages. It
does happen. A friend of mine with a 50 something Irwin ketch once
had to be towed 200 miles into Norfolk, VA by the coast guard after
losing the rudder in a way similar to what you describe. I don't see
any reason why your scheme with control lines wouldn't work, and top
side chafing is the least of your concerns at that point. All boats
in the Newport-Bermuda race have to demonstrate a workable emergency
rudder arrangement. Most opt for some combination of spinnaker pole
with a door lashed to it. The pole gets loosely lashed to a
stanchion at the rear of the boat and some lucky individual gets to
manhandle the free end like a giant tiller.