"Wayne.B" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 23 Feb 2009 08:04:59 -0500, jeff wrote:

Catamarans of course have an issue since the keels are usually only
slightly deeper than the rudders, so strikes are common.

That can happen of course, but most monohull steering failures are
caused by structural issues internal to the rudder or in the cables,
blocks or quadrant.


I believe that to be the case, also. However, just prior to my buying my
1963 Rawson 30, as it was being taken down the SoCal coast to Newport
Harbor, the rudder post broke inside the rudder requiring a complete
rudder/post rebuild. The boat had been in salt water for nearly 40 years at
that time. The craftsman at Orange Coast College of Sailing and Seamanship
did a magnificent job creating a new rudder for her.