Alpha 42 "Be Good Too" rescue 300 miles off Cape Henry Merged

[neilpride]

Originally Posted by 44'cruisingcat

Where do you think it would bend then? Inside the rudder? You seem to think there is some length of unsupported shaft between the rudder and the bearings. There isn't.

The shaft won't bend inside the rudder - there's no bending force there. It MUST bend inside the bearing or tube. That's why steering will jam when the shaft bends.

The shaft dont bend inside of the rudder post not even in the bushing or bearing , it bend in the only weak point between the rudder top and the entrance to the bushing, steering jam most cases because the rudder get stuck in the hull...

[caradow]

Has this ever happened to any other design?
Just can't help to wonder why this is not considered a design/manufacturing flaw with this boat.
I humbly would like to be educated and am truly sorry for the owners and crew.
I am a relatively new cat sailor but have experienced those conditions in my monohull (Hood 50 ketch) and would not think the rudder would break although it seems a repeated them in some of the newer designs.
Especially both rudders breaking makes me very suspicious of a design/manufacturing flaw.
I am happy all are safe.

[GlobalRonin]

What a great thread!! Boatman and SandCrab, Can we be friends? You guys are epic.

[HappyMdRSailor]

Originally Posted by caradow

Has this ever happened to any other design?
Just can't help to wonder why this is not considered a design/manufacturing flaw with this boat.
I humbly would like to be educated and am truly sorry for the owners and crew.
I am a relatively new cat sailor but have experienced those conditions in my monohull (Hood 50 ketch) and would not think the rudder would break although it seems a repeated them in some of the newer designs.
Especially both rudders breaking makes me very suspicious of a design/manufacturing flaw.
I am happy all are safe.

caradow... follow the link in post #2 there are almost 400 posts there on that thread.... Most think the ruddershaft design blows uh... donkey

[HappyMdRSailor]

Originally Posted by GlobalRonin

What a great thread!! Boatman and SandCrab, Can we be friends? You guys are epic.

Welcome to the forum Ronin.... Crabby and boaty are the main entertainment here for sure....

[DeepFrz]

Hey cotemar; I'd like to see you take all that male testosterone with you and knock the foam out of the rudder. I'd even like to see you do it on dry land, never mind underwater. But before you commit, take a look at this video.

Yachting Monthly's Crash Test Boat is holed Part 1 - YouTube

[caradow]

thanks HappyMd for the direction!
makes more sense than what I read from the captain's comments.
guess he was being a little political.
ciao

[HappyMdRSailor]

Originally Posted by caradow

thanks HappyMd for the direction!
makes more sense than what I read from the captain's comments.
guess he was being a little political.
ciao

You bet man.... It's a long read now with lots of diversions.... Gloss over the mini spat about CE ABYC standards about the 3/4 mark.... don't hold it against the guys, they are brilliant sailors....

If you don't find the link, here is the best one from the sail editor on the boat...

HELICOPTER EVACUATION: Abandoning Be Good Too

[nimblemotors]

With an angle grinder and abrasive disk, I easily cut up an entire sitdown jetski made from 3/8in thick solid fiberglass in about 3-4 hours.

Here is the evidence, and the little 50hp engine prize inside.

Having tools onboard seems as essential as wine and a washing machine when crossing oceans.

[Cotemar]

DeepFrz,

Thanks for posting that video. It's a great video and I had seen it before.

Beating on fiberglass even with a sledge hammer is very hard work and only gets harder trying to do it under water under a bobbing boat.

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by nimblemotors

With an angle grinder and abrasive disk, I easily cut up an entire sitdown jetski made from 3/8in thick solid fiberglass in about 3-4 hours.

Here is the evidence, and the little 50hp engine prize inside.

Having tools onboard seems as essential as wine and a washing machine when crossing oceans.

Keep the washing machine..
I'll have the equivalent weight in wine and a few extra tools...

[Palarran]

Originally Posted by neilpride

The shaft dont bend inside of the rudder post not even in the bushing or bearing , it bend in the only weak point between the rudder top and the entrance to the bushing, steering jam most cases because the rudder get stuck in the hull...

BING BING BING - You win the prize for the correct answer.

Also, I not sure the steering was jammed. If it was, they would have known there was a problem with the rudder before diving on it.

Does anyone else keep thinking about all the other problems they had? One bad starter, one or two bad alternators, malfunctioning generator, etc. Earlier I had said they would probably get a new boat from Alpha, now I'm thinking the owners insurance company is just going to pay the claim and subrogate the claim back to the manufactures insurance company. It seems like a pretty easy case from the owners perspective, they manufactured a boat that almost killed them and needed to abandon due to the defects.

[Sand crab]

Originally Posted by GlobalRonin

What a great thread!! Boatman and SandCrab, Can we be friends? You guys are epic.

Thanks, Boatman 61 is the pro. I'm just the phylactic.

[ontherocks83]

I thought sailors only drank rum. Or was that pirates? Is Heineken the new rum? Am I a sailor if I drink vodka or just blatantly Slavic? I like wine but it turns my boat red and then the coast guard knows what I've been doing. Can I drink Coors light if I'm having a fat day? I'm so confused.

[Sand crab]

If you are abandoning your boat then you can drink anything you want.