Man’s Dream Sails into Heavy Seas, Runs Aground

[SailGal]

http://www.mauinews.com/story.aspx?id=28269

KALAUPAPA – When the rudder snapped in heavy seas and an anchor chain tore through the bow of his 45-foot sloop, Gary Barton said, the crew had no choice but to abandon the vessel some 250 miles northeast of the Big Island.

[DeepFrz]

Wow, another Hunter lost another rudder...

[SkiprJohn]

The most disappointing thing to him was that all the gear was stolen and that there might have been a chance to save the boat if whoever stole the stuff would have called him.
JohnL

[gonesail]

Originally Posted by DeepFrz

Wow, another Hunter lost another rudder...

that's why the full or skeg keels are so great ... they make the rudder strong enough to handle grounding and big waves. balanced rudders are only nice when they are attached to the boat.

[SkiprJohn]

Ooh, and by the way, from November to March is not a good time to come this direction. You can count an getting a bit of severe weather especially in February.

With a balanced rudder it needs to be especially strong going downwind for days on end in heavy swells. I believe the hunter had a spade rudder and without a 3/4 to full keel to help the boat track downwind the rudder is working constantly.

Its not just Hunters that end up in Hawaii with broken rudders but they are a majority of the casualties.

JohnL

[rtbates]

How could that happen to a boat with such a nice big interior?????

Doesn't it even have a separate shower stall???

[S/V Elusive]

Various boats are made for various reasons. In My Personal Opinion - I think some Hunters are smart looking boats - but I wouldn't take one out to blue water.

Oh, and MY boat has a separate shower stall.

[delmarrey]

Originally Posted by rtbates

How could that happen to a boat with such a nice big interior?????

Doesn't it even have a separate shower stall???

That's the problem! Too much glitter and not enough gerth in the right places.

[rtbates]

Originally Posted by delmarrey

That's the problem! Too much glitter and not enough gerth in the right places.

BINGO. Give the man a cigar.

How many first time buyers want a boat to go to sea in, but never ask about the rudder attachment? Just how many bunks/heads does it have? When the rudder falls off not much else matters.

[Connemara]

Originally Posted by rtbates

When the rudder falls off not much else matters.

Should be able to sail without the rudder, no?

Granted the weather would have made it difficult, but it should still be possible. Even a drogue on a bridle would have given them some control.

Not that I want to try it, I hasten to add.

Connemara

[bchisholm]

Allow me to perhaps defend some of the people out their sailing Hunters, that probably still have their rudders attached. I used to be of the opinion that you needed nearly a full keel and heavy displacement to handle offshore conditions and I really appreciated all of these attributes in my Ted Hood 38 when sailing in the Gulf Stream with an apposing wind to the current. There is something very reassuring about a 50% ballast to displacement ratio when sailing in these conditions. However, after selling the Ted Hood and looking at affordable new boats, with a full stall shower to keep my wife happy!!! I researched the hell out of the new Hunters designed by Glenn Henderson and became a quick convert. I have been in some really bad weather, 60 knots plus with 25 foot seas and the boat has handled extremely well and in fact with winds astern we sailed with the autopilot handling all of the steering duties. I think if a modern design losses a rudder today with all of the engineering capabilities that we have and computer simulations, FMEA analysis, etc. then it is probably maintenance that would be the culprit and not the design. Now don't get me wrong, any Hunter pre Henderson and their new quality control programs I won't vouch for at all, but the new modern designs are very capable and seaworthy. However, if you don't trust engineering you can always get an older boat, heavy displacement, over engineered, and fat in all the right places provided you are willing to live with the poor performance.

Saludos

[svHyLyte]

Product loyalty is all well and good but in this case it seems to be misplaced. A friend of ours that is a surveyor and insurance expert indicated that since the manufacturer began producing its own rudder stocks out of composits, the boats have suffered the loss of rather a lot of rudders all in the same way. The stock snapping off at the hull. That tells me something is amiss and, until the failures are assessed and the cause determined, I would not take the late boats off-shore without adaquate preparations for jury rigging a rudder.

Cheers,

svHyLyte

[Antares]

Hmm, sounds like a design issue with one manufacturer. I'm not sure I would gleefully use that to rationalize much more than just that.

[Kapena]

Owned a Hunter and will never own another one. Worst quality of stainless steel and deck hardware imaginable. It's a harbor boat. JMO...but I've owned one.

Not sure about salvage rules but I BELIEVE the people who took the stuff off the boat were entitled to do so. Once the crew left the boat it's fair game for salvage. The boat was abandoned.

[swagman]

I'm one who would not put my faith in a composite rudder stock - whatever the material and whatever the boat.

Seen two carbon stock snap on well built Davidson 50's in Oz - plus read several reports on past Hunters which I believe are even less high tech.

Sad when any yacht goes down - whatever the brand.

Cheers
JOHN