My scariest moment yet, shouldn't have been that scary...

[Dehler98AK]

So last night I had my first actual scare at sea.

I was single handing about 4 miles off the coast of Sweden in my 30ft sailing boat, and just about to gybe when I lost all steering capabilities, both the wheel and the autopilot. Both are hydraulic.

It was blowing about 15 - 20 knots, it was 1:30am and pitch dark, with rough enough seas, but not overly dramatic.

It took me just a couple of minutes of flailing about in the wind and waves to assess the situation and realise what was happening. I think I reacted quite well, as in, I got out the emergency tiller, got it connected, got the main down, and left out just a little bit of foresail to stabalise the boat. I then checked the water for any ropes over the side before I started the engine and headed for the closest harbour, which unfortunately, was about 90 degrees to the waves. It was kind of a struggle as the emergency tiller is not very long, and in a moderate sea it's quite energy sapping to steer with, but I got in eventually following the sector light, and then once safely in the harbour, set about preparing my lines to get into a berth. I think I done ok, but there are two main points of concern for me.

Firstly, I really had to just keep telling myself to stop, slow down, stop, slow down as I was kind of rushing around on deck, tripping over things, and I could have easily turned a perfectly manageable situation into a life threatening one if I had fallen overboard or something. At one point the boom swung, and luckily I was standing directly at the mast, and it didn't take me out, but this was 100% just luck, not any strategy on my part

Secondly, in the end the problem was just a loose pipe connection which I could have easily fixed in a couple of minutes, topped up the oil, and carried on on my journey, but this didn't even cross my mind. As soon as I smelled the hydraulic oil I thought catastrophic failure, and could think of nothing other than heading for the nearest harbour and actually, considering the night time approach and weather, it was maybe not the best idea.

How can I train myself to think more methodically in such situations?

I didn't panic, as in immediately thought I was going to die or anything like that, and I knew exactly what I wanted to do, but how I nearly compounded my problems by moving around clumsy really annoys me Also, that I didn't just search for the problem to fix it, but immediately headed for shore, which once again seems now like a wrong decision.

I want to be better. I just really want to be better and handling these types of situations....

[fourlyons]

I would argue that this post event analysis is your first step to doing better next time. You've thought about what happened, where you might have made mistakes, where you got lucky, didn't make excuses to yourself. This is exactly how professionals in high risk activities learn and improve.
It also helps to be regularly considering what might fail or otherwise go wrong and how you should react, especially when consequences of the failure will be significant. Thinking through a Plan B and C before you need them will help give you the presence of mind when needed. And more experience.

[CrispyCringle]

I agree with fourlyons. I was in the USAF as a pilot for a long time. After every flight there was a debrief where every part of the flight was picked apart and analysed. You can learn a lot by doing that. My wife and I will typically "debrief" anything that went particularly good or bad, like docking, anchoring, gybes, weather decisions, whatever it may be.

So it looks like you have done a good job of picking apart the situation. For every step just think about what you could have done differently that would have made it better (which you are doing).

"Live and learn", as they say. Also, "Cheated death and disaster once again".

[Simi 60]

Didn't have to disconnect the hydraulics
Guessing dumped fluids was essentially a disconnect.

[Kettlewell]

You did very well! Hindsight is always better than being in the moment, for all of us. One thing I try to do is to stabilize the situation before attempting the repair. Sometimes with loss of steering one can simply take down the sails and drift for a bit, maybe brew up a cup of tea, before tackling the issue. Other times it is possible to anchor before coming up with a solution. Another thing I have found is helpful is to wait for daylight. Not only is it easier to see what you are doing, but everything looks "brighter" when it is light.

[kipwrite]

Thanks for posting. I think you did most things right.

A few things I've picked up along the way that might prove helpful:

Often, it isn't the first problem that is the most serious, but the second or third event that gets you in trouble (in your case, potentially getting hit by the boom, or falling overboard). Avoid the secondary and tertiary crisis at all costs.

Rushing things often gets you into further trouble. If you have time, slow down, think, consider some alternatives. Speed is not your friend in a crisis. It leads to careless thinking and a deepening crisis.

I worked with a captain that used to joke 'time to put up a pot of tea' when there was a crisis. I think she was on to something.

Aviators have a mantra when they get into trouble that mariners would be well served to adopt: Aviate. Navigate. Communicate.

In our case, that means maintain sea worthiness. Keep the boat headed towards safety. Alert others (the Coast Guard) that there's an issue - don't be the least reluctant to call a Pan Pan or ask for help - especially as a single handed sailor at night.

[Don C L]

My first thought was, hydraulic steering on a 30 footer?

But seriously it sounds like you did very well and the fact you are willing to share it here speaks volumes too. I know exactly what you mean about getting rushed, or actually unnecessarily rushing yourself and then making unforced errors. Telling yourself to slow it down is extremely wise. Perhaps you could have hove to and looked around for the problem, but you chose and executed a good solution IMO.

[apoc]

Originally Posted by CrispyCringle

I agree with fourlyons. I was in the USAF as a pilot for a long time. After every flight there was a debrief where every part of the flight was picked apart and analysed. You can learn a lot by doing that. My wife and I will typically "debrief" anything that went particularly good or bad, like docking, anchoring, gybes, weather decisions, whatever it may be.

So it looks like you have done a good job of picking apart the situation. For every step just think about what you could have done differently that would have made it better (which you are doing).

"Live and learn", as they say. Also, "Cheated death and disaster once again".

Former US Army UH60 pilot here, my wife and I do the same. Old habits die hard.



I find it is helpful to fully understand the systems on my boat, and the best way to go about that is to fix something broken. Good news, you fixed this part and will think about it if you ever have a similar failure again.



It's also important to know when you have as much on your hands as you can handle, and focus your attention on what you can manage. Personally, I think you did the right thing. You managed the emergency by finding a solution, and working to make that plan work. Was it sub-optimal? Maybe. But as they say, any landing you can walk away from is a good landing.

[JPA Cate]

Hi, Dehler98AK,

I think you did well by telling yourself to slow down. Slowing down to think about things when you're all full of adrenaline is hard. That was definitely right. You got the emergency tiller, put it on, and made it work to get to a safe harbor. Any landing you walk away from is a good one.

Another option might have been to heave to, to have a look at things, once you had the tiller on, and control of things, or even, with shortened sail, to loaf along, close reaching, whilst you took a look. And you probably will, because not only did you lose steering, but you also recovered well from the situation, AND you found out the cause could be minor. You will be able to remind yourself that the cause of <whatever> could be minor, and that will help to keep you calm.

My Jim is calmer in situations than I am. He, when he's thinking about these issues, asks himself questions like, should I chuck this overboard? or keep it because it may be useful? I was all set to chuck some perspex from our dodger overboard, after it was broken in a knockdown, and was in sharp shards, because I perceived them only as a potential hazard. Jim realized that with some duct tape, he could put it back together, and we'd then have the protection, whether we decided to go on or return to shore. The event had happened about 3 days out of Australia. We did decide to go to Queensland, because the wind vane rudder had also broken in the knockdown. But being able to teach yourself to have a cool head in the emergency situations is a really good thing to do, and I admire you for it.

We did not feel it was necessary to request assistance, and we the rudder and kept watch. As a singlehander, your situation is different, and it would be okay to contact shore and tell them your position and that you would not be able to keep watch while you were effecting repairs and would notify when you were again able to do so. Tt would be a legitimate "panne panne."

Ann

[kayakerChuck]

I don't have much to add to the above comments.

"Emergencies", both real and perceived, get easier to handle with practice. Learning to stop and analyze the situation was the hardest bit for me.

If I'm with others, things are usually more complicated. It took a long time for me to get my partner to understand that if I'm quiet when things are "happening", I'm not really ignoring her. I'm using all of my mental bandwidth elsewhere. I try to take in everything I'm told, but I likely won't respond until higher priorities are met.

Pretty much any type of emergency training will help. Search and Rescue, and the more advanced First Aid classes probably taught me the most about HOW to deal with things and how to prioritize my thoughts and actions. The skills seem pretty universal - I use the same thought process if my boat has a hiccup or if I'm actively involved in a rescue.

I'd say you did fine. No damage to you or your boat- that's the big goal! Now we are just trying to figure out how to do better next time.

[Dehler98AK]

Originally Posted by Kettlewell

You did very well! Hindsight is always better than being in the moment, for all of us. One thing I try to do is to stabilize the situation before attempting the repair. Sometimes with loss of steering one can simply take down the sails and drift for a bit, maybe brew up a cup of tea, before tackling the issue. Other times it is possible to anchor before coming up with a solution. Another thing I have found is helpful is to wait for daylight. Not only is it easier to see what you are doing, but everything looks "brighter" when it is light.

Your not the first person I've heard mentioning brewing up a tea before taking action, and I wish I had of done this. I think it's a great idea!

[Dehler98AK]

Originally Posted by kipwrite

Thanks for posting. I think you did most things right.



A few things I've picked up along the way that might prove helpful:



Often, it isn't the first problem that is the most serious, but the second or third event that gets you in trouble (in your case, potentially getting hit by the boom, or falling overboard). Avoid the secondary and tertiary crisis at all costs.



Rushing things often gets you into further trouble. If you have time, slow down, think, consider some alternatives. Speed is not your friend in a crisis. It leads to careless thinking and a deepening crisis.



I worked with a captain that used to joke 'time to put up a pot of tea' when there was a crisis. I think she was on to something.



Aviators have a mantra when they get into trouble that mariners would be well served to adopt: Aviate. Navigate. Communicate.



In our case, that means maintain sea worthiness. Keep the boat headed towards safety. Alert others (the Coast Guard) that there's an issue - don't be the least reluctant to call a Pan Pan or ask for help - especially as a single handed sailor at night.

Yes, thanks for the advice. This was definitely my problem. Rushing around... I knew what I wanted to do, but tried to get it done much too fast. I was in no immediate danger.

[Dehler98AK]

Originally Posted by Don C L

My first thought was, hydraulic steering on a 30 footer?



But seriously it sounds like you did very well and the fact you are willing to share it here speaks volumes too. I know exactly what you mean about getting rushed, or actually unnecessarily rushing yourself and then making unforced errors. Telling yourself to slow it down is extremely wise. Perhaps you could have hove to and looked around for the problem, but you chose and executed a good solution IMO.

Honestly, its my first boat, and I hate that it has hydraulic steering, but I was none the wiser when I was buying it. There are just too many parts involved in the system. I'm pretty handy, and can fix most things, but a cable system would be so much simpler.

[Dehler98AK]

Originally Posted by apoc

Former US Army UH60 pilot here, my wife and I do the same. Old habits die hard.



I find it is helpful to fully understand the systems on my boat, and the best way to go about that is to fix something broken. Good news, you fixed this part and will think about it if you ever have a similar failure again.



It's also important to know when you have as much on your hands as you can handle, and focus your attention on what you can manage. Personally, I think you did the right thing. You managed the emergency by finding a solution, and working to make that plan work. Was it sub-optimal? Maybe. But as they say, any landing you can walk away from is a good landing.

Haha, I love this landing quote..

[Dehler98AK]

Originally Posted by JPA Cate

Hi, Dehler98AK,

I think you did well by telling yourself to slow down. Slowing down to think about things when you're all full of adrenaline is hard. That was definitely right. You got the emergency tiller, put it on, and made it work to get to a safe harbor. Any landing you walk away from is a good one.

Another option might have been to heave to, to have a look at things, once you had the tiller on, and control of things, or even, with shortened sail, to loaf along, close reaching, whilst you took a look. And you probably will, because not only did you lose steering, but you also recovered well from the situation, AND you found out the cause could be minor. You will be able to remind yourself that the cause of &lt;whatever&gt; could be minor, and that will help to keep you calm.

My Jim is calmer in situations than I am. He, when he's thinking about these issues, asks himself questions like, should I chuck this overboard? or keep it because it may be useful? I was all set to chuck some perspex from our dodger overboard, after it was broken in a knockdown, and was in sharp shards, because I perceived them only as a potential hazard. Jim realized that with some duct tape, he could put it back together, and we'd then have the protection, whether we decided to go on or return to shore. The event had happened about 3 days out of Australia. We did decide to go to Queensland, because the wind vane rudder had also broken in the knockdown. But being able to teach yourself to have a cool head in the emergency situations is a really good thing to do, and I admire you for it.

We did not feel it was necessary to request assistance, and we the rudder and kept watch. As a singlehander, your situation is different, and it would be okay to contact shore and tell them your position and that you would not be able to keep watch while you were effecting repairs and would notify when you were again able to do so. Tt would be a legitimate "panne panne."

Ann

Yes, this a good idea. I suppose I have some silly thing about getting on the radio and talking. I really need to get over this...