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Old 19-10-2022, 10:57   #1
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Lee shore and no steerage

After beating the capsize challenge to death I would like to propose a new challenge.
In the event of being caught on a Lee shore with no steerage, no premanufactured emergency tiller, how does one sail or motor to sea? The wind is 90 deg. to shore at 20 knots true.
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Old 19-10-2022, 11:02   #2
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Re: Lee shore and no steerage

Throw the anchor and call for help.

You cannot motor out if there’s no steerage, there’s a way to steer with traveler and sails but I won’t try it if I am not a 100% confident, which I am not.
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Old 19-10-2022, 11:11   #3
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Re: Lee shore and no steerage

if we assume that the rudder is stuck amidships then I wold hoist the sail and use the traveler to control how much is exposed. Most boats will have some tendency to turn into the wind (which would be a good thing in this scenario). letting the sheet out or pulling in you could control the amount of weather helm a bit.
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Old 19-10-2022, 11:14   #4
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Re: Lee shore and no steerage

No bow or stern thrusters either.
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Old 19-10-2022, 11:15   #5
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Re: Lee shore and no steerage

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if we assume that the rudder is stuck amidships then I wold hoist the sail and use the traveler to control how much is exposed. Most boats will have some tendency to turn into the wind (which would be a good thing in this scenario). letting the sheet out or pulling in you could control the amount of weather helm a bit.
Excellent. In my novice opinion.
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Old 19-10-2022, 11:22   #6
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Re: Lee shore and no steerage

If is a multihull (cat) it will have two engines and no need for steering. It also has two rudders and if one breaks it will still be able to sail on one. Why would anyone sail a monohull ---- sorry just couldn't resist this one especially after the capsize exclusion.
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Old 19-10-2022, 11:22   #7
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Re: Lee shore and no steerage

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Originally Posted by GreenWave View Post
if we assume that the rudder is stuck amidships then I wold hoist the sail and use the traveler to control how much is exposed. Most boats will have some tendency to turn into the wind (which would be a good thing in this scenario). letting the sheet out or pulling in you could control the amount of weather helm a bit.

The boat turns into the wind because of the main sail. The more it's sheeted the more the boat will turn into the wind.

Just the opposite with the jib. Main out jib in boat falls off the wind. Use the two to steer the boat.

This is how we hold our boats still on the starting line in racing when not moving enough for rudder control

You should be able to sail out using both main and jib if the rudder is stuck amid ships or swinging freely.

I broke my tiller off once and steered this way in 18 knots for a few miles then used the outboard and it's tiller after I got closer to land and the waves were smaller
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Old 19-10-2022, 11:25   #8
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pirate Re: Lee shore and no steerage

Quote:
Originally Posted by GreenWave View Post
if we assume that the rudder is stuck amidships then I wold hoist the sail and use the traveler to control how much is exposed. Most boats will have some tendency to turn into the wind (which would be a good thing in this scenario). letting the sheet out or pulling in you could control the amount of weather helm a bit.
Here on the W coast of Portugal let's assume it's been bitten off by Orca... I'd put out a Mayday.. float my dinghy and mount the outboard.
Just in case the lifeboat did not arrive in time.
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Old 19-10-2022, 11:45   #9
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Re: Lee shore and no steerage

We should all imprint the idea of dropping the anchor in any situation like this as a first step. I have seen a few boats end up on shore while trying to solve a problem they could have solved at their leisure on the hook.

In a similar spirit, if you drive into the water in your car the first thing you should do is to open the window(s) since you will be unable to when they have water pressure on them trapping you inside.
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Old 19-10-2022, 11:50   #10
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Re: Lee shore and no steerage

The one direction which a good sailboat can easily go without steering control is to windward, but first look at other options
  1. Get an anchor down and stabilize your situation
  2. confirm that steerage cannot be restored, or at least that the rudder is centered before any attempt is made to move the vessel
  3. Radio for help. This is a situation which calls for a tow
  4. If towing or restoration of steerage is not possible, consider sailing out of danger. This will be easier if you have a fin keel and detached rudder.
  5. Get sails suitable for the wind strength ready to hoist, you need a mainsail and a jib. The jib should not be a genoa but must be big enough to drive the boat. Not a staysail or a storm jib.
  6. With the jib ready, raise the anchor and allow the bow to pay off with the help of the jib
  7. Once way is on raise the main and use the main to steer the boat, sheet in to come up, sheet off the head down
  8. to tack, when you have good speed on, harden the main and blow off the jib, as the boat comes into the eye of the wind, back the jib to bring the bow around, then tack the jib over and sail on the new tack

I know this is just a mind game for you, but in this case it is a useful exercise, and one which can be practiced.

So forget about the upside down fantasy stuff, get a boat, or get on a boat, and learn to sail, including steering with the sails.
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Old 19-10-2022, 11:51   #11
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Re: Lee shore and no steerage

If it's any bit possible to drop the anchor, that would be step 1. That'll buy you time to figure out what is and isn't working, possibly fix some issues, and figure out your options. In a real worst case, you may be stuck waiting for a tow. But in many cases, you'll be able to figure out something good enough to then pick up the anchor and proceed.
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Old 19-10-2022, 12:08   #12
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Re: Lee shore and no steerage

if after anchoring, you need to sailout , if head to wind, as youd exoect , i raise the main first and luff as needed as i raise the anchor
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Old 19-10-2022, 12:13   #13
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Re: Lee shore and no steerage

Anchors aweigh!

That’s the only solution. Then you can just fix stuff at your leisure.

I had this exact situation happened to me two summers ago.

I made a huge mistake also when it happened. Because I was rushed and nervous.

This happened to me in the Long Island sound and I was getting ready to cross the path of the Port Jefferson to Connecticut ferry. I was on the Connecticut side with a very strong south wind. Having a great time. Sailing on a nice beam reach. It was beautiful. All day.

So all of a sudden I lose all of my steering. Nothing. This is a hydraulic steering system on a monohull that I had. No steering whatsoever. The wheel would just turn and turn and turn. No effect on the rudder.

In a rush before I got clobbered by the ferry, I called out a pan pan. I meant to say securité. Ooops. Now Coast Guard sector two or whatever is all over me on the radio. And everyone else in the world was listening also. It was very embarrassing. I had to explain that I did not mean to call the pan pan and I meant to call securié to the ferry before they crushed us. It was really close and ferries don’t change course around here. There’s nothing about colregs. Tonnage rules in these situations. You get out of the way of ferries even under sail. That’s the custom.

So I was able to use the hydraulic auto pilot actually to steer the boat to some degree after I was safely past the ferry. That got me around the corner to a spot that I could anchor. I was not protected and it was a Lee shore. I got into the best position I could without steerage just using the sails and what ever the auto pilot could kind of do. Which wasn’t much. And I dropped the anchor and drop the sails.

It was rough out. The Leeshore was awful. I had huge waves coming at me all day and night. The next morning I got up and I went to work on figuring out what was wrong. I had a hydraulic steering leak. I lost fluid. And I didn’t have extra onboard in the amount I needed. So, it was rough the next day also, but I launched the dinghy and I went in an inlet to some town or another in Connecticut. Other than the ferry, the dinghy ride was the scariest part. I almost flipped it so many times. It was really really rough. Huge waves for a dinghy. Way too big. I had to lay down and it to avoid flipping. And any boats that were coming and going really didn’t see me very well because it was rough out and they were much much bigger. And I had someone nearby at a West Marine or a boat store bring me the hydraulic steering fluid at a marina that I tied up to. With the dinghy. I thanked them profusely, gave them cash. Extra money as a tip. And I took the dinghy back out to my boat, fixed the steering situation, purged the hydraulic system and drained it and filled it up.

Good as new! Continued on my way two days after the loss of steering.
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Old 19-10-2022, 12:26   #14
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Re: Lee shore and no steerage

Here's what not to do

https://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/2...race-accident/

In that case I would have tried hoisting a double reefed main, sheeting it tight, and motoring into the wind. I did that for 60 miles coming back from Cabo Malo when my autopilot failed. However, the Uncontrollable Urge motor and prop system was probably not up to the job either.
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Old 19-10-2022, 12:44   #15
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Re: Lee shore and no steerage

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Here's what not to do.....
Note that uncontrollable urge did try to anchor, but on an exposed lee shore it was too rough, and too much rock and kelp on the bottom, for their anchors(s) to hold. A cruising boat would probably have better anchors, but one should realize that securely anchoring on an exposed lee shore can be difficult.

I was always puzzled why Uncontrollable could not sail at some useful upwind angle even with the rudder gone. I never heard a good explanation.
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