Hey, I gotta say you guys are way cool! I spend a lot of time at work listening to "no s**t there I was"sailing stories from folks bringing in sails for repair, etc., but usually they are talking about something happening during a race where everything gets fixed by somebody else while they sit around a bar that night discussing the day's tactics--It's just not the same as when I 'feel for you guys"and sit here saying, ya, ya, that sounds just like what happen to me!!! Bastonjock- you and C-130 could sit around any table anywhere on the planet and swap stories with the best of em, I know for one, I'd be willing to pay for the beers just to swap a few tales with you guys! and Waterwaves, maybe we should start a 12 step program for 'Rudderwreckers Ananomious"".
I'll get some pix posted when I get back, but to describe my current setup- my rudder mounts are 3/8 in. welded aluminum, innersleeved with 12 layers of carbon fiber (actually build from a masthead sleeve mold that met my specs. from an old Volvo 60 boat) with rubber inserts to avoid wear. The mount bolt holes were then drilled out and carbon backing plates installed inside. Additionally to avoid the usual torque flex I installed two additional supports (actually they are aux. engine mount arms, minus springs and are bolted in place horizontal to each rudder mount and attached. These in turn are held together with a tensioned 'bungie 'through an aluminum tude to help keep both rudders postioned relative to each other- hard to explain, but the pictures will help. and I do keep 2 spare rudders and one spare mount available. This setup reruires you to release the interconnection'dampner'when raising and lowering the engine, but it has not proved to be a big deal. My steering has also been modified, but I have to say it has not been a problem since I: (1) hooked the standby autopilot to the engine and run at slow rpm for steering when things get bad- doesn't take much to turn the boat with the engine and there is little counterforce on the autopilot that way. and (2), I also lock down the rudders and usually steer with the mainsheet when things are really rough, this also saves on wear and tear.
I do remember my only time off the west side of Vancouver Island, putting along motorsailing at about 3 knots, bobbing up and down with no great effort (other than freezing my ass off) while watching a 60 ft. Oyster slam through every wave, and they didný look like they were having any fun! Later that trip is where I really learned not to set a sea anchor before checking the current first (it was running 90 degrees off the wind and swell, no fun at all-actually quite scary).
As everyone here who uses their boat in rough conditions knows, the 'second rudder'isn't exactly a 'spare'' (yikes). and by the way thanks for posting the old link- that was from 1997 and refered to some Baja time on Zeno's Arrow from the fall of 1995-Now you guys are really making me feel old (and Zeno's Arrow says so too!).
MM
