berny Posted February 20, 2007 Report Share Posted February 20, 2007 Last Sunday racing at Kurnell CC on the second reach of the second triangle in the first race, in the middle of Botany Bay, my complete rudder system parted company with the boat and was lost overboard. After five seasons of racing in three states since 1999, the complete system, blades, stocks, cross control rod and tiller extension, found a way to push itself past the spring retainers, [bending them substantially] and launch itself off the stern! There's a long version story about this event which no doubt will be reported in detail soon enough but for the moment I need a tinny with an outboard to do a search of the Bay coastline for the truant rudders. The blades are carbon and may provide sufficient buoyancy to allow the set to travel with currents and/or wind to a shore somewhere in the bay. Next w/end would allow a reasonable amount of time to maybe get a result. Can anyone help? Berny http://www.catsailor.com/bb_files/99747-DSC00065.JPG [This message has been edited by berny (edited 20 February 2007).] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wildtoy Posted February 20, 2007 Report Share Posted February 20, 2007 Talking to a few sailors there they said they had a few rudder problems as well (including myself). Ill be down there next w/e so Ill have a look onshore for you again. Regards William Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phil_taipan117 Posted February 21, 2007 Report Share Posted February 21, 2007 From memory Botany Bay is a big place to search. Sounds like an insurance job to me. From your description of how you lost the rudders on catsailor.com, I am wondering why the bloke on the Nacra didn't pick up the rudders as they floated away from you, rather than try to throw you a shackle key. And then for the bloke to jump off his boat after the shackle key as it headed for the bottom is difficult to comprehend. Anyway, these things happen. You must be feeling like the aussie cricket team after losing 5 in a row. It can only get better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xmatelot Posted February 21, 2007 Report Share Posted February 21, 2007 hi Berny, Sorry to hear of your misfortune. I did the search of the waters and shoreline of Botany Bay many years ago after a Southerly Buster decimated the cat fleet, looking for bits and pieces. It took a couple of days of pottering around in a small tinnie, and was not really a success, more an attempt at diplomatic relations with the enormous number of "non-english" speaking "fisherman". Good Luck. pete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wildtoy Posted February 21, 2007 Report Share Posted February 21, 2007 As mentioned on sunday I lost my centreboard out there and found it onshore about an hour later. Ill have another look on sunday for you. Cheers William Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
berny Posted February 28, 2007 Author Report Share Posted February 28, 2007 Thanks Pete and William, I really don't think there's much chance of finding them and I'm pretty much resigned to building a new set of foils. FWIW, I've been thinking about the reason for the mishap and it occures to me that since cranking the rig back and powering up the mast, I've loaded the rudders with more pressure, increasing the flexing of the pintle pins which has been sufficient to cause the retainer clips to bend and release the rudders. It's all I can think of given that the system has not failed till now after 7yrs of racing. Bern Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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