{"id":23293,"date":"2020-08-31T00:48:21","date_gmt":"2020-08-31T07:48:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/windpilot.com\/blog\/?page_id=23293"},"modified":"2025-05-11T03:59:10","modified_gmt":"2025-05-11T10:59:10","slug":"ruderbruch-geschichten","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/windpilot.com\/blog\/schiffe\/suendenfall-ruder\/ruderbruch-geschichten\/","title":{"rendered":"Orca – Havarien"},"content":{"rendered":"

WASSERBREMSEN – PACIFIC PLUS – SCHLAFENDE FISCHE<\/strong>
\n\"\"Dear Mister Foerthmann, On our Contest 42 we are using a Windpilot Pacific Plus and are very happy with it.<\/p>\n

Last year, during our Atlantic crossing we hit a sleeping whale and after the collision the auxiliary rudder was bent about 20 degrees (The massive stainless steel shaft!!).
\n\"\"We were able to bend it back in Surinam and the windvane worked fine again.<\/p>\n

\"\"At the moment we are on the Pacific, between Panama and the Marquesas.
\nThis morning the boat couldn’t keep its course anymore and after inspecting the windvane, it appeared that the complete auxiliary rudder disappeared!
\nThere must have been a weak point in the shaft after bending it back. Even though we have used it in bad weather around Colombia, now it broke completely.
\n\"\"So, my question is: what is the price of the auxiliary rudder (we had the 900 mm version, when we measured it, the length is 950 mm from the bottom to the top of the blade)?
\nIs it possible to ship it to the Marquesas? What will the total cost be and do you have an estimation of the total time between shipping and reception?
\n\u00a0
\nDo you have a suggestion for another place in French Polynesia to have it shipped to?
\nDo you have a reseller who might have it in stock?<\/p>\n

Thanks in advance for your reply!<\/p>\n

Best regards,
\nRichard de Bruijn
\nSY Moana Nui<\/a>
\n\"\"<\/p>\n

\"\"Hi Peter, Just wanted to give you an update after we lost the rudder of our windvane.\u00a0We were lucky that we didn’t need to temporarily use our Pacific Plus as Pacific. The autopilot steered fine during almost 3 weeks.<\/p>\n

After arrival in Hiva Oa, I was lucky to find a SS tube with exactly the right diameter to fit into the flange. I made some plates from 6 mm stainless steel scrap metal and this was welded together to a very strong frame.
\nFrom marine plywood I than made a new rudder blade which I glued together with a lot of epoxy glue.
\nAfter curing I shaped the rudder blade with an angle
\n\"\"grinder and orbital sander. Unfortunately there is no belt sander or electric planer on Hiva Oa. It took some time, but I got there!
\nThan I applied glassfiber with epoxy, some filler, primer and antifouling.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The endresult is a very strong, slightly longer rudder and also a couple of cm wider. Also the balance part is 1 cm bigger. According to the way that the Windpilot was steering the boat, I think the rudder could be a bit bigger for our boat. This week we will sail to Fatu Hiva and than I can see how it works!<\/p>\n

It was fun making the rudder in such a scenic
\n\"\"environment. And I think we have the only Windpilot with a rudder made in Hiva Oa<\/p>\n

Thanks again for your quick response.<\/p>\n

Best regards,\u00a0<\/p>\n

Richard de Bruijn\u00a0
\nSV Moana Nui\u00a0<\/p>\n

Trouble afloat<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n