Hi Guys, just after some of your opinions. I was out for a paddle today on my own, in good conditions when you would expect nothing could go wrong :) . Had a chat to our girls in the OC6 (training hard doing water changes for Raro). Set off across the bay for a nice hit. After ten minutes, I applied some pressure to the left rudder and then...............nothing :? . Snapped rudder cable :arrow: . Luckily, I was clos to home and as I said earlier, the conditions were good. Got some strange looks from people who had noticed I was paddling around in circles. If you've seen me paddle, you would realise that as normal.
My question: what is the best recovery technique for a snapped cable, especially if you are some distance from shore. What have you tried and what works ?
Look forward to your input, as I'm sure that it will happen to me again in less favourable circumstances.
Submitted by jasonp on Mon, 10/06/2008 - 1:15am
Aloha Jasonp,
to go out with rubber (same kine you use rigging the oc-6) wrap around the iakos its a good call, cause if the rudder cable snaps, you set your rudderaxel straight, and wrap around the hull with the rubber so its stay in that position. then you paddle straight line to the safest spot without using the pedals and thats how i would go in if thats the case.
#1 Mon, 10/06/2008 - 2:08am
You can also use that some piece of rubber to tie onto the rudder tiller bar (the side that has the broken cable) then stretch and secure the other end of the rubber to your rear iako. You can then steer left AND right with the one rudder peddle.
Another way, is to tie a length of fishing line to the tiller bar and run it externally along the top of the deck or the side of the hull and tie to your rudder peddle.
Or rip a piece of foam off your seat and jamb between the rudder and hull with the rudder in the neutral position.
Any of theses methods will get you home.
Cheers Rambo
#2 Mon, 10/06/2008 - 3:12am
Those are good tips Rambo, I learned something ne w today ,
Mahaloz ...
Fuzerider....................><(((()">
#3 Mon, 10/06/2008 - 3:50am
As Che was one of my heroes growing up, I hope that his photo being used as your avatar is done with great respect. Very big shoes to fill.
#4 Mon, 10/06/2008 - 4:48am
No kidding Jibofo. Che certainly wasn't a merchant.
#5 Mon, 10/06/2008 - 5:13am
Rambo that's brilliant!
#6 Mon, 10/06/2008 - 5:33am
Just when I was about to break out my Mahatma Ghandi avatar....I still don't even know how to do it!
#7 Mon, 10/06/2008 - 6:19am
If you don't have rubber or fishing line handy, use bungy line that secures your gear to your canoe in its place.
If the broken cable will come out of its tubing, tie it off to your iako. You may need to use the bungy line.
Good job, Rambo.
#8 Mon, 10/06/2008 - 6:30am
Jim ,
Click on your username , then edit , scroll down to "upload picture . select one from your supply , click "attach"
then finish by clicking "submit"
When youre back on the ocpaddler page hit your refresh button an your new avavtar should appear.
#9 Mon, 10/06/2008 - 7:14am
I usually take zipties with me. I've used those to jury rig stuff on the water.
#10 Mon, 10/06/2008 - 7:58am
Everything you need to know to survive is in the "Rambo" Movies .... the Hollywood ones not mine ...hahaha.
#11 Mon, 10/06/2008 - 11:02am
THE PERFECT SOLUTION is a 3" piece of surgical tubing. You can store it right over the canoe's vent-tube (the i.d. is the same as the vent-tube's o.d) so it is there if a cable ever snaps. Take the tubing and wedge it under both sides of the rudder's T-bracket on top of the canoe with the rudder in a neutral straight position. Paddle home Tahitian-style as if you're on a rudderless. Idea care of Clay Carson.
#12 Mon, 10/06/2008 - 12:21pm
I'd say the best ideas are the ones Rambo suggested about rigging the rudder with rubber tubing so you can still steer. A locked in position rudder is just a big skeg and your going to be working extra hard to turn with it...
#13 Mon, 10/06/2008 - 12:54pm
Simple elegance,
http://www.surfski.info/content/view/433/156/
#14 Mon, 10/06/2008 - 1:13pm
My cable boke at the footpedal this weekend, I just took the rudder off and away I went. A really smart guy put a stainless steel wingnut and lockwasher on my rudder so it was easy to take off. Just a bit harder to control than a tahitian designed rudderless. My shoulders were sore from steering.
#15 Mon, 10/06/2008 - 1:19pm
onnopaddle,
yeah that ski company is using some common sense thinking. With all the oc companies saying they are the hot setup in big conditions, they should back it up with a simple design like that for the inevitable steering cable screwups.
#16 Mon, 10/06/2008 - 1:33pm
Besides running the rubber/shock cord from the rudder tiller bar to the iakos, you could use a shorter one and run it to the tail and loop it around it. You would then have to attach it to the good side of the tiller (vice the broken side as Rambo mentioned since it's pulling the opposite way) and it would still be steered by the good pedal.
I don't think my cables would be breaking anytime soon since my OC-1's are only 5 months and 1 month old, but I may want to get this "rudder malfunction kit" setup now before Murphy makes an unexpected visit. When I do get it made and test it, I'll try to post pictures of it on my Fusion as my Zephyr has that cover glued on over the rudder tiller.
#17 Mon, 10/06/2008 - 2:02pm
Wow, ono paddle. Thats probably the best adjustable pedal set up I've seen. And the emergency set up is also genius.
BUT, there's still a lot of moving parts, and that means more possible points of failure.
Poopie
#18 Mon, 10/06/2008 - 2:35pm
Ummm ... that RTS System sure looks neat but it's not available on any other ski or OC1. Some times the simple ideas are best. I mentioned the foam ripped out of your seat because most people will not go to sea prepared and the seat is something you will have with you.
Yep, that's another alternative E7M, if you only have a short rubber.
Rambo
#19 Mon, 10/06/2008 - 4:16pm
you must learn to paddle a rutterless. then this will never happen again.
thank you.
#20 Mon, 10/06/2008 - 4:40pm
I agree with Rambo...."most people will not go to sea prepared".
As such, many things you have with you can be used to save your life....ie.,your draw-string on your board shorts, bikini top ties, bungy between rudder pedals, and if you need a long string/strand of cloth to run from your rudder assy. to your iako or pedal, use the frayed cable as a knife to start a cut in your longsleeve rashguard. Tear it from end of sleeve to shoulder and down to the center of the back to the bottom hemline, (don't cut it off here) and then back up the back to the opposite shoulder and proceeding down the other sleeve to it's end. You now have a 9' length of cloth to tie just about anything. There are more ways to accomplish this if you think about it.
I believe that was Rambo's purpose early on.....make use of what you will always have with you if you do not go out prepared.
#21 Mon, 10/06/2008 - 4:54pm
Is rutterless how they say it in Italian?
#22 Mon, 10/06/2008 - 4:53pm
Do it Bills way....... you may end up paddling back to shore completely naked, but at least you get to live another day.
Now now guys .. no feigning rudder problems when you next take that Beach Babe out on your 2 man .......
"arhhh arrrr ... i need your bikini top to tie up the broken rudder" (with a smirk on your face)
Don't do it .. don't be that man. ..hahaha
Cheers Rambo
#23 Mon, 10/06/2008 - 5:10pm
i'm not sure who this "they" is you speak of. but i will say that i am italian and that is how i say rutterless (rudderless).
#24 Mon, 10/06/2008 - 7:05pm
Rather than risk paddling au naturalle I carry a small spanner so if the rudder jams I can drop it out a la mcpi21. Disadvantages are having to get in the (cold) water; trying to manipulate a spanner without dropping it; and not dropping the rudder to the bottom; getting spanner, rudder and self into canoe without dropping anything; paddling rudderless after all the above.
One thing I haven't noticed is a comment on has anyone practiced their recovery method before having to use it in anger?
#25 Mon, 10/06/2008 - 9:58pm
jc
they is the Italians. we're waiting for translations.
#26 Tue, 10/07/2008 - 2:51am
I can't say I have as just like anything, you need to have a calm attitude should something unexpected happens out on the water. Expecting the unexpected, is something that should be at the very least part of your thought process when you go out. So keeping calm in the situation should be your first priority and getting angry should be the last thing once you get back in to safety.
With all this (and other threads) talk about safety, I've already formed some plans in my head on what to do with what I already have with me each time I go out.
Here's what I take out with me whenever I go paddle (whether alone or with a buddy):
1 - Well inspected and rigged one-man canoe
1 - Primary paddle
1 - Canoe Leash
1 - Extra paddle strapped to rear iakos
1 - 24oz Camelbak bottle w/Gatorade/HEED/Hammer Gel mix
1 - 50oz Camelbak bladder w/ice water
1 - Fox40 whistle
1 - Signal mirror
1 - Small dive knife w/serated edge
1 - 20' length of white 550 cord in a ziplock bag
1 - ACR Strobe beacon
On my OC seat, I have 12' of 1/8" shockcord that I put on it that I could easily undo to use. I don't wear a PFD, but I do have a reflective strap/harness I made with 1-inch silver reflective 3M fabric (same suff they have on most PFD's).
I need to add a small roll of duct tape and maybe some surgical/rubber tubing. Along with the pre-made rudder malfunction kit. Probably could put it all in a waterproof bag like what smeredith (Shawn) posted in the other "broken canoe" thread.
#27 Tue, 10/07/2008 - 11:01am
Nice ting about my Hurricane fiber cables is that I just snapp off the rudder holder ( whatevah its called ), slide out the whole rudder and just paddle rudderless home.
Bad ting is that the replacement part cost $$$ - haf to replace the whole rudder box !!
Time vs money -- always teh issue
#28 Tue, 10/07/2008 - 12:56pm
Might as well bring the kitchen sink.
#29 Tue, 10/07/2008 - 7:03pm
there was a thread on this already:
http://www.ocpaddler.com/node/3133
i don't bother with duct tape because it doesn't stick well in wet conditions- i too worship on the altar of the duct tape but in these conditions, rubber is better.
i have rubbers wrapped around both front and back iakos. it can be used to fix rudders, repairs, and to tie off another canoe to yours if there is a major emergency (yes, it's happened)
once it's on you never have to think about it, but damn it's handy when you need it.
#30 Tue, 10/07/2008 - 10:17pm
Kanu The Rock
Try building wrap tape, it sticks like theres no tomorrow to wet surfaces. I carry lengths of +uck Tape (the canuck equiv). You'd have to sand it off.
#31 Wed, 10/08/2008 - 1:02am
Well, I made my "Rudder Malfunction Kit" for my Fusion today after taking it out for the day. The kit consists of some shock cord, a snap ring, and 550 cord.
The measurements I have is what I came up with for my Fusion so for any other brand of OC-1, you'll need to custom cut them yourselves to work.
1 - 36 inch length of 1/8" shock cord.
1 - 18 inch length of 550 cord/rope.
1 snap ring.
Basically, you'd connect the snap ring to the rudder tiller on the good working side. Pull the shorter loop towards the tail and hook it over. The tension of the shockcord will pull the rudder in the direction of the broken side. To get the rudder in the neutral (straight) position, you push the good pedal midway to its normal position. You push the good pedal as you would normally to turn in that direction and you relax the pedal letting it pull towards you to turn in the opposite direction.
Here are the pictures of it. Hope it helps.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v283/Mango808/Rudder%20Malfunction%20K...
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v283/Mango808/Rudder%20Malfunction%20K...
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v283/Mango808/Rudder%20Malfunction%20K...
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v283/Mango808/Rudder%20Malfunction%20K...
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v283/Mango808/Rudder%20Malfunction%20K...
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v283/Mango808/Rudder%20Malfunction%20K...
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v283/Mango808/Rudder%20Malfunction%20K...
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v283/Mango808/Rudder%20Malfunction%20K...
#32 Wed, 10/08/2008 - 1:32am
E7M
da bestessssss!
#33 Wed, 10/08/2008 - 1:43am
To retrofit a jury rig RTS type system, possibly either a fiberglass rope loop(we used to make surfboard leash attachments with it), or a stainless hull attachment for the bungee or rubber to hook onto would work. Just throwing it out there. Then you wouldn't need quite as much paraphenalia, just a short rubber that you could wrap on the iako.
#34 Wed, 10/08/2008 - 7:35am