With the successful launch of the caravan done with, a sail of some distance to prove the new craft’s (and crew’s) potential. Hence some intrepid sailors (and the rest of us) set off on Friday evening on our way to Kawau. Although we were entered in the cruising division (i.e. no spinnaker) we were taking the race very seriously. The cheeseboard was of an extremely high standard, oft-refreshed, and accompanied by many fine beverages.
However things were not all smooth sailing – literally. Someone who had obviously swapped their brain for half a packet of peanuts and a six pack of Waikato had not tightened the lock screw for the nut holding the rudder in place. About half an hour out from Kawau an ominous knocking noise came from below. Silencing the music, we raced down below and into the hull at the stern to see the rudder floundering about like a batsman for the NZ cricket team. The pivot bearing holding the rudder was moving around in the hull, with water coming up around the sides.
Generally one likes the water to stay under, around, or a light sprinkling on the boat. In the boat is bad. There was likely to be a lot more in the boat in a short space of time, as the fibreglass was flexing, and as we later learnt – delaminating.
Dispatching instructions to the intrepid women up on deck (i.e. screw the nut back on!), we three guys went down below and with a smattering of good luck, good management, and adrenalin, found out that wanting to stop a huge hole being ripped out of the hull is great motivation for lifting the rudder of a 10.4 tonne, 44′ yacht at precisely the right time.
N.B. No drinks were spilled during the course of the above story.
