Author: Shayne & Anna
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This post details the emergency procedures and sailing techniques we used to safely cross the Atlantic after losing a rudder. It covers strategic use of daggerboards, sail balance for steering control, and advanced weather routing to manage an offshore crisis.
Losing a rudder 800 nautical miles from land presents a sobering reality check. When our port rudder departed during an Atlantic crossing, we faced a critical decision: how to safely sail our Catana 42, Paikea, to St. Lucia with compromised steering.
The challenge was clear: we needed to maintain speed (as the remaining rudder becomes more effective with water flow) while perfectly balancing the boat to prevent catastrophic round-ups in following seas.
The Three-Pillar Strategy for One-Rudder Sailing
1. Daggerboards: Adapting Performance Tools for Emergency Steering
On a performance catamaran, daggerboards are essential for preventing leeway and optimizing VMG at all points of sail. They provide the lateral resistance that allows the boat to track efficiently and convert sail power into forward motion. (For a detailed guide on optimizing daggerboards in various conditions, see our Sailing Techniques & On-the-Water Video Library).
In our emergency, we adapted this core function for a new purpose: emergency steering stabilization.
“We used our daggerboards to create extra lateral grip in the water to help keep the boat bearing away,” explains Shayne. “While the rudder remained the primary steering tool, the daggerboards gave it a firm pivot point to work against, preventing the boat from skidding sideways down waves.”
With large Atlantic swells hitting the beam and pushing the transom sideways, the fully deployed daggerboards provided the critical resistance needed to stop the boat from “wiping out” in a violent, uncontrolled round-up.
2. Strategic Sail Balance: Driving from the Front
The goal was simple: move driving force forward to prevent weather helm and round-ups.
We implemented:
- Heavily Reefed Mainsail: We used a rarely-needed 4th reef to minimize sail area behind the daggerboards
- Forward-Driven Sails: An asymmetric spinnaker and J2 genoa provided most driving force ahead of the mast
- Balanced Trim: Sails were trimmed to luff simultaneously, helping the autopilot bear away during surges
“This configuration generates most of the pulling power in front of the dagger boards,” says Shayne. “The sails tow us downwind and keep us bearing away.”
3. Smart Weather Routing: Playing the Angles
Using PredictWind via IridiumGo, we plotted a course that addressed two critical concerns:
- Wave Management: We navigated north to transition from beam seas to following seas
- Safety Margin: We positioned ourselves upwind of St. Lucia, creating a “drift safety net” in case we lost the remaining rudder
“The more the wind comes from this northerly direction, the worse off I’m going to be,” Shayne notes in the video while analyzing weather data. “I’m trying to get the wind more up the chuff instead of on the side.”
The Result: A Controlled, Successful Passage
Through systematic application of these techniques, we maintained an average speed of 8-12 knots while significantly reducing load on the remaining rudder. The passage, while tense, became manageable rather than hazardous.
“The ultimate aim is to try and take as much load off our remaining rudder as possible,” Shayne emphasizes. “It’s about working with the boat’s natural forces rather than fighting them.”
Want More?
Watch how a professional crew handled a similar crisis in our Gunboat 68 Atlantic Crossing Series. When they hit an unknown object 1000nm from land, see the emergency rudder arrangement that saved them: Atlantic Emergency: Managing a Rudder Failure on a Gunboat 68