Rudder lines

Of the failures you've seen on rudder lines, where has the failure occurred? What are the strength's and weaknesses between stainles cable and the cord type lines like on the Evo and V10? What would you do to solve the problem, if any?

Two buddies had rudder line failures last year - both during big downwind runs...

The first was on a Fenn Mako6 which is equipped with stainless steel cables. That line broke at the adjuster behind the pedal. We believe that the stainless steel plate that protects the cable from the screws had broken and that a screw had consequently damaged the cable resulting in it snapping.

The second was a V10L Ultra. In this case the line broke at the point where it comes out of side of the ski into the cockpit.

We attempted to repair the first ski by rafting together and using tools that one of the guys had with him. It didn't work and the paddler had to make his way across the swells to shore.

The second guy was on his own at the back of the pack and had to self-rescue which he did by jamming the rudder straight with some tape. He then made his way back to shore where he called us; we were on the verge of activating rescue crews.

Precautions:

• I've taken the covers off both my Mako6 rudder shafts so that I can inspect the ends of the cables and rinse them with fresh water.
• I carry a piece of high density foam in the pocket of my PFD with which to jam the rudder if necessary.
• Dale, the V10L owner has fitted high quality light stainless steel cables alongside his other rudder lines ie he has double rudder lines.
• Inspect the lines regularly and replace them if you see any corrosion or any chaffing

A neat standby mechanism is to have a piece of elastic cord that can be attached to one side of the rudder bar, ideally with a hook. If the other side is attached somewhere on the ski, the rudder then turns in one direction by itself and can be controlled with a single pedal. Honcho have built this into their skis and call it RTS (Return to Shore)... The idea came from the US and was (I think) written up with photos on one of these threads.

Rob, can the return-to-shore elastic be fitted to any rudder bar without modification? If so, then it's probably a good idea for everyone to fit it. I've had 1 cable break this year, just behind the pedal. This was 2 weeks after I'd had a crack in the hull fixed and the repair guy had checked the cables. I presume by rudder bar, you are referring to the metal bar above the rudder, exposed by removing the cover?

Rob, can the return-to-shore elastic be fitted to any rudder bar without modification?

I'd say so yes. Of course you need something to attach the other end of the elastic to also.

I presume by rudder bar, you are referring to the metal bar above the rudder, exposed by removing the cover?

correct.

Then... for those who really want to be thorough... Dale Lippstreu, the guy who self rescued in the V10L said that what really freaked him out was nearly losing the ski while he was fiddling with the rudder. He said it was like trying to hold onto a piece of soap - you can imagine, strong wind, big waves sometimes breaking on him and there he is trying to hold onto the back of the ski - having had to let go of his leashed paddle and having undone his ankle leash (if he was using one, can't remember).

I'd recommend running a light line from the back of the cockpit to the back of the ski...

I think the take-away here is really simply to be prepared. Many people won't want to go to the effort of rigging lines or bungies or whatever - but if you don't, you must be prepared mentally for paddling the ski with no rudder - and ideally you should have practiced it! Know what you'll do - ahead of time.

Is there a picture of the return to shore elastic somewhere?