LESSONS LEARNED

Bailiwick’s skipper, Roger Echols, is now looking at a different arrangement for a replacement rudder, including a stainless steel stock. But he says he is proud that his crew succeeded in their only goal after the rudder failure: to arrive safely under their own efforts.

“I was never concerned about the boat,” he says. “Within a minute or so, I knew we were fine and floating beautifully.”

Jury rig tips

Echols is keen to share some of the lessons he and his crew learned from the experience. Here are his thoughts:

Carry large hose clamps and U-bolts. Bailiwick didn’t have these and they would have speeded up the process

The jury rudder would not have been possible without an electric drill to prepare attachment points for lashings and screwdrivers.

Carry plenty of screwdrivers. We were lucky to have so many and they were an integral part for keeping the steering system in line.

Harnesses and tethers were crucial. They were tired and had to be vigilant to make sure all crew were clipped in at all times. “If someone had fallen overboard, we wouldn’t have been able to turn around. They’d have been gone.”

Carry ‘lash-it’ Dyneema, and lots of it. That kept parts together under load. It was a happy accident that an entire spool was left on the boat before the start.