Hunter Marine HUNTER 25, Руководство пользователя

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Rudder Information
Dear Valued Hunter 450/456/460/466/46 Owner:
Seasoned offshore sailors understand and appreciate the fact that rudders are designed and
manufactured to protect the hull of the boat from serious under-water damage. Over the past several
years, we have received reports from some owners who have inadvertently lost their fiberglass
composite post rudders during boating activity. Our goal with this communication is to explain how this
loss might occur and to provide you with recommendations for enhanced maintenance options, plus
encourage ongoing safety education for captain and crew alike in the case of rudder loss.
By virtue of its design, whenever a boat runs aground, or when the rudder strikes or is struck by an
object, there is always a chance that the rudder post has been compromised or weakened to some
extent. This weakening may go undetected, and may only become evident after continued or extensive
use, possibly in adverse conditions.
While Hunter Marine’s limited warranty specifically does not warrant the rudder because of the
significant linkage to boat operation, it has always been Hunter Marine’s policy to examine rudder
stocks where there has been a rudder loss, whenever possible. Our goal in analyzing rudder loss is to
determine cause and continually seek methods of improvement in our approach to design and
manufacturing.
Specifically, Hunter Marine is aware of 16 rudders which have been lost on boats within your size
range, most of which had been in use for more than two years. We were able to review 13 of the 16
reported. Our research indicates that 11 were well within the design and manufacturing tolerances.
One rudder post may have had a manufacturing problem, while another was within the design tolerance
but did not meet Hunter’s internal tolerance specifications.
Another area in which we seek to assist our owners involves ongoing education. One of our key goals is
to continually educate owners about preparation for offshore sailing, including our strong safety
recommendation that the captain should learn how to sail without a rudder. We regularly publish
articles in our corporate publications, including Safety Tune Up and KnotLine about this topic, and other
safety issues. We highly recommend that our offshore owners in particular be appropriately prepared
for offshore sailing activities by bringing along appropriate equipment, including anchor lines and
anchors as well as other needed supplies. You should be well aware of equipment requirements which
allow you to recover in the case of unexpected rudder loss. Coast Guard recommendations and
Chapman’s Piloting are both excellent resources all captains should be familiar with and thoroughly
review in regards to this topic. We also highly encourage your participation in professional sailing
schools where safety techniques can be taught and mastered by captain and crew. Here’s a great
source for more information:
http://www.offshore-sailing.com/courses_content/learn_to_sail.htm