Pre Season Keel and Rudder Inspection

Is it just me or has there been an extraordinary number of keel and rudder failures and sinking boats reported over the past 12 months as a result of rudder failure?

Keel and rudder failure may be avoidable with some simple checks. The importance of this should not be under appreciated as your keel keeps your yacht upright and your rudder turns the boat where you want to go!

Rudder fin failure at best will mean the retirement from a race or end of your cruising season. At worst it could result in your boat sinking very quickly or running aground out of control, and then sinking quickly.

Keel failure will most likely have catastrophic results resulting in fatalities at sea and or complete loss of the boat. Analysis of incident reports shows that some of the factors contributing to keel failure are inadequate maintenance, or damage after a grounding or other underwater impact. https://www.yacht.de/en/special/distress-at-sea/accident-one-sailor-dead-after-keel-breakage-two-rescued/

In response to these incidents, Australian Sailing has recently amended the Special Regulations for Category 1, 2 and 3 racing by introducing a requirement for keel and rudder inspections to be conducted periodically. The requirement is consistent with what is happening internationally.

Whilst now being regulated for Cat 1-3 racing yachts, checking keels and rudder fins is best practice that few boat owners factor into their annual maintenance plans.

Australian Sailing issued a Safety Information Notice Surveys and Keel Inspections 2015-3 in response to the Cheeki Rafiki incident (4 dead). Another, SIN 2020-03 Keel and Rudder Inspections is issued in conjunction with this Amendment and answers frequently asked questions about the new Special Regulation.

If you’re racing or planning blue water cruising, recently run aground or noticed cracks or damage to your keel or rudderit would be prudent to get your appendages checked. Call us at Salus Maritime to organise an inspection.

Both Safety Information Notices can be read at https://www.sailingresources.org.au/safety/safety-notices/.
The keel and rudder inspection form can be found here https://www.sailingresources.org.au/safety/equipment-auditing/
The Special Regulations and Amendments can be read at https://www.sailingresources.org.au/safety/specialregs/

Cheeky Rafiki https://www.morganscloud.com/2014/06/05/cheeki-rafiki-tragedy-time-for-changes/ https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cheeki_Rafiki