Landing a lifeboat through surf should only be done if absolutely necessary. What should be done with the lifeboat rudder if this type of landing is unavoidable?
• Behavior of a lifeboat in surf and breaking seas • How a rudder behaves when a boat is being pushed by following seas toward the beach • Use of alternative steering methods such as a steering oar or sea anchor in heavy surf
• When waves are coming from astern and pushing the boat toward the beach, what forces act on the rudder and how might that affect control? • In very shallow, breaking surf, what parts of the boat are most at risk of damage or sudden loss of control? • Between a fixed rudder, a steering oar, and a sea anchor, which gives the coxswain the quickest, most flexible control in surf close to the beach?
• Consider whether a rudder, deep in the water at the stern, might dig in or trip the boat when a breaking wave hits from astern • Think about which option provides fast directional control when the boat is surfing on a wave toward shore • Ask whether a sea anchor is normally used when you must land through surf, or rather when you want to keep the boat’s head to sea and avoid going ashore
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