After a week sitting in front of the Gladstone slipway, waiting our turn, and with the prospect of at least another week before our mates currently on the slipway are sorted, we have had a change of plan.
We ended up being delayed again, as the couple who also hit Fitzroy Reef had more problems to fix! When their catamaran was dropped back in the water on Monday, there was water ingress at the rudder shaft, so it got dragged out again with a major additional repair required. It was going to take a while before their work was completed and Anui could be hauled out.
With an undetermined haulout and repair timeframe, we briefly contemplated giving up on Gladstone and limping back to The Boat Works on the Gold Coast, but came up with a better idea. Wade dived down under the boat, taking photos of the damage which showed the Port rudder and the Starboard dagger board were impaired but the hull, and the other rudder and dagger board were fine. In discussion with the Port City Fabrications team, we decided we would remove both offending bits while Anui was in the water and avoid the haulout all together. The shipyard crew could take them away for repair in the workshop.
The dagger board with its chewed up bottom was easy to lift up. Dropping the rudder down was a lot harder. First we had to secure it with ropes and a bag (thanks Neville for that idea) to prevent it from dropping to the bottom of the harbour once the three bolts holding it in place were removed. Then those bolts had to be undone before the shaft could be pushed down. Two bolts came out easily, but the third was very stubborn. The crew made multiple attempts during the day with heat, rattle gun, easy out, but it would not budge and we were starting to despair. We had plenty of time to reflect on our predicament and regret our errors!
In the end, brute force was used, the fused bolt completely drilled out and the rudder finally dropped down. It was quite heavy but with Wade in the water to guide it and the guys to pull on the ropes, it was lifted out on the jetty for all to see.
It is fortunate there was sacrificial foam at the top of the rudder (the green stuff in the photo) which got crushed against the hull. Without it we could have ended up with a hole in the port hull!
Both the dagger board and rudder have been taken away to be fixed. Work has already started on the dagger board. The rudder will be dried out, opened up, the bent steel shaft removed and a new one machined, a major job which will be an expensive exercise. The rest of the work is cosmetic: bogging, shaping, fibre glassing and antifouling.
At this stage we don’t know how long we will be here. However it looks like we will still have to haul out after all, to shape the top of the rudder to follow exactly the shape of the hull and to fit it back on properly. Between the cost of the rudder repair in particular and the haulout, we have decided to claim on our insurance. For our own comfort we will stay in the water as long as we can, to minimise the time on the slipway.
Discovering Gladstone Surrounds
It has not been all bad in sunny Gladstone, where we had not been before. While waiting with nothing much to do we hired a car for three days and went bush, visiting the Awoonga Lake, the Cania Gorge and Kroombit Tops, three spectacular National Parks in the Great Dividing Range. It was good doing a bit of sightseeing and getting the bodies moving again. We particularly enjoyed the Cania Gorge with its sandstone escarpments, caves and rock art. Here is a slide show of the highlights.
Cania Gorge escarpment 
Many hands on the sandstone 
Cania Gorge escarpments 
Overhang at Cania Gorge 
The Overhang at Cania Gorge 
Dripping Rock at Cania Gorge 
Dragon Cave at Cania Gorge 
Bloodwood Cave at Cania Gorge 
Escarpment at Kroombit Tops 
Escarpment at Kroombit Tops 
The view from the lookout at Kroombit Tops 
Lake Awoonga 
Awoonga Dam
Depending on how long our repairs take, we might just go on another trip to discover more of the Gladstone hinterland and occupy ourselves.
Sv-Anui 
We feel for you! ‘Hoping the insurance process goes as painlessly as it can. xT
Well soon find out. First claim in years of cruising and paying for huge premiums as live aboards!
Well done Chris and Wade getting the damaged rudders out whilst still in the water. Sorry to hear that this happened but it is very tricky getting in and out of Fitzroy Reef. Hope all goes smoothly for you in the next week or so and you are back to enjoying the water and reefs before you know it.
Great that you were able to do a road trip from Gladstone and make the most of your idle time there. Lovely NP Cania Gorge, Doug and I have been there a couple of times. Nice to to travel inland occassionally.
All the best with the coming week.
Thanks Jeanette and Doug for saying hello. A really upsetting accident but at least we were able to ‘self-rescue’ and get to Gladstone. We were hoping to handle the whole repair while in the water, but will have to haul out. We’ll see what the next couple of weeks bring!
Yes, the rudder is worse than expected. We hope the insurance picks up the cost, we pay enough in premiums!
Yes, good old insurance companies! My adopted state, Nevada, has the highest insurance premiums in the country due to the nutter drivers that come here and get smashed and now stoned. Weed is legal…
It’s a wonderful thing that Wade knows what to look for and to determine what is wrong! Not knowing a thing about sailing, it always amazes me to read about your adventures and all the repairs you do along the way.
Great photos of your on land adventures! Beautiful rocks and the overhang.
Hi Esther, unfortunately this repair is beyond us! But yes you have to be a jack of all trades when you live on a boat!
The land trip was a nice diversion!
You guys are a jack of all trades! It’s impressive!!
Hopefully, this repair will make future sailing smooth.
Have a great weekend!
Thank you 🙏
Oh sugar – if at once you don’t succeed, try, try again! I had hoped you would not have to go the long way . . . the story may have been told but briefly, both in word and pictures a landlubber can only guess at, but days of working out the possibilities and worrying have obviously been there. Best with the insurance – but, if you have not claimed hitherto > surely ! Love your photos of the Gladstone hinterland . . , hope you do get to another few relaxing days . . , what happens to Bengie when you go wandering . . , ?
Hi Eha, yes we have been stewing over the whole drama. Until the rudder was out, we were hoping it would be simpler and we could handle it all ourselves but it was not to be. Once we get the OK from the insurer the rudder can be remade and we will breathe easier!
Likely we will take off inland again, with Bengie if we go for several days. She is well travelled and copes remarkably well in the car. Last time we did day trips so she stayed on Anui.
Good morning Anui,Just wanted to wish you all the best
That’s nice, thank you.
I was cheering you on while reading your rudder story, and yes there’s always one nut that’s hard to remove. Brilliant getting the rudder out while still in the water! Then I was pondering how you could reinstall the heavy rudder while still in the water!?! Even Captain Super Wade might have struggled with that one…. 6 guys with scuba all kicking flippers madly!?!
Anyway, enjoy your unplanned landlubbering!
Yes, Team Can Do could not quite get it all done in water!
PS. Is the rudder glass covered marine ply?
No, solid teak covered with fibre glass with sacrificial foam at the top next to the hull…and solid stainless shaft… Bloody heavy!
Quite a process! Glad that you are making the best out of the situation by heading out to some National Parks.
Yes, the reef reminded us never to be complacent, Jan!
Hi Chris and Wade I don’t seem to get around to writing – but love receiving your updates. Sorry to hear of your latest trials – but must commend Chris on her diligent and detailed documentation of all your experiences. Your photos and words give the tame folk like me a sense of a life of adventure – warts and all. I also share your heartache when seeing the state of some of our magical natural wonderlands, but love the way you find gems amongst the despair. All the best Craigo
>
Hey Craig, really nice to get your comment. Glad you enjoy our trials and tribulations. It’s been a very mixed bag this year. With this incident we have already been nearly two weeks out of action and there is at least the same again to go. The waiting for the repairs is probably the hardest part of this sorry affair! Thanks again for saying hello.