I stuck my boat hard on a ledge off Swans Island Me., on a falling tide, a decade or so ago. I knew I was badly stuck-reverse didn't even wiggle the boat. I soon realized we were stuck on the top of a slender ledge. I couldn't see a safe dry out position for the boat. Not good.

Whenever these things happen to me(and there's been a few,...), I go into a sort of shock. For those not afflicted, I can explain that it's like the clock suddenly starts swinging madly. There's just not enough time to think. It's an awful feeling not having enough time to think things through.

About 20 minutes later, a huge lobsterboat showed up and offered to help. I trusted the guy and we went to work quickly getting a big 1" nylon bridle fastened to the bow cleats, run down both decks, through the stern chocks, and then tied to an even bigger hawser off our stern-then to a stern cleat on his big boat. My family of 4 all got into the dingy and rowed a safe distance away(it all seems crazy sitting here in my kitchen, now, but that's what happened in those racing minutes).

As he gunned his engine, I remember that hawser going bar tight for the longest time! And then with a lurch, the lead keel let go of the granite, and our boat took off like a rocket off that ledge. BAM!! Echoed through the harbor! It occurred to me, that was the sound of our rudder going full over and bronze stop bar on the shaft hitting one of the hardwood stop blocks below the cockpit sole.

A few years later I noticed play in the rudder so rebuilt it. I found the most major structural component, a 1/2" bronze rod, had snapped above the threads into the bronze stock. I assumed during the rebuild, it was just typical age of a 50 year old boat. Looking back, I bet that BAM! coming off that ledge was when it snapped. And the other fasteners were loose for various reasons, likely from the same violent event.

None of this means anything except I can't remember if the BE GOOD TOO was under AP at the time it was hit by the wave, or they were then fore reaching. If your rudders are locked essentially inline(in AP or wheel brake), they're less likely to slam over and be damaged.

I wish we had details of the state of those 2 rudders after the wave.