Wild rudder incident!

[kplatt]

Just back from the Magic today. A wonderful trip!

There was a wild incident Friday morning as we were nearing Castaway Cay. Awake, but still lying in bed, we could feel the ship begin to make a turn, then after a few seconds the ship REALLY BEGAN TO MAKE A TURN! It seemed to last for several seconds. I could hear items on the bathroom shelves fall, then we straightened and all was back to normal.

When later heading to Topsiders for breakfast, I noticed that half the water was out of the Mickey Pool.

After returning to the ship at the end of the afternoon, the Captain made an announcement, saying that people had been asking what had happened -- had the ship hit a whale (evidently there were some spouting nearby), etc. He said that there was a problem with the rudder when they went from automatic to manual control, and that the ship heeled to 60 degrees. (That explained the loss of water in the shallow pool.) There was quite a bit of glass and dish breakage in the galleys, but there were no serious injuries. A crew member told us that he thought this had happened a couple of months ago, too.

It must have been an amazing sight looking at the ship while this was happening!!

Karen
Wonder 11/01
Magic 3/02
Magic 11/02

 

[Dave_from_Marietta]

Whoops!

 

[vicnmickey]

That would have been scary if someone had been in the pool. They would have ended up over board
Hopefully they got the rudder under control!!!!!

 

[My~Rumbly~Tumbly]

OMG! Overboard?!

I'm glad I'll be on the Wonder. Don't tell me this happened on the Wonder!

 

[Dave_from_Marietta]

Originally posted by vicnmickey

That would have been scary if someone had been in the pool. They would have ended up over board.

Originally posted by My~Rumbly~Tumbly

OMG! Overboard?!

No worries. vicnmickey was just exagerating a little bit for the sake of humor. No, you can't fall overboard, especially from the pool areas.

 

[Hopkins]

Gee Whiz! That sounds a little scary.

Tina

 

[cyndip84]

I was on the cruise too and I must say I was very scared when I saw the water from deck 9 come over our side we were on the 8th deck it was wild. I did ask the Captain when were were getting off what happened too. I know things like that don't happen often. And yes it was the Wonder. The cruise was great!!

 

[JoanneTK]

The rudder incident happened on the Magic on Friday. We were having breakfast in Lumieres when suddenly the ship started to tilt to the right. As we looked across the room out the window, we noticed that the horizon was moving to the top of the window as we continued to tilt. At one point, we could only see water out of the starboard side windows. The view from the port side windows showed only sky. We were not really sure what was happening, and the servers also did not know. I became nervous when we heard dishes crashing in the back and one of the servers fell on the floor. Our server said that he had not seen anything like that in 4 years on the ship. Later that day, the captain announced that there was a problem with the rudder and that thankfully no one was hurt. It was scarey!

Joanne

 

[My~Rumbly~Tumbly]

Dave (and Vic), you got me! I really do take things so literally, but I have to say that I would be VERY stressed if I was in the dining room with Karen! Glad this isn't a regular occurence.

 

[vicnmickey]

I am sorry didn't mean to frighten anyone. I was just joking as Dave said. Thats what happens when I am on the boards to late I get a little silly. I am very glad no one was hurt and all is well with the ship.

 

[Cruise]

Did anyone here happen to be on Deck 1 or 2 at the time? I'd be interested to know if the water came up to the portholes....

Julie

 

[garyss7]

We're back from the cruise also, that rudder incident reminded me of being
on the old Coast Guard 44 foot surf boat, was a wild ride for sure! I was out
on the veranda on the 7th deck and the magic was definately rocking and
rolling! Our server said they broke about $10,000 in dishes in the kitchen.
Guess you early breakfast guys had an eye full, hope not a lap full! Would
have like to been a fly on the wall for the Captains meeting after that one.
Don't know if I'm buying the Disney answer, think it was people problem,
not autopilot problem but glad no one was injuried. Cheers, Gary

 

[Eisai Babe]

We were there too. DS was on the veranda and I was still asleep (lazy me) when it happened. What woke me was all of the doors slamming shut in the stateroom, then looking out and seeing nothing but water. I never had time to get really scared, just veeeery curious. Don't know where the whale story came from either.........imagineers?

Anyway, it didn't take away from a truly MAGICal experience. The weather was wonderful during the entire trip, the staff was excellent, the food was delicious, and I'm pouting because I am on land now. What a great week!!

 

[SweetSpot]

My DH and DD were on the verandah in our deck 8 room also and I was putting on makeup when the door to the bathroom shut and I had trouble getting it open. When I left the bathroom and walked toward the verandah I was walking downhill. It was very strange to see everyone hanging over their verandahs watching the water from the pools spill over the side wondering what had happened. It was my first cruise so I really seemed to take it as a common occurance until I went up to the drink station and asked the CM there what had happened and she was visibly shaken. She had been there 3 years and had never experienced anything like that before. An added bit of excitement.

I had such a wonderful time!! We were so fortunate to have met such great people. We especially enjoyed meeting Eisai Babe and her hysterical group. Hopefully they'll let me in Palo again after making such a scene but I don't care cause I don't remember when I laughed so hard.

I can't wait to go again!

 

[TVLCELLAR]

we were in our deck one cabin at the time, i walked to the windows to open the curtains to get everyone moving and that was the exact time it happened. we were on the side of the ship that went up but it didn't seem so bad from where we were. the other side of deck one, i still don't know port or starbord is occupied by crew members so if anyone saw water it would have been them if they were in their cabins.

 

[my3kids]

I was on deck 9 eating outside near the beverage station and Mickey pool with 2 of my children. There was a woman laying in a lounge chair by the Mickey pool who had to have gotten slammed by the wave of water that sailed out of that pool. Within seconds they had a thing that looked like a mini zamboni pushing it around the side where the water went. We heard there was a fishing boat that had to be avoided, but truth be known...my guess is someone forgot to steer the boat, or whatever they do to the thing, into the port, because after the wild turn we were at Castaway Cay almost immediately.

 

[cyndip84]

SweetSpot, What was your room number? We were 8570 on the same side as you and was one of those people talking to everyone trying to figure out what happened. We might have talked.

 

[SweetSpot]

cyndip84:

We were in 8576 just a couple doors down I'm sure we did talk. I wish I had taped it now with everyone talking to others above and below. I would love to know what really happened.

 

[DVC-Don]

Now that is one ride I have to go on. Glad no one appears to have been hurt.

 

[GeorgiaVol]

Scary, but there was no threat to the ship itself.

As part of the ship's design, a bunch of money is spent on computer modeling of the ship's stability under all kinds of conditions. Loss of rudder control is one of the first things checked....