I know I have broken plenty of rudder pins, we sail by the brail method, and have busted dozens of rudder pins (I have ran the dealer out of them a few times now (lol)). 99% of the failures are always self imposed (I accidentally bump the bottom during launch, half breaking the pin, then when out sailing away minding my own business all of a sudden the rudder flies up into the air with a loud crashing sound, and I then have no steering of any kind. If it's rough out there, I don't know how guys are replacing their pin in rough water, I've almost drowned a few times now trying. Or I'm sailing way too fast and exceed the rudder pins (or AMA sheer pin) original design specs (which I do all the time (oops, my bad)).
If you look carefully at this pic, you will see a safety thingy (the grey spectra cord in the pic,,,,Ignore the planing hull mod and the other junk, thats just the way my boat looks).
I have a similar loop wrapped around the gudgeon on the bottom with an eyelet of spectra string that just slips over the end of the rudder pin when installing the new pin. The Hobie grey Spectra rudder line is like 500 lbs break no-stretch line that lasts literally forever (the loop I have on the bottom is 3-4 or so yrs old now).
What used to happen is I would bump the bottom (usually when launching without knowing it), the rudder pin would break at either the bottom or at the top (but never both), I would go out sailing and the first time I put serious stress on the rudder it would take out the other joint and the rudder makes a loud boom noise and flies into the air (no steering at all).
With this setup I still break rudder pins like crazy, but when they break, only the bottom or the top breaks (steering becomes a little harder, so I know it's busted). The spectra string prevents the rudder from flopping around, and typically the other joint doesn't break. I can still steer (just not as good, (you know whens it's busted)). I then make my way to shore somewhere close (or a local sand bar), and make repairs at my leisure (never any emergency). I've been out in rough stuff a few times now with a partially broken rudder pin, and had to fight my way back, but I could still at least steer. Of course if you slam into anything really really hard, the spectra just breaks also before taking out the gudgeon or the hull. It's just a secondary safety thingy that's all, I came up with this one at the same time I came up with the AMA safety lines which a couple people have incorporated. I've always had one on the bottom (80% of the time the bottom joint breaks first), only recently (the last yr or two), have also incorporated a safety thingy at the top as well. If you watch my video about hardening a TI that I made a couple yrs ago, I describe the safety loop at the bottom in the video.
The spectra line at the top has a loop in it wrapping around the rudder pin. I have mine on the top just attached to a handy spot on my removable hull planing mod. It would be just as easy to attach the spectra line to the cleats in the back where the rudder bungy goes (where I have it attached when I don't have the condom on (my wife is not very forgiving to my mods and antics (not just with the boat,,,, everything...), and calls my planing hull mod my condom (lol)), she makes fun of me on a regular basis, just sayin It's gotta really suck being married to a genius that only sleeps a couple hrs a night, I'm lucky she puts up with me.
These stupid safety rope thingys (both this and the AMA safety thingy) are just a silly little things that costs maybe $.50 cents and takes 5 minutes to install just one time, then it's on the boat forever, but it could save your life someday...... they have has saved mine (multiple times).
Hope this helps
FE