Most sailors stuck in the Atlantic were glad to see the back of Hurricane Karen.

But for four American sailors aboard the Benjamin Franklin the lull in the 25-foot high waves last week only gave way to an even greater shock - their boat's rudder was broken and liable to tear a hole in the hull at any moment.

After weathering the hurricane for three days the crew, now safely onshore in Bermuda, noticed they were taking on water but had been unable to locate the leak.

But experienced sailor Sean Bercow, 40, couldn't believe his eyes when he saw the rudder moving from side to side.

He said: "It could have ripped us open like a can opener. You'd never think of a rudder would create a crack in the hull.

"We couldn't believe what we were seeing. The boat was moving one way and the rudder was moving another.

"I didn't know how many times it could go back and forth before it would would snap."

With the US coast guard alerted and the crew ready to man the life boat at any moment crew member Bob Butcher, 50, crawled into the tight space and toiled for five hours on Saturday in sweltering heat to shore up the hole with wood, glue and rope.

With fingers crossed the crew managed to make it to Bermuda by Monday night after six difficult days at sea.

Yesterday the crew were assessing the damage at St. George's Boat Yard and wondering what might have been.

Mr. Bercow said: "We were lucky it happened when it did, 200 miles off Bermuda. If it had happened off Cape Horn we might have had no chance.

"It was damaged in the storm but it was inherently weak in design."

Opinions were divided about the horror of Hurricane Karen, the second storm they had hit during their trip.

Boat owner Bill Hallstein, 65, described the weather which produced the 25-foot waves as "a nice breeze".

His son Trevor, 29, was less stoic. He said: "Dad and Sean were snoring away during their rest periods. I couldn't sleep.

"I felt like I was in a submarine. It was worse in the dark, you couldn't see the waves coming towards the boat. You just heard the noise the waves made - like an aeroplane.

"But at least the waves cleared off all the seasick which was on the deck from the first storm."

Mr. Butcher said: "We are all bruised up. Most injuries came from being thrown around the cabin."

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