Dismasting, emergency rigging

[davil]

I carry a back-up to more back-ups covering all possible scenarios, of systems failures.

One issue has always eluded me is a dismasting with loss of the full rig.

Recent incidents include a boat running into trouble off Hatteras, dismasted yet hull integrity provided for a relative safe living survival platform, caught by the Gulf Stream was carried up north, with the loss of their engine they just drifted.

A jury-rigged sail could have avoided??? losing the boat left behind after the rescue by the USCG.

Reading this article shows a nice solution worth to think.

https://www.yachtingworld.com/practi...blems-125819/2

"Once the rig has all gone (remember lines may have fouled your keel and propeller) take some time to take stock and regroup. Continuing the voyage is going to be possible because you’ve already taken enough diesel, tins of food and there is plenty of time for you and the crew to make a jury rig (maybe that boat over the horizon can lend you another spinnaker pole). Planning alone will give your crew a sense of mission and purpose, and keep them occupied and upbeat.

bluewater-sailing-yacht-preparation-lykke-dismasted-jury-rig-arc-2017
The Hallberg-Rassy 46 Lykke dismasted during the 2017 ARC, but the well-prepared crew set a jury rig"

[Brioche]

Interesting. This might be a good reason for taking the spinnaker pole off the mast in really bad weather -- might be lost or hard to salvage if the mast goes down.
I suspect I do not back things up as thoroughly as you do, but my boat has a lot of storage and I follow the principal someone taught me a long time ago of doing preventive maintenance and then keeping parts I replace on the boat as backups. (I did make an exception for crisp racing sales back in the day.) That way you can enjoy sailing with everything as fresh as possible, but have sound replacements on hand if you need them.

[neilpride]

Better to have one of these on board, just in case.

[davil]

Originally Posted by Brioche

Interesting. This might be a good reason for taking the spinnaker pole off the mast in really bad weather -- might be lost or hard to salvage if the mast goes down.
I suspect I do not back things up as thoroughly as you do, but my boat has a lot of storage and I follow the principal someone taught me a long time ago of doing preventive maintenance and then keeping parts I replace on the boat as backups. (I did make an exception for crisp racing sales back in the day.) That way you can enjoy sailing with everything as fresh as possible, but have sound replacements on hand if you need them.

=====================
yes, found it interesting, the spinnaker pole is a good idea (I think) stored on deck in case the mast being lost.

This season is going to be the first time I carry a bolt cutter, I tried at home and will cut the wire size I have without effort.
I guess the message finally got home!
Very inexpensive.

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by neilpride

Better to have one of these on board, just in case.

That's for sure, when I lost a mast I had a hell of a job.
The wire cutters supplied (or me) were not upto the task and I had a hell of a job pulling the split pins and knocking out the clevis pins to release the rig while bouncing around in 2.5 - 3m seas while trying to ensure a foot was not in a loop to drag me over at 0-dark 30.
A cordless grinder would have done the job in 15mins as opposed to nearly an hour.

[thomm225]

The only thing I would have as a sort of mast would be the boom and maybe a length of 2 x 4 added to that.

The PO had left one onboard to keep the boat off pilings in his slip I guess.

To get the mast off all the way after a dismasting, I would pull the clevis pins from the turnbuckles if I could by hand and saw the rest off

If I could though, I'd try to save the mast (and rigging that was good) so I could saw off the largest section to reuse as a makeshift mast. I have a hacksaw on board and blades.

At this moment, my rigging is at an unknown age but at least 20-24 years old.

The worst looking stay is the backstay so I have a 3/8" line running to the mast head and back to support the backstay.

I'm replacing shroud chain plates at this time and the bolts.

https://www.cruisersforum.com/forums...on-272864.html

I was going to reuse the 49 year old plates and bolts but after finding hairline cracks on those first two chain plates I am now going to replace all chain plates and bolts.

Most CF members that responded to my questions about replacement said to replace even before I found the cracks.

Next will be the backstay replacement and then the lowers to support me while up the mast disconnecting the uppers which I will do like the others one at a time.

All this with the mast up.

[davil]

Originally Posted by neilpride

Better to have one of these on board, just in case.

=================
is that a cordless?

never mind is a cordless

Amazon has a variety of cordless grinders nicely priced

thanks for the tip

[Chotu]

^^^^ VERY handy tool. I have had to use one in an emergency too.

There was another anchor down below in a place that I anchored for about a month. When I started to pull mine up, it was knotted with the other chain like crazy.

There was no separating them.

So I ran the extension cord to the dinghy, jumped in with the angle grinder, and just kept cutting that chain until it fell free from mine.

[neilpride]

Forget the Makita and get a Hitachi, better stuff, in one battery you can cut 2 masts.

[thomm225]

Robin Lee Graham's mast jury rigs

On October 22, 1966, Robin sailed to New Hebrides and then to Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands. While in the Solomons, Robin visited Florida Island, Savo Island and Tulagi Island. He arrived in New Guinea on March 24, 1967. After leaving New Guinea, Robin landed at Darwin, Australia on May 4.

On July 6, Robin sailed toward the Cocos (Keeling) Islands and traveled 1,900 miles in eighteen days. But eighteen hours out of the Cocos, his boat lost its mast during a storm. Under jury-rig, Robin had to sail 2,300 miles to reach Mauritius. After repairs, Robin sailed 1,450 miles to Durban, South Africa.