We ran into a bridge!

[Boatyarddog]

Originally Posted by lestersails

Maybe I missed it (I did read the entire thread) but has the OP stated the current age of the standing rigging? I have been told that the standard lifetime of wire rigging is ten years - though I must confess that seems a bit too conservative to me. If the rigging on this boat is >>10 years, might this be a good opportunity to completely re-rig and do a thorough mast inspection at the same time?

What they DID say is their not prepared to fork out 8k for rigging.
So, I think their looking for a repair fix.
I believe they broke a mast head fitting that receives the shroud toggle.
But, they've not commented yet.
Boatyarddog

[robertmfranklin]

This is just a guess; that's all it is. But I am interested in comments.

Someone said not to go up the mast.

My guess is that 200 lbs. at the top of a keel stepped mast on a Bristol 40 would have little effect on the stability of the boat or the stability of the mast, even if the mast were completely unstayed.

[robertmfranklin]

Here is a stupid idea, I admit.

We haven't been told how loose the fore and back stays are. Looseness is somewhat subjective.

Perhaps they were loose to begin with and the accident had merely directed the owner's focus on this now more that before.

[TrentePieds]

This is a week late, I admit, but, Sailing Around, you said: "... we lost steering and got pushed into a closed highway bridge."

Why did you lose steering? Do you not have hull insurance? If the loss of steering was not due to your neglect, and if you have hull insurance, this sort of situation is precisely what you have it for! Before you begin a DIY repair, make a claim and let the insurance adjuster do his thing. At worst your claim gets refused and you can start your DIY job. If the loss of steering can not be laid at your door, i.e. if you had not been neglectful, the insurance should cover the cost of repairs, or, if doing so would be cheaper for them, buy you a replacement boat of similar value to this one.

Nothing ventured, nothing gained :-)!

TrentePieds

[Boatyarddog]

Originally Posted by TrentePieds

This is a week late, I admit, but, Sailing Around, you said: "... we lost steering and got pushed into a closed highway bridge."

Why did you lose steering? Do you not have hull insurance? If the loss of steering was not due to your neglect, and if you have hull insurance, this sort of situation is precisely what you have it for! Before you begin a DIY repair, make a claim and let the insurance adjuster do his thing. At worst your claim gets refused and you can start your DIY job. If the loss of steering can not be laid at your door, i.e. if you had not been neglectful, the insurance should cover the cost of repairs, or, if doing so would be cheaper for them, buy you a replacement boat of similar value to this one.

Nothing ventured, nothing gained :-)!

TrentePieds

Apparently, in earlier comments, the statement " the engine wasn't currently running."
So, no engine, sailing between bridges...
Probably lost forward speed.. Loss of steering.
You can surmise the outcome, didn't get to the anchor on time?
Insurance may not cover this claim.
They were towed from the scene.
Boatyarddog

[Tetepare]

OP came dumped and ran. Nothing since the day after the report of running into a visible fixed object. More Chinese bots?

[Icarus]

Originally Posted by SailingAround

We were sailing around between two bridges today, lost steering and got pushed into a closed highway bridge. We got pulled off and the mast is still up, but the forestay and backstay are now much looser than they were.

I'm concerned about the rigging. We don't have 8k dollars to replace it.

I'm planning on tightening them tomorrow. The wind will be 10-13 mph.

The side stays - the lower cable stays. Are still tight. The mast is keel stepped.

Advice greatly appreciated!

I don't know what size yacht you have, but I certainly would investigate what gave way.
A new forestay and backstay does not cost 8k.

[Icarus]

Originally Posted by SailingAround

We were sailing around between two bridges today, lost steering and got pushed into a closed highway bridge. We got pulled off and the mast is still up, but the forestay and backstay are now much looser than they were.

I'm concerned about the rigging. We don't have 8k dollars to replace it.

I'm planning on tightening them tomorrow. The wind will be 10-13 mph.

The side stays - the lower cable stays. Are still tight. The mast is keel stepped.

Advice greatly appreciated!

Get up the mast and check out the top wire swages and attachements.

[Icarus]

Originally Posted by Ernestpt

Sorry for you.
May you go near a place (peer, something else) from where you can have a close look, may be helped by binoculars, as said before ?
If you go up, do it from another mast, for example. NOT YOURS, as said before also.

Just get up there..

[Greg theHijacke]

Sorry to hear of your incident. Don't you have Insurance, This is just the sort of thing insurance is for. If you have insurance make a claim straight away.

[markpierce]

When we hit the Oakland-San Francisco Bridge (1960s Columbia Defender), we fortunately just lost the top-of-the-mast wind vane. which dropped into the cockpit.

[TrentePieds]

Hm... I was trying to elicit a more explicit statement from the OP. We really know nothing about the particular circumstances or the "lay of the land" such as the distance between the bridges and the width of the waterway, nor do we know anything about the OP's skippering competence.

"Lost steering" might mean "the steering mechanism failed" or it might mean "I lost control of the boat". Terminological inexactitood is a bugger :-)!

When we were young, we've all lost control of the boat. In my case I was about eight years old, and the boat was a "kragejolle", a common Scowegian inshore fishing boat. Tried to go about, blew it, ran dead in the water, the boat fell off and before I knew it, I wuz haring off downwind not knowing what had hit me or what to do about it :-).

Bet you my limit (37 Canadian cents) that something similar happened to the OP. But there can be two reasons for not making a claim: 1) You don't know what insurance is for, or 2) you know you blew it and that the adjuster would tell you, gently but firmly, to take a powder. :-)

The importance of a thread such as this is not so much whether the OP stays with us and learns from us or not, but more that OTHER newbs may see it and learn from it.

Cheers

TrentePieds

[skenn_ie]

A lot of "flop" can be caused by 1/4" of distortion, at masthead or chainplates. Slack in backstay (or forestay) plus a bent mast will slacken the other. A slight curve can be pulled straight, a crush/kink (most likely at the spreaders/where the lower shrouds attach), not, new mast of repair would be required.

[Boatyarddog]

Originally Posted by TrentePieds

Hm... I was trying to elicit a more explicit statement from the OP. We really know nothing about the particular circumstances or the "lay of the land" such as the distance between the bridges and the width of the waterway, nor do we know anything about the OP's skippering competence.

"Lost steering" might mean "the steering mechanism failed" or it might mean "I lost control of the boat". Terminological inexactitood is a bugger :-)!

When we were young, we've all lost control of the boat. In my case I was about eight years old, and the boat was a "kragejolle", a common Scowegian inshore fishing boat. Tried to go about, blew it, ran dead in the water, the boat fell off and before I knew it, I wuz haring off downwind not knowing what had hit me or what to do about it :-).

Bet you my limit (37 Canadian cents) that something similar happened to the OP. But there can be two reasons for not making a claim: 1) You don't know what insurance is for, or 2) you know you blew it and that the adjuster would tell you, gently but firmly, to take a powder. :-)

The importance of a thread such as this is not so much whether the OP stays with us and learns from us or not, but more that OTHER newbs may see it and learn from it.

Cheers

TrentePieds

Quoted:
My lady and I have been living on our 30 foot boat for a year and a half, traveling up and down the east coast. We recently got a 40 foot Bristol this one -- that we had the mishap on.

Normally I do all of the engineering / maintenance activities. I've never done rigging before and we really don't have 8k for a new rig - so I guess it's time to learn. We may be able to pay a rigger just to do an inspection.


Right now we are in North Carolina.

We got towed to the other side of the bridge - where we can more easily sail away. The engine does not currently run.

I will check with binoculars and post back. What are some things that I should look for?
Cracks, breaks, fittings pulled loose....

Before going to sleep I did check what I could with the flashlight. Chainplates, stays up to about halfway -- nothing looks broken from here..
Unquote.

TrentePieds
He said,
No engine, not currently running.
I surmise there was some current, they lost wind ,lost steering , due to no forward speed, got pushed into the bridge.

No engine, sailing between bridges, current?
Recipe for mishaps.

I sailed on a river with two closed bridges, always had at the ready, the anchor, to deploy.
No real guarantee it would catch if the engine failed, but having a plan felt better than none.

We had to call the bridge to open, both at the same time, highway and railroad bridges, usually 3 knots of current on the outflow.

No comments back from the Bristol 40 owners.
Boatyarddog

[skenn_ie]

Newbies learn from it: Try not to repeat the mistakes of others, there are plenty more to choose from.