Wakeup call

Discussion in 'Multihulls' started by aussiebushman, Jul 4, 2014.

  1. aussiebushman
    Joined: Oct 2009
    Posts: 283
    Likes: 33, Points: 28, Legacy Rep: 132
    Location: Taralga NSW

    aussiebushman Innovator

    Mast overboard - but actually a good thing in many ways!

    100 kph winds on the south coast of NSW, Australia - trees down, roofs off, my mast over the side. The good news is that it happened on the mooring, not off the coast. The rivets holding the tang for the shrouds pulled out of the mast under the pressure of the wind. I had wanted a swing mooring but the glorified parking meter attendants (Maritime) would not consider one, so the boat was beam on to the westerly gale, whereas on a swing mooring the boat would have moved to suit the weather. On the fore and aft mooring I get to live with the problem

    Some lessons learned here:

    1) The fastenings were obviously not strong enough so ALL of the mast fittings are being replaced with 3mm 316 stainless steel bands with multiple rivets into the mast - to hell with the extra weight
    2) New 50mm diameter aluminium spreaders are being constructed and through-bolted to another steel mast band
    3) There are twin shoulds on each side of the boat, both fastened to tangs on the amas. One will be left that way and the other moved onto a new tang bolted to the inner end of one beam. That will not only reduce the hammering effect of the ama rising and falling as the boat heels or is blown around but also be more secure, even though the angle to the mast is lessened.
    4) An inner forestay will be fitted (now with a DIY furler - more on that in another post) so in the event of the main forestay failing, the inner will provide a backup.
    5) The mast tabernacle is being redesigned (no real damage except for a broken bolt (the hinge)

    So again - good luck that it happened where it did. Also apart from one new length of rigging wire and some odd bits for the inner forestay, the repair cost is insignificant - I am making all the fittings in my own workshop
     
  2. Doug Lord
    Joined: May 2009
    Posts: 16,679
    Likes: 349, Points: 93, Legacy Rep: 1362
    Location: Cocoa, Florida

    Doug Lord Flight Ready

    Sorry for the misfortune but I know what you mean: sometimes we can all learn from problems and having it happen at the mooring is surely a wake up call-and not a disaster. Good luck...
     
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