Open Boat Weekend Shakedown

[Richard Whitney CS#70]

I will post some photos later - and talk more about the 'calm' part later. On my way over I poped the rivets I had just put into a saddle on the mast holding the snotter. (have just changed over to mast tracks rather than sleeves). I have one reef in with I left but shook it out when the wind dropped abit. Nice reach down the harbour. But on gust a bit strong - ping goes the mizzen. Re grouped and tied some webing around the mast with a D ring and rerigged the mizzen mid harbour.

Later that afternoon 'racing' some of the other boats in very gusty conditions - that same thing happened on the main mast- ping. I was near the beach so headed in , used webbing and a D ring again. Headed out for some more fun sailing around Islington Bay.

Calm overnight and about 10 15 knots on the nose when we left. Beating home in a Westerly a massive squall came through ( I can't estimate but it was really strong). Paul in his Pathfinder furled his jib, dropped his main and hove to under mizzen. I dropped the main as far as I could, but the webbing around the mast stopped me getting it down far at all - way to choppy and winding to get out on the fore deck.

In the confusion didn't think about dropping the sail abit would loosen the snotter. It come out of the d ring in a gust and the sprit (still attached to the boat went over the side. I got stuck under the boat around the rudder.

At this stage things were looking ugly with a volcanic lee shore coming up quick. Tried to start the outboard - It kept starting and then cutting out. When I looked over the side the snotter rope was wrapped around the prop. Got the sprit back aboard, bit couldn't get the rope free. Finally unwrapped the rope from the prop and briefy started the motor and pulled 6 feet further way from the lee shore - the another bit of the rope caught around the prop.!! Cleared it again and finally got underway into a strong headwind and steep sea (my 2hp only just did the job.) Lesson One. I should probably tried to get up on the fore deck and got the anchor out of the hatch and anchor to avoid the near miss with the lee shore - I don't know how I would have gone if I had thought of it.

Tidied thing up. Got the webbing off the main mast and dropped the main and stowed it up forward. I sheeted in the mizzen as I was going straight into the wind (another mistake). I was under power and a keel boat close hauled was going at me and I could see I couldn't clearly pass in front of her - so beared off to pass behind her - not thinking of the mizzen sheet in hard. Another strong gust hit at that point and ripped the mizzen mast through the seat that supports it amidship. It also split the fiberglass top of the mast. Derigged the mizzen - got everything onboard and strapped in and started a long slow trip back using the 2hp Honda into a strong head sea and wind.

Themnran out of petrol(gas) the the wind pivoted the boat and started to blow me back where I had come from. Re-filled and limped home.

The boat is cleaned up and back in the garage. A good (if slightly too exiciting) experience. I learned a number of valuable lessons and picked up some bits I need to beef up.

All of that being said - the day before was great - and today a valuable test in extreme conditions. Paul and Dave's boat with their heavy centre board stood up better then my much lighter boat.

Anyway - thought I would share the adventure. :oops:

[JeffM]

Story made my blood run cold! Richard, do I understand that your snotters were tied to a rivetted fitting, and not around the masts? I've taken to keeping my anchor and rode right on the foredeck under bungees, practically ready to drop. Got no motor, and sleeve luff sails, and never know when I might need to "pull over and park" unexpectedly.

[Joe Nelson CS#35]

I was thinking of installing an eye strap like the pic of the CS15...but sounds like a couple of rivets or screws may not afford enough strength for the stresses applied by the CS20 sail area. Probably should stick with rope or a nylon strap and D ring. The strap looks so much cleaner.

[Richard Whitney CS#70]

Yes Geoff = I had changed over to a mast track to make reefing easier. You can not tied webbing around the mast because it then goes over the track and won't allow the sail to come down (part of what got me in trouble having rigged up webbing to stand in for the saddles that had poped off.

[Designer]

Richard, I am glad that your adventure ended up okay and that your sharing it with us will help to educate the group.

What size rivets did you use and were they aluminium or stainless?

While preparing my boat for the Everglades challenge, I knew that I could not afford a rig failure so I went over it with a fine tooth comb. I added extra glass around the base of the forward mast tube and extra screws in the mizzen mast base. Bill had made the thwart out of 3 layers of 1/4" ply and it seemed sturdy enough to me.

Because I rigged my masts with sail track I used Harken 137 eye straps (saddle) so that I could drill and tap for 1/4" panhead machine screws for extra strength.

[Tim Diebert]

Excellent story Richard. I enjoyed reading that.

I hope you don't mind....I shared this story with some pals on another group.

You may end up hearing of it from Dave and Paul.

Glad to hear you are OK.

I have not heard how all the other have done over the weekend yet. Yours is the first posting of the event.

Cheers, Tim

BTW, were you able to get any images you might be able to share? That would be grand.

[Richard Whitney CS#70]

Tim

Paul was with me when the gust hit

A few photos

[Richard Whitney CS#70]

Graham

I was using fairly light weight aluminium rivets (given my mast and track are aluminium). Should I beef up to heavier ali rivets or would I be best to go for screws like you have done.

Second question - I have used these same rivets to attach the track to the masts - spacing about 20 cm and alternating each side.. Should I beef these up?

[Designer]

Yes, I thought that you must have used aluminium rivets. I never use anything but stainless or monel and put tefgel on them to prevent corrosion.

As you don't want this to happen again I would go with 6mm bolts. 4mm stainless rivets would probably work but I find that when they are heavily loaded they slowly stretch and get loose.