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Jim White's avatar

I had a similar event while single handing a Day Sailer 2 in choppy weather .

We slapped down on a wave and immediately the mast started orbiting in

circles. It took a minute or so to realize that the forestay had come loose from the mast.

When I started to release the jib the orbits got bigger and then I realized that the jib halyard was what was keeping the mast upright. I tightened the halyard and started the sail home eventually cranking up my 2 hp Honda also.

When home I took the mast down and found that the aluminum rivets holding the forestay tang

to the mast had sheared off.

Both the forestay and the shrouds now have oversize stainless rivets.

JW

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Jeff Patrick's avatar

This experience reminded me of one of my own... I launched my Wayfarer dinghy for the season at our local ramp. The three mile trip to our mooring was uneventful. I don't remember if I sailed or motored, either being possible. In any event I got the boat moored just fine and went home, ate dinner, and went to bed. The next morning all was quiet on the water, the boat was on her mooring, (I have a view of our mooring from the house.) but the mast was down and pointed right aft! Well needless to say I hurried out there in the dinghy. Fortunately the mast hadn't been damaged when it hit the deck. The cockpit cover probably helped break the fall. And nothing was broken. The culprit, I discovered, was the parting of the forestay turnbuckle. It had simply come undone. All the parts were there, just not in the position I'd left them. Odd....

I finally sussed out that during the night a breeze had come up that raised a low wave action... just enough to impart a fore/aft rocking motion to the boat. This motion created a tightening/loosening action to the forestay. (There is no backstay on a Wayfarer.) This, in turn, created a vibration in the stainless steel wire that made the turnbuckle loosen. Obviously I had neglected to secure the locking nut on one end of the turnbuckle. Bad me!

To be sure... I never made this mistake again. (At least that I know of!)

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