How to Break Your Mast and Fix it!
Here is a neat rigging related find from yachtingmonthly.com’s YouTube feed.
In this first video you will see the crew attempt to force a dismasting by replacing the standing rigging clevis pins with shortened fiberglass battens. At first the fiberglass battens hold up, much to their surprise. After replacing the pins with even smaller fiberglass pins and accidentally unfurling the Genoa all the way, the shrouds finally let go and the mast collapsed. Also they end up testing different products for cutting the cables to release the mast from the boat, should that be necessary. I personally would go for the bullet blasting tool (not sure what it is called), quick, easy and effortless. The video does not portray the hacksaw method very well, this is not as easy as he made it seem, I’ve tried.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-jqwkNXMIY&w=560&h=315]
After you’ve lost the mast and have recovered what you can. Here is an informative video on a jury rig concept……
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=64l29uncetY&w=560&h=315]
Hopefully this will never happen to you, but these informative videos might help keep you more calm and confident should this ever happen to you.
