I’m the luckiest guy in the world! I share this story with you in hope of preventing injury or death, or just a real bad day. I am the proud owner of a 98 H240. Last year while sailing in about 20 –22 mph wind I heard a loud c-r-a-c-k followed by nothing. The next day while out in a 15-18mph wind I heard a pop, then saw one of the port side stays go flying off into space. Fortunately it went forward as it arced across the sky instead of back at me (without taking my head with it). It turned out that the previous year we had inadvertently bent some of the side stays while stepping and/or dropping the mast. This year the force on the stay was through a bent eyebolt that secured the stay into the “U” bolt on the boat. After most of a season of stress on the eyebolt, instead of re-straightening the bolt, it fatigued it and it eventually failed & broke while under stress. The mast struts and remaining side stays kept the mast upright and of course I dropped sails to reduce the stress on the equipment and motored back to the slip where I replaced the broken fastener and another which was also bent, but still holding. On Thursday, we put the boat away for winter. We gently lowered the mast without incident and had two people monitoring the side stays to prevent kinking and bending. After unattaching the mast at the base I turned around and saw the upper end of the self furling jib including the top part of the fore stay and its fastener in-the-water. Apparently it had also been weakened previously, but waited until we lowered the mast before failing. It must have been hanging by the proverbial thread. I’m so glad I didn’t go for one last sail before dropping the mast. Many thanks to my guardian angels. Moral of the story? Check the fasteners for bends especially if you think you have kinked something while raising or lowering the mast. (Oh some of these T-bars and end fasteners are supposed to be pre-bent by the manufacturer – see the ones in the spreaders.) Dogged-A-Bullet
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Ron Mehringer
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Sean Coerse
Joe
Joe I bent the t-bolts that attach the stays to the u-bolts on my H240. After bending 3 while raising the mast I learned that if prior to raising the mast you get the bolts lined straight up and down then take a piece of rigging tape to hold them to the lifelines it keeps them from getting bent. As the mast goes up the rigging tape pops off with no problems. I also bought 15 spares which I keep on the boat. Haven't had to use them yet.
Joe I bent the t-bolts that attach the stays to the u-bolts on my H240. After bending 3 while raising the mast I learned that if prior to raising the mast you get the bolts lined straight up and down then take a piece of rigging tape to hold them to the lifelines it keeps them from getting bent. As the mast goes up the rigging tape pops off with no problems. I also bought 15 spares which I keep on the boat. Haven't had to use them yet.
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Tony
Bent Stays
I have a 2000 H240. When I bought the boat the dealer told me that I could easily damage the turnbuckles and attachment points during mast raising as they tend to get misaligned and bend. He sugested that I tied some line from the turnbuckles up to the lifelines to keep the turnbuckles vertical at all times. I did this and I've had no problems with bending to the stay attachment points. I did, however, forget to put ring-dings through on the turnbuckles and the stay popped out of the turnbuckle while I was out for a sail off Canaveral. The other stay held, but I had to scramble to get the loose stay back into the turnbuckle. Now I check all the turnbuckles before I go out! Tony
I have a 2000 H240. When I bought the boat the dealer told me that I could easily damage the turnbuckles and attachment points during mast raising as they tend to get misaligned and bend. He sugested that I tied some line from the turnbuckles up to the lifelines to keep the turnbuckles vertical at all times. I did this and I've had no problems with bending to the stay attachment points. I did, however, forget to put ring-dings through on the turnbuckles and the stay popped out of the turnbuckle while I was out for a sail off Canaveral. The other stay held, but I had to scramble to get the loose stay back into the turnbuckle. Now I check all the turnbuckles before I go out! Tony
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Ed Knebel
turnbuckle bungies
After bending and replacing my turnbuckles, I use bungie cords on the lifelines to keep them straight up while raising. Like the aforementioned rigging tape, these release as the mast is almost up. I use a eight inch long, small diameter (1/4 inch?)cord, tied permanently to the lifeline on both sides, in line with the stays.
After bending and replacing my turnbuckles, I use bungie cords on the lifelines to keep them straight up while raising. Like the aforementioned rigging tape, these release as the mast is almost up. I use a eight inch long, small diameter (1/4 inch?)cord, tied permanently to the lifeline on both sides, in line with the stays.
To Tony of Orlando
Congrats on your H240! I was wondering, when you trailer your boat out to the coast, do you put in at the big public ramp in Port Canaveral? Is it crowded on the weekends? How easy is it to get through the barge canal to the Indian River? Can you go through with the mast up? Thanks for your help. If you are ever planning to go out on Lake Monroe give me a holler! Peter
Congrats on your H240! I was wondering, when you trailer your boat out to the coast, do you put in at the big public ramp in Port Canaveral? Is it crowded on the weekends? How easy is it to get through the barge canal to the Indian River? Can you go through with the mast up? Thanks for your help. If you are ever planning to go out on Lake Monroe give me a holler! Peter
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Tony
To Peter Suah
Peter, I have launched my boat from Canaveral, but I've used the smaller ramp, which is near marinas at the "back end" of the port. This smaller ramp is not at all busy even at weekends. The big ramp is very busy with powerboaters. I don't like to hold them up since they seem to be in and out in large numbers. I have not tried to go through the barge canal yet. There is a bascule bridge at the barge canal entrance froM THE ICW I believe, and there is one at the port entrance (right next to the boat ramp). There is no problem getting through these, if you're coming from the ICW to the ocean. You don't have to lower you mast. My boat is currently in Titusville. I keep it at a marina on the ICW. This is a great spot for sailing, but the barge canal is about 9 miles south. I'll certainly let you know if I'm going to be out on Lake Monroe. If you'd like to try a sail on the ICW let me know. We have a regular race series running also. Tony
Peter, I have launched my boat from Canaveral, but I've used the smaller ramp, which is near marinas at the "back end" of the port. This smaller ramp is not at all busy even at weekends. The big ramp is very busy with powerboaters. I don't like to hold them up since they seem to be in and out in large numbers. I have not tried to go through the barge canal yet. There is a bascule bridge at the barge canal entrance froM THE ICW I believe, and there is one at the port entrance (right next to the boat ramp). There is no problem getting through these, if you're coming from the ICW to the ocean. You don't have to lower you mast. My boat is currently in Titusville. I keep it at a marina on the ICW. This is a great spot for sailing, but the barge canal is about 9 miles south. I'll certainly let you know if I'm going to be out on Lake Monroe. If you'd like to try a sail on the ICW let me know. We have a regular race series running also. Tony
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