FYI: Just read a disturbing article in Sail magazine about a Catalina 30 losing her rig in a nightime sailing journey, due to a simple corroded & broken cotter pin.
The pin snapped & the forestay turnbuckle worked itself loose, lost the forstay, then the forward shrouds quickly went due to the impact pressure, & down came the mast on top of the cockpit! Its amazing how many 50 cent pieces of harware hold up our mast & rigs. This reminds me of when the same thing happened on an 1985 Cat. 25 I owned years ago. The same cotter pin came out & the furling drum went flying to windward. I managed to run to the bow & tie down the drum & jury rig the forestay before I lost her, but I realize how lucky I was.
Do yourself, your boat & your crew a favor & thoroughly inspect your rigging before U go out there in the big blue!
The pin snapped & the forestay turnbuckle worked itself loose, lost the forstay, then the forward shrouds quickly went due to the impact pressure, & down came the mast on top of the cockpit! Its amazing how many 50 cent pieces of harware hold up our mast & rigs. This reminds me of when the same thing happened on an 1985 Cat. 25 I owned years ago. The same cotter pin came out & the furling drum went flying to windward. I managed to run to the bow & tie down the drum & jury rig the forestay before I lost her, but I realize how lucky I was.
Do yourself, your boat & your crew a favor & thoroughly inspect your rigging before U go out there in the big blue!
