Completed my annual up-the-mast inspection last weekend and am happy to report all appears to be just fine...with one exception. Just above the spreader on the port side of the mast (slightly below the combo steaming/deck light), I noticed a surprisingly large divit (dark spot on picture). It's about the size of the nail on my little finger, maybe 3/8 in. dia. It was not there last summer when I did my last rigging inspection. The mast had not been taken down since the last inspection. All rigging and the mast have been in-place. The ding is 25' to 30' above the deck. The picture was not taken in favorable light and does not show its depth very well. It does not penetrate the mast but is a significant gouge into the surface, IMO. Its shape is actually more oval than the picture shows, lending to a glancing instead of straight-on angle of impact. It looks like what ever object did it struck the mast from a narrow angle off the port bow from an elevation slightly higher than the ding. It looks like the alumnimum in the impact zone was pushed aft a bit. I'm the only one who sails the boat and don't recall anything striking the mast in that location. A shackle on the end of a stray, whipping halyard could exert such force but this has never happened, particularly so high up on the mast. Any ideas on its cause? Could it be the result of a rifle shot (.22). There are tall hills and mountains surrounding the bays I sail on Lake Coeur d'Alene. It would have to have occurred while away from our marina as the boat is facing away from shore when in the slip. The hills are high enough to give a level or slightly downward angle for a shot to produce the apparent angle of impingement. There has been no damage to the sails or other rigging that might have occurred if a shot were fired while sailing. Also, I never heard any sound from an impact. Suppose, I could have been sailing on a port tack not close hauled with other noises drowning out the sound of an impact. Has anyone else seen such damage to their mast? Oh well, I suspect it's just a matter of curiosity now, or do I need to don flack jacket and be on the alert everytime I sail past a grassy knoll? Should I load grape shot and run out cannon when approaching within rifle shot of land? Have our local power boaters hired a hit-man to send me a message to stand clear and not expect right-of-way as they blast by? Geez, I must be getting a bit paranoid. Thanks in advance for your help. Mike s/v Charisma 82H36 PS: I failed to mention that this area has great hunting grounds...maybe I should stay in port during the hunting season?
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Radar Reflector
Maybe you shouldn"t have painted your radar reflector to look like a bulls eye target. On the serious side a friend of mine several years ago arrived at his boat to find a sizable hole on the deck of his boat near the bow. After a long process of investigation they found some charred fiberglass along the leading edge of the fiberglass damage, concluding that it "could have been" extraterestrial debris. My guess in your case however would be a hunter with bad eyesight.
Maybe you shouldn"t have painted your radar reflector to look like a bulls eye target. On the serious side a friend of mine several years ago arrived at his boat to find a sizable hole on the deck of his boat near the bow. After a long process of investigation they found some charred fiberglass along the leading edge of the fiberglass damage, concluding that it "could have been" extraterestrial debris. My guess in your case however would be a hunter with bad eyesight.
could easily be a bullet
i was a competitive 22 rifle shooter in HS and college unfortunately your pix does look like say a 22 at the mast i would immediately purchase a Barrett .50 cal and go get 'um (LOL just kidding) maybe they will let us go another season before we have to paint our masts orange!!! smooth sailing jim pastorjameshayes@aol.com
i was a competitive 22 rifle shooter in HS and college unfortunately your pix does look like say a 22 at the mast i would immediately purchase a Barrett .50 cal and go get 'um (LOL just kidding) maybe they will let us go another season before we have to paint our masts orange!!! smooth sailing jim pastorjameshayes@aol.com
How wide is the lake where your
boat faces across? A 222 or other high speed small calibre hunting rifle can go a few miles, especially if the shot was angled up. Oops. Canadians aren't supposed to talk about guns. We have plenty of them, but we don't talk about it.
boat faces across? A 222 or other high speed small calibre hunting rifle can go a few miles, especially if the shot was angled up. Oops. Canadians aren't supposed to talk about guns. We have plenty of them, but we don't talk about it.
Closest land to the south
of our slip is about 2 miles away. So, I suppose it is possible that a rifle shot from that direction could have done the damage while the boat was in the slip. Thanks, Mike
of our slip is about 2 miles away. So, I suppose it is possible that a rifle shot from that direction could have done the damage while the boat was in the slip. Thanks, Mike
Mike...
Until last year, one of my co-workers lived a couple of houses up from the lake at the south end and is an avid elk hunter--used to shoot turkeys in his back yard from off his back porch in season! Wouldn't surprise me if it was a bullet strike--you didn't PO some local malitia member did you? LOL! There's a mark lower and to the left with an upward angle toward the hole. Could it be someone was trying to hit the steaming light, the base of which looks like it just appears in the upper left of the pic, with a handgun from the dock (upward trajectory angle)?
Until last year, one of my co-workers lived a couple of houses up from the lake at the south end and is an avid elk hunter--used to shoot turkeys in his back yard from off his back porch in season! Wouldn't surprise me if it was a bullet strike--you didn't PO some local malitia member did you? LOL! There's a mark lower and to the left with an upward angle toward the hole. Could it be someone was trying to hit the steaming light, the base of which looks like it just appears in the upper left of the pic, with a handgun from the dock (upward trajectory angle)?
Don't think so...
Dan - don't think the other marks on the mast near the combo light are related. I had to replace the combo light several years ago and managed to scratch things up a bit. These are superficial as opposed to the ding which really gouged out the metal. Since 2001, I've been using an ATN Mast Climber to ascend the mast. I've gradually got the technique down over the years on how to use the Mast Climber as my physical conditioning leaves a lot to be desired for this type of activity. The device has two rope clutches made of metal, which I was not careful to keep away from the mast as I worked my way up the static line. (Initially, it was fear of heights and an accompanying irresistable urge to hug the mast with all my might.) The clutches caused some scratches, moreso where I stopped to do some work/inspections (e.g., combo light replacement). After initially posting this topic, another sailboat owner in our marina told the marina staff that it appears someone shot off his mast head light. So, I don't think it was just me POing the militia! But, you never know. Mike PS: May all our sailing adventures come with fair winds, following seas...and an F14 for air cover.
Dan - don't think the other marks on the mast near the combo light are related. I had to replace the combo light several years ago and managed to scratch things up a bit. These are superficial as opposed to the ding which really gouged out the metal. Since 2001, I've been using an ATN Mast Climber to ascend the mast. I've gradually got the technique down over the years on how to use the Mast Climber as my physical conditioning leaves a lot to be desired for this type of activity. The device has two rope clutches made of metal, which I was not careful to keep away from the mast as I worked my way up the static line. (Initially, it was fear of heights and an accompanying irresistable urge to hug the mast with all my might.) The clutches caused some scratches, moreso where I stopped to do some work/inspections (e.g., combo light replacement). After initially posting this topic, another sailboat owner in our marina told the marina staff that it appears someone shot off his mast head light. So, I don't think it was just me POing the militia! But, you never know. Mike PS: May all our sailing adventures come with fair winds, following seas...and an F14 for air cover.
Mike is it possible that in a raft up or even in a marina slip that a mast or spreader from another boat may have struck your mast. This wild swinging could have been cause by weather or a boat causing a large wake a marina or near raft up. Just a thought. Tim
I vote for the bullet.
Being a northwesterner, most of us know about those folks in Idaho. P.S. Mike, great writing too.
Being a northwesterner, most of us know about those folks in Idaho. P.S. Mike, great writing too.
Didn't raft up last year
and my neighboring slips in the marina are power boaters (sigh). Good suggestion that it could have been spreaders from an adjacent boat. I've been told that a good practice for rafting up sailboats is to do so with one boat facing forward and the adjacent boat facing aft, sufficient for the cockpits to overlap a bit. This way the masts aren't next to each other and won't get fouled in the neighbors rigging when the big power boaters motor on by, or whatever. Mike
and my neighboring slips in the marina are power boaters (sigh). Good suggestion that it could have been spreaders from an adjacent boat. I've been told that a good practice for rafting up sailboats is to do so with one boat facing forward and the adjacent boat facing aft, sufficient for the cockpits to overlap a bit. This way the masts aren't next to each other and won't get fouled in the neighbors rigging when the big power boaters motor on by, or whatever. Mike
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