Snap, crackle, crash

[Tom Spohn]

First Thing

I would do is ease off a bit on the backstay which on our Schock 35 is usually fairly tight. Then I would drop the main--assuming the mast was still up--not a foregone conclusion. Our keel stepped boat will keep the mast up when tension is removed fore and aft. Then I would recover the headsail after clipping onto the boat so as to not follow the sail into the drink. Once stowed, I would start the engine and head for home. If I ran out of fuel I would rig a new headstay from one or both of the spin halyards.

 

[Gary Scheier]

Dump the main sheet

1. Dump the main sheet to take the stress off the mast2. Turn into the wind and drop the main. If your mast is still there, you have a fighting chance.3. If you are sure you will not foul the prop with the headsail, start the engine and put it into reverse at a slow speed. Keep the bow into the wind. This should help back the headsail off the keel. If it risky to engage the prop, consider throwing an anchor out to stop (depth permitting) the boat and to reassess the situation.4. Hand off the helm to another, or lock it down if the prop is turning.5. Go forward to retrieve the headsail.Obviously, there are different outcomes based on different boats, number of passengers, experience of the crew, type of gear, depth of water, conditions, etc. The main thing is to keep your cool, think things through and make sure you manage your crew's fears. If they see you are in control, they will be less likely to panic and will be more helpful during the crisis.

 

[Alan]

INSTANTLY.....

......turn down wind! If you are headed up wind the mast is coming down, watch out! If you are lucky enough to be on a reach the mast will stay up as long as you stay down.Take the remaining genoa and spinnaker halyards forward to the toe rail or cleats. Once they are tensioned you can relax, the mast will go nowhere.Now you can drop the main to slow your speed which will allow you to retrieve your overboard genoa and headstay. Once they are on board you can proceed to finish your trip home, no worries.

 

[Doug L]

DUCK!

I think I would drop to the floor of the cockpit so when the mast came down it did not hit my head.On my Hunter 26 I can only see the forestay parting under load, so the boat would probably be heading into the wind when the stay snapped (it seems every where I go is upwind)If the stay snapped while heading upwind, the mast is coming down about a second later.

 

[Bob14138]

This happened to me

Luckily when the headstay parted on my Mac 26X we were only about a mile or so from home. It did go pop. I was trying to roll in the jib. Appparently the furler had been wearing on the stay for some time where the top of the furler overlapped the joint securing the loop of the stay. A last hang up was just too much. In any case, the jib went in the water and the mast came down. It was sudden, but no one was injured. I fished everything out of the water, secured it all, cranked up and motored home. Later, I measured and fitted a new head stay that would not have the possibility of rubbing. Back on the bay!

 

[s sauer]

Spare Genoa Halyard

Don't know how well it would work because I've never needed it in this capacity; but we have our 2nd Genoa halyard attached to the center point of the bow pulpit.Presumably, if the headstay parted, the genoa luff itself would take some or all of the load but the 2nd Genoa halard would immediately come into tension to share the load and hopefully save the luff from ripping. I assume it would give us time to react and drop the main anyway.The real reason we attach it there is to have it out of the way but still handy for running two headsails or for a fast Genoa change while racing.We also use it to go up the mast in the bosun's chair to inspect the rigging and fittings.Lastly; while beating, the the headstay sag can be compared to the straight line of the spare halyard when you are adjusting the backstay.