WARNING: Check Mast Strut Bolts, Rivets

[Mike Kinney]

Last week I participated in the Harvest Moon Regatta which is a 150 mile offshore race down the Texas coast. After completing the race, as I was putting the sail cover on, I discovered that the all six rivets holding the mast strut hardware (and lower diamond wire) to the mast had sheared off and that only one of the mast bolts was still in place. the other mast bolt had lost its nut and had slid out of one side of the mast and was jutting out of the other side. I speculate that the nut fell off that bolt and the bolt gradually worked out of one side of the mast. That placed most of the stress on the three rivets on either side of the mast. The rivets couldn't handle the stress and eventually popped. Next time you are on your boat check the rivets and the bolts. Unlike conventional bolts, the bolts have threads and nuts on both ends. On my boat, there did not appear to be any locktite or any mechanical device to keep the nuts from coming loose. Regarding the bolt that did not come out of the mast, I could turn both nuts with my fingers. s/v Cut I (Hunter 340)

 

[Jay Hill]

Speaking of Harvest Moon...

...I had the extreme pleasure of running the race for the second time this year. Last year we were in a chartered H40 with blown out sails and a bottom with two inches of barnacles. This year, however, we were able to charter a very well cared-for Legend 37.5 for the race. I am very pleased to announce that we were the 45th boat over the line out of 230 that finished. Oh yeah, we placed third in our class behind a 38' C-C with a prefessional racing crew and a Legend 40.5 that somehow managed to get a handicap higher than ours. (Should've gotten me sailing instructions a bit earlier and I could have said something about that. Oh well.)Anyway, the crew on the C-C said they were working very hard to even keep up with us. They admitted the only reason they beat us is they slept on the rail all night, the owner spent $12K on new sails and $3K on a new bottom just for the race, and they sailed into the squalls on purpose to get the extra wind. They only beat us by 33 minutes. Not bad for a charter boat, no?If Hunter Marine is reading along, I recommend they have some type of major marketing going on at the Harvest Moon Regatta. Of the "Manufacturers Fleets" (Catalina, Hunter, Beneteau, Pacific Seacraft, etc.) Hunter was represented with 29 boats in the regatta fleet. They highest number of any manufacturer there. Great opportunity to make a big deal out of something. 'Course, it's been said that I've been able to do that with almost no reason at all.Anyway, nice to see everybody again, and since the fall/winter season is upon us and business is slowing, maybe I'll be able to hang out and be annoying with you guys more often.