Berkeley Midwinters - Race 2

Let's go back to the story after the unfortunate encounter of Elise's backstay and the 'spinnaker eater' according to the BYC PRO (usually, this day marker is a downwind mark, under more normal wind conditions)

1) First order of business: regain control of the boat and steer away from the hazardous situation

• Tightening the aft lowers (shrouds) + taking in the main sheet and placing the boom under the lifeline would prevent the mast from falling forward. We used dock lines tied to the tack fitting/foredeck padeye to prevent the mast from falling back (halyards were also folded...) - this was a good move as the topping lift chafed and was cut by the broken section of the mast. It was the only other line that was keeping the mast from falling back.
• Having someone at the help to control the angle the boat compared to the mark (the hull never touched the mark) while reducing power/pull on the mast. The tide (ebbing) helped us stay away from the mark at that point
• This then enabled us to disconnect the backstay from the boat, thus freed the boat from the mast and immediate danger
• Given the wind conditions, we had steerage and control of the boat with half a main sail

2) Second order of business: tend to crew members in need

• We made sure that no one was hurt, now that there was no more immediate danger - since the mast effectively folded, it did not fall onto anyone
• We also reassured the nearby Expresses, basically telling them that there was no injuries and that we had the situation under control. It was important to enable them to continue to race
• We radio'ed the race committee to convey the same message, and indicate that given our suddenly reduced sail area and slight instability of our standing rigging, we were dropping out of the race. Unfortunately the race committee did not pick up our call at that time. We radio'ed them again as we sailed past them with a weird looking rig

3) Third order of business: mitigate further damage

• Given the weather conditions, take the boat to a nearby port so everything can be secured: mast can be dropped and main sailed can be folded
• In order to gain more control over the boat (especially maneuvring in close quarter in a harbor) we deployed the engine
• Once we satisfied ourselves that the engine was running and giving us a reliable alternate means of propulsion, we wrapped the main around the mast and motored to RYC.
• This was also the most comfortable point of sail as it was downwind. We were also able to secure the mast with more lines, including mechanical aids (through turning blocks) to provide support when it would be time to drop the mast.

Steve is keeping an eye on the mast -

Back at the dock, we 'Lego'ed' the mast back together in order to be able to drop the main. We disconnected the shrouds, assessed a bit better the damage and tied the two halves of the mast (well, the 1/3 and 2/3 of it) to the port lifeline, letting it rest on cushions on deck.

Of course, it did not spot raining while we were fiddling about lines and rig...We enjoyed a quick rainbow moment to mark the end of our tidying effort!

Last order of business was to take the boat home, under engine, so it can be examined by an insurance expert, and later repaired.

Interestingly, despite the very long day (we were back at the dock after dark and mostly drenched!), most everyone on board found the experience very educational. It is by going through these little mishaps than we learn about seamanship. We hadn't planned on the incident but we can make the most of it and learning is a big part of that.

We also figured that the likelihood of us getting hit by lightning was much reduced by the beheading of the mast.

On the plus side, I am hoping that a lot of people are reading this post. Consider pitching in $10 for sarcoma research, or selecting a gift on our online store ;-) www.beatsarcoma.org...