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**Hud3** · 23-12-2010, 03:30

Quote:

Originally Posted by MarkJ

...I was 300 miles from St Martin, west of Antigua by 200 miles.

Mark, I told you that Google Earth isn't all that good for navigation around here.

(Just for the record, you were 200 miles east of Antigua, right?)

Blue Stocking · 23-12-2010, 04:04

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hud3

Mark, I told you that Google Earth isn't all that good for navigation around here.

(Just for the record, you were 200 miles east of Antigua, right?)

Hud3--give him a break

--he's a "rock star"--not a sailor

Hannah on 'Rita T' · 23-12-2010, 04:39

Mark, when you ask what we would have done, here's what we did when we lost our headstay at 65w,35n we cut it away, saved the genny on deck, and rigged three halyards to the bowsprit. Took us 24 hours to trust the halyards enough to use the full main but then we sailed on to Tortola.

MarkJ · 23-12-2010, 06:04

First thing I did was turn dead down wind.

Paused. Thought what to do.

Production boats if they are basic don't have spinnaker halyards or even a spare genoa halyard, nor a pole topping lift!
I just have the one genoa halyard and a pole topping lift.
I was able to furl the genoa and that was lucky.

Paused again to think

I left the Main up as the mast is deck stepped and I thought the halyard to the mast top and down through the deck sheave would increase compression on the mast to the deck step.

Paused again for thinkin'

Though the twin backstays were very floppy the 2 shrouds on the swept back spreaders were solid as a rock.

Yes, Jim, the break was at the top, but it appears to be the fitting at the top U bolt - still don't know. If it is then the cause is slack maintenance because I don't like hights.
I ran the topping lift out to the bow.
Another line from the bottom of tack of the genoa to the bow and to a winch to take weight off that fitting.
2 Genoa sheets to the bow mooring cleats.

I didn't put much weight on any of the lines, just winched them till firmish. I am interested if this was right or if they should have been wound down hard.

As I was EAST of Antigua (the boat knew where she was even if I was lost, Hud!

) and that was dead downwind I thought I could drift down there and fuel up and drive to St Martin. Weather was for dropping wind.

The first few hours were a bit hairy with a flash of 30 knots over the deck dead down wind!
I was still doing 6 knots.

Then the wind pulled back to 20 knots and came a bit further south so I was able to point towards St Martin at 120 degrees at 4 knots. for 200 miles, 2 days. Then had fuel for the last 100 miles.
In the last few hours from St Barts the wind came on the nose and even though there was no swell, just a little chop, the whole motion worried me greatly. so I slowed to 2 knots.

As a 'training' disaster it was good. If it had been a full 2,000 miles it would have been ulcer inspiring.

clockwork orange · 23-12-2010, 06:17

Congrats Marc,but i dont believe it, i think your pulling a Crowhurst on us, we all know Bennys are not offshore boats. Ok, i would have immediatly turned downwind,rigged the spinny halyard and second jib halyard and anything else to the stemhead and of course if i had a removable inner forestay,rig that an set the staysail. I have also lost a forestay also just where it comes out from the top swage,the sail held the mast up which was just as well as a lot of modern sloop rigs only have the forestay going foreward.
Anyway,nice job Mark.
Steve.

**boatman61** · 23-12-2010, 06:32

Top marks for taking the load off straight away... and for everything else..
You got the boat to harbour safely and with no further damage (visible) so you did good mate...

As to should you have cranked the lines bar tight... for me NO... its just adding unessecary stresses... but then I never do my stays up as tight as most.. seen to many boats suffering from compression stress...

**Hud3** · 23-12-2010, 06:47

I think you did everything right, Mark. The fact that you made it in to port without damage or injury is proof enough.

When I was doing offshore sailing, as a precaution, I carried sufficient low-stretch 14 mm line to replace any two sections of standing rigging. The boat also had a spare main halyard and a spinnaker halyard that could be used, along with a Mast Mate system for climbing the mast.

**capngeo** · 23-12-2010, 06:54

Congrats Mark! I just saw this thread this morning for the first time. Good job on saving the stick. I think though you understated the the angst after the BANG! I lost a backstay once and it was a miracle I didn't suffer the "brown shorts".

I was lucky and my failure was the hydraulic tensioner at the deck; I was able to clamp a ratchet winch to the stay and tension it.... I consider them an indispensable piece of safety equipment onboard.

Again congrats and good thinking

High Heels · 23-12-2010, 06:58

Congratulations Mark! Incredible Achievement.

storyinframes · 23-12-2010, 08:25

Congratulations Marc! very well done for your circumnavigation. You'll inspire many to do the same. great work! and congratulations once again.

cheers

Prashant

Mimsy · 23-12-2010, 08:26

What would I have done? Tried to fix it with dental floss and duct tape. This is why the engineer, left brain husband is responsible for repairs.

Sounds like you handled it perfectly- you and the boat made it to port safely and that is all that matters!

Adax · 23-12-2010, 08:27

Congratulations Mr. J . Awesome achievement !

David_Old_Jersey · 23-12-2010, 08:44

I would have tied the mast onto the keel

.........and by now the tale should be 50 knots, 30 foot breaking waves and holding the mast upright by gripping the broken forestay with your teeth whilst feet hooked under the anchor..........and maybe even that the forestay broke when swiped by a Pirate's Cutlass

MarkJ · 23-12-2010, 08:55

Quote:

Originally Posted by David_Old_Jersey

.........and by now the tale should be 50 knots, 30 foot breaking waves and holding the mast upright by gripping the broken forestay with your teeth

Well, I was in the bar last night and I didn't let missing happy hour phaze me at all.....

I distinctly remember upping the the wind speed a bit to some young blonde girl...

Then I converted it to Kilometers per hour..............

Mark