The Fallen Mast Yacht Club

[Geoduck]

I thought I would form a new club - new to me anyway -
If you want to join - you must have at least busted some rigging while out sailing hard on the wind.
Those who have lived through total dismasting get a gold star!
Feel free to sign up - if you qualify!!

[jongleur]

Oh goody! I get a gold star!

I was sailing a sabot on Laguna Lake in San Luis Obispo in blustery conditions when the mast broke about 2 feet above the step.

That was 1973 and many sailboats ago.

Great memories.

[susanna reiter]

Does a rotten mast step on an elderly O'day Day Sailor... which finally gave way when an elderly sailor stepped aboard holding the port sides shroud to steady herself thereby collapsing the mast , rigging and boom right on top of her at the dock in San Carlos NM count ???? If so..I have a candidate to propose for membership ..no gold star of course..but a complete and utter dismasting nevertheless..LOL

[captainKJ]

Not once but TWICE for me,,,anybody want to go sailing with me.

first time motoring in the icw,,,,just remember that you have to put cotter pins in the turn buckles even if just going a 3 hour tour in the icw

second time was in the yard,,,don't really want to talk about that one

[susanna reiter]

...correction needed ...San Carlos , MEXICO...not NM. Sorry.

[susanna reiter]

Okay...here is another one...imagine the same elderly O'day Day Sailor..this time..Ventura Harbor....launched at the ramp..and someone who will not be named here (also an elderly day sailor)...goes sailing happily out into the harbor and within minutes she ...the O'day...is starting to list, then really list, then aglub...yah ...he forgot to put the plug back in the transom drain scupper before he launched her...sunk right there in the harbor....what a mess...we finally got her out, with the help of the Harbor Patrol....geez...talk about not wanting to talk about something....but I digress...this would have to be for "I Sunk The Boat" Yacht Club membership....anyone want to join that one...?????

[captainKJ]

I Sunk The Boat" Yacht Club membership....

Done that one too. My jetski but it only went half down. had it tied to the dock, plug came loose, did not realize that it was going down till the next morning. only half way but enought to have to haul it out and flush the engine and oil

[susanna reiter]

Jetski sinking should count....I have been there on that one too...but not the pilot..just the passenger...LOL

[CharlieCobra]

I lost the stick on my V-21 in 20 knots one day. Pulled the mast step right out of the house top. Had it fix and was sailing in two weeks.

[Blue Stocking]

50yrs ago, crewed on two International One Designs, where we exploded the mast 4ft above the deck, from compression.
Had a scare with Bluestocking 2 yrs back.
Close reaching in 25knots, shook the wooden lee spreader out of its socket.
Hove to on starboard, and took sails in, motored home.

[Geoduck]

One other adventure I had while commercial fishing - I was heading north to AK off shore the Washington coast in rough seas. I had my trolling poles out with the stabilizers in the water when I picked up a crab pot on the port stabilizer doing about 7knts -tore the pole right out of the boat! Busted in 2 pieces! I was able to gather it up and limped in to the lee of Destruction Island, anchored up and fixed it - I borrowed some stove pipe from the galley stove and sleeved it, tied rope & wire around it and managed to float the end of the pole out on the dingy to re-rig and hoist it up.
Fished the whole season like that!

[senormechanico]

My boat belongs to that club, but not me.
The original owner lost the mast somehow (I never got the details), but I do have a deck leak in an impossible to repair spot from the incident.

[Hud3]

Years ago, I was heading out for a sail on my Hobie 16 with a friend and her sixty-something year old mother aboard. We were sailing off the beach at Sandbridge, below Virginia Beach, and the surf was fairly big. A shroud snapped just as we rode up the face of a big wave, and the mast came down on the tramp, luckily missing the older lady by a couple of inches. We managed to get the boat safely back on the beach with the help of friends on shore. I said, "Gee, Mrs. Smith, I'm really sorry and glad you weren't hurt. Are you feeling OK?" She replied, "No problem, sonny. I used to race iceboats on Lake Michigan when I was younger. This was nothing!"

[bstreep]

Put me down for THREE TIMES. All dinghies, though:

Late 60's, Mallory Cup race at a yacht club in North Jersey. Lightning, and they were all borrowed. We got a lot of abuse, as kids, but really it wasn't our fault. It was the first race, and a lower gave out on a close reach with the spinnaker up.

Second 2 times were on my M Scow as a teenager. After the second one, I reluctantly put spreaders on it.

[zeehag]

my boat qualifies for the left on a breakwall in santa barbars for a week yacht club..before i bought her--now she belongs to the fix it underway not a yot club