Slight Dismasting

[witchcraft]

Having a lovely few days at our mooring in Prinyers Cover. It is always a pleasure, visiting old friends, sailing on and off the mooring, viewing the stars etc.
We decided to sail our dingy down to the marina for an ice cream, and a visit. While there the wind piped up all of a sudden.. well ok it was a windy day but not a terrible day. In any case there it was , largish waves for the dingy ( a bolger nymph) and blowing 25 to 30 knots. When we sail the dingy we do not carry our oars, we carry a paddle. Off we set tacking up the cove towards the mother ship. One fellow at anchor calls out to ask if we wanted a tow. Nope we were doing fine, although with the lug rig, one tack is way better than the other. We are spilling wind, suddenly the mast breaks at the step. Much activity ensues, gathering mast, boom, yard,sail and grabbing paddle. I paddle while he skulls with the rudder. Suddenly, it seems a long way to the mother ship. An Alberg 37 weighs his anchor, motors ahead of us, drifts back carefully and hands us a second paddle. I still cannot believe he did that, but we are very grateful for the 2nd paddle, which we of course returned. A little extra excercise and we are in the process of building a new mast and changing the step configuration.
I was surprised to learn the following day, when various dingies stopped by to visit us how many folks were watching us sail up the cove. They all said the same things, " You guys were going good." The other comment was, "when the mast broke your actions were immediate and in concert, like a well planned and choreographed dance." We merely thought we had taken the obvious action under the circumstances.
In any case we had a lovely few days sailing using the mooring as a base.
Fair Winds
Witchcraft

[Ex-Calif]

Wow - some folks would be under cover and you guys are casually sailing a dinghy "in a bit of breeze" - LOL.

Good job, great reactions and hats off to the Alberg driver!

[Pblais]

We merely thought we had taken the obvious action under the circumstances.

That's what it is like when you know what you are doing. It always is easier doing the right thing just not obvious when you don't know.

[witchcraft]

It was breezy when we left. If we had our druthers we would not normally sail that dingy in 30 knots of breeze. Ah well mast repair taking place and a slight modification to the step. Maybe we will be able to test it out today.
Fair Wind
sv Witchcraft
Saugeen Witch

[SVDistantStar]

Ive been dismasted on a small sailboat before also. Ive got a Barnett Butterfly 12' sailboat that i like to play around on. It has a deck stepped mast with 3 stays. I was out in 15kt winds when one of the stays let go. Got the mast back on board and paddled back. I dont keep oars on the boat, just a small paddle.

[btrayfors]

"Slight dismasting"....is that like "a little pregnant"?

:-)

Glad it worked out for you.

Bill

[AVSkipper]

Originally Posted by btrayfors

"Slight dismasting"....is that like "a little pregnant"?

:-)

Glad it worked out for you.

Bill

That's exactly what I thought when I saw the thread title.

[witchcraft]

Just a quick update, mast has been repaired, step has been slightly raised. The mast repair includes a sleeve at the weak point. The dingy is sailing again.
Fair Winds
SV Witchcraft

[imagine2frolic]

BEST WISHES in keep the mast upright!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!