Demasted - Rigger advice needed

[Peter Hunt]

My Grand Soleil 46.3 has been demasted catastrophically. Broke off at the first of three spreaders.
I need to replace the mast and all the rigging and the best bet seems the Canaries, I can motor there.

Does anyone have any experience replacing a mast in the Canary Islands?
Any recommendations or things to avoid?

I've been trying to get information online but it's surprisingly hard.

Also considering upgrading to a furling mast since I have to basically start over with the rigging, any thoughts?

[Tupaia]

You don't state where you are based. Getting a mast section delivered to any island is always fraught with difficulties.

[Peter Hunt]

Originally Posted by Tupaia

You don't state where you are based. Getting a mast section delivered to any island is always fraught with difficulties.

Sorry, I am currently in Dakar, Senegal. Not sure about installers here even if I can get the rigging delivered.

[Tupaia]

There are certainly riggers in both Gran Canaria and Tenerife but still doubt if they have easy access to complete masts or mast sections. It's a long haul from from where you are to anywhere. Could you coast hop to the European mainland? Portimao, Portugal would be a good choice.

[Peter Hunt]

Originally Posted by Tupaia

There are certainly riggers in both Gran Canaria and Tenerife but still doubt if they have easy access to complete masts or mast sections. It's a long haul from from where you are to anywhere. Could you coast hop to the European mainland? Portimao, Portugal would be a good choice.

This is great advice, I agree, the situation is not ideal. Port hopping is doable, but I weigh the fuel and time vs shipping a mast closer. It's nervous business motoring at 3-3.5 knots for thousands of miles with no backup plan if I have engine problems. And the fuel to Europe would probably offset the shipping for the mast!

Hoping to get information on a Rigger someone has experience with, its the holidays so answers are scarce, not speaking Spanish doesn't not help.

Thank you!

[neilpride]

What a pain in the ass, so sorry, this maybe sounds crazy, but if your final destination was the caribbean it could be feasible if you were able to recover some piece of mast set a jury rig and cross to the Caribbean.

Up to you if make sense.

Dakar its a bad place to deliver anything.

[Tupaia]

I would try contacting a few logistic companies that offer regular sea freight services to the Canary Islands and to which islands, to see whether shipping a mast is possible and the potential cost.



The whole supply chain in Europe is completely broken at the moment with back orders running into months or even years. Just in time accountancy doesn't work following covid. I recently had to wait 10 months for Italian engine parts. UK suppliers seem to a little better and there are good sea transport links so maybe source from the UK. Since your boat is French a direct replacement from France might work but direct transport links to the Canary Islands from France are non existent.

[Franziska]

Originally Posted by Tupaia

I would try contacting a few logistic companies that offer regular sea freight services to the Canary Islands and to which islands, to see whether shipping a mast is possible and the potential cost.



The whole supply chain in Europe is completely broken at the moment with back orders running into months or even years. Just in time accountancy doesn't work following covid. I recently had to wait 10 months for Italian engine parts. UK suppliers seem to a little better and there are good sea transport links so maybe source from the UK. Since your boat is French a direct replacement from France might work but direct transport links to the Canary Islands from France are non existent.

While I generally agree with the above that it might be difficult you could perhaps also check with the Grand Soleil Yard in Italy (they are not built in France afaik) if they can sent you a replacement.
They will have a limited number of rigs for their production run on stock. Depends of course on if your model is still built.

[Tupaia]

Originally Posted by Franziska

Grand Soleil Yard in Italy (they are not built in France afaik)

Sorry not good with monohulls. Still can't imagine any sea routes from Italy to Canary Islands.

[Anders]

Originally Posted by Tupaia

Sorry not good with monohulls. Still can't imagine any sea routes from Italy to Canary Islands.

The only ferry routes to the canaries are from Spain AFAIK but I assume there's ships going there from more departure points.

[RaymondR]

Any chance of repairing the old one if you could get a short section with sleeves air freighted in?