Did Irma Wreck the Rigging?

[Snowpetrel]

I wouldn't be too worried about it, the high vibrations won't have been wonderful for it, but the failure is more usually related to cloride stress corrosion cracking rather than pure fatigue. If you stick with the normal 10 year replacement interval and regular detailed inspections you will be one up on many owners who never inspect the rigging properly.

[svinvictus2]

Originally Posted by DeepCut

My rigging was taken out by winds in BVI (Road Town)..... I would definitely inspect as before there is total failure, there likely is micro damage . Inspect very closely.

We too are in RT at Village Cay and still afloat!....we need to completely replace our rig..We always have a complete rig inspection every year but this year since you too are ONE of the lucky ones have it checked VERY closely.
Where R U moored?

[sandymwp]

Originally Posted by DeepCut

My rigging was taken out by winds in BVI (Road Town)..... I would definitely inspect as before there is total failure, there likely is micro damage . Inspect very closely.

Deep Cut....our cat, the Tennessee Waltz is at Nanny Cay, on the hard. Have not yet heard from a surveyor. We know we have lost the mast, but she is still on her jacks. We got two notices from our "find me spot" device....movement. We have seen pics and know she stayed on the jacks, but may have shifted. We also lost our solar panels and at least one stanchion. Hoping there has been no water damage. We are insured by Pantaenius....hoping to hear from them soon. BTW, have not seen pics since Maria..hoping that there has been no further damage.

[SV Bacchus]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

https://youtu.be/qpJBvQXQC2M

Coming from another pilot, GA, that is scary ugly! The video that followed with the glider and military aircraft was worse!

Thanks for giving me nightmares tonight as I know I will have them.

[svRoundAbout]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

With airplanes it usually stress corrosion cracking, and usually high strength steels, over often decades and billions of cycles.
I'm with Jim, yes rigging may fail in some boats during a hurricane, but I'd bet they are usually boats that sit at anchor, don't sail, and the rigging is decades old.
Would have failed under sailing stresses, just the hurricane winds stresses came first, or said another way, it had already failed, just took the hurricane winds to bring it down.

All this assumes no aeroelastic movement, aka "flutter" think Tacoma narrows bridge for instance, that can overstress and cause failure.
Flutter is a terrifying phenomena to a test pilot and is not usually survivable, it almost always ends in the aircraft disintegrating. This film and some I have seen of glider wings are the only times I've seen it not go to destruction, I assume it's because the flutter was of relatively low frequency
https://youtu.be/qpJBvQXQC2M

Our rigging failed, boat was 7 years old. Actually, at least 1/2 of the masts failed in Nanny Cay, BVI which was better protected than Road Town. Roofs ripped of catamarans. 60 catamarans flipped over on top of nearby buildings.
I suspect our rig failed from something flying into at 200+ mph. Our Leopard 46 was floating after Irma, Maria did her in.

[sailjumanji]

Originally Posted by Jim Cate

Maybe I'm missing something, but how can these strong winds acting on a bare rig over stress standing rigging? If the boat was not knocked down, the stresses suffered by the rigging were less than those experienced in sailing in strong winds and seas. I don't see the problem.

Running rigging, which was the subject of the OP, is a different matter, but other than chafe, even the running rigging should not have suffered from exposure to strong winds.

Impact to the hull is a totally different set of issues, of course.

Jim

I agree with Jim. Loads on the rigging by sailing reefed in 30 knot winds far exceed that for bare poles in 100 knots.

BTW, mine went the Harvey with measured 190+ knot gusts without issue. That said, I replace my standing rigging every ten years regardless. I don't want there to be any issue regarding the mast standing.