During the last race of the year I lost my mast when it sheared off at the deck. It broke right at the point where all the halyard turning blocks are attached. It looked like someone cut it with a knife right along the rivet holes. While the mast was laying in the water it broke again at the spreaders and a lower broke. We were sailing up wind in about 30 knots at the time of the maxt failure.
I suggest that you inspect your mast at the deck for cracks or corrosion. I know of another J30 that has mast cracks at the deck. Having the mast fail at the deck may sound unusual but I undersand from talking with riggers it is not too unusual. The following is an articile I wrote for the Annapolis Fleet news letter.
Last race of 2004 Fall Series or
How to lose the Fall Series the hard way.
The last race of the
AYC Fall Series was shaping up to be an interesting one. The wind forecast was all over the map but there was going to be plenty. While Big Kahuna had a 3 point lead and there was a three-way tie for second between Valhalla, no respect and Bear Away, any thing could happen and it did.
Wind was around 20 to 25 at the start from 235 with an out going tide so we had big waves. The RC set a 5 leg, 1 and ½ mile course. We started about a third of the way down the line and stayed pretty much in the middle on the first beat but at one time were the right most boat. We over stood the windward mark allowing Valhalla to get inside and have the lead. With Bear Away and no respect close behind. We got a little too far left on the down wind leg and followed Valhalla around the leeward mark by a couple of boat lengths. We were then able to work our way up inside Valhalla, played a couple of shifts and lead at the windward and last leeward mark.
About half a mile from the leeward mark no respect tacked, Valhalla tacked to cover and Kahuna tacked to cover Valhalla. We had just settled down on the new tack with about a mile to the finish to win the race and the Fall Series when by crew called "BIG wave, really huge wave". We hit the wave, the boat stopped and the mast kept going. The mast sheared off at the deck and went over the side. As it lay in the water the windward lower shroud broke and the mast broke in two at the spreaders. Fortunately no one was injured and the broken mast did not touch the deck, lifelines or side of the boat. It was just "launched" over the side.
My crew did a fantastic job getting the mast and sails back on board the boat. Here is how we did it:
1. We got the jib off the mast and down below.
2. Got the boom up on deck, main off the boom and disconnected the boom from the mast.
3. We got the mast, now in two pieces, on the boat and then got the main off the mast.
4. We then got all the rigging and lines out of the water and motored in.
The important thing is no one was hurt and the boat is OK. Several boats came by to check on us and Dorsey and Gail came by on their way home. There was a tug headed for us and Gail called the tug on the radio and asked them to change course for us. Without sails up the tug could not see us in the big waves.
Of course as fate would have it, my wife Pat was on the Committee Boat and heard the radio call from me retiring from the race. This was a bit unsettling for Pat for awhile.
Now it is up to the insurance company and learning to tune a new mast.
Larry Christy
alchristy@comcast.net
