De-masted in Mission Bay 2013

Ken Perine

New Member
Well my boat is now repaired...that is the good news. I was de-masted in Mission Bay a few weeks ago. What an exciting time that was. On our third time out sailing our boat my son and I were sailing closed hauled when we heard a loud BANG!!!!. The next thing we knew the mast was over the side. A quick check for injuries revealed we were both ok. After removing the sails and securing the mast and boom we noticed that the starboard shroud had broken and the bottom of the mast had been ripped out. Luckily that same day I had put two oars inside the cubby and my son and I were able to row back towards the dock. Eventually a power boat came by and took us the rest of the way in.

When I purchased the boat it was a project boat. I had to repair the hull, replace all the lines, rebuild the bow, add hardware, and replace the hatch cover. I had planned on replacing the standing rigging, but was so anxious to get sailing I put it off. That was a huge mistake. I did not see the pending issue because my shrouds have the white covering over them that concealed the corrosion underneath.

I have repaired the mast and some corrosion holes in the mast and the boat is back sailing. Not a pretty patch but it works. See pictures.
 

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My son and a friend had our 14.2 out for the last sail of the year, when the mast came down due to a shroud which failed at the point it fastened to the spreader. The bottom of the mast looks the same as the one in this post. For repair, why not cut three inches off the bottom of the mast and drill a new hole of the proper diameter and position?

New shrouds were to have been installed over the winter, just one sailing outing too late.
 
When my shroud broke, there was no damage to the mast. The foot bent and the screws pulled out of the deck. You might want to check an make sure that your foot plate is not thru bolted thru the deck. That way the screws will pull out, might not cause the amount of damaged you received.

Kent
 
I checked and it is through bolted. I expect that the screws ripped out of the mast step in an incident that occurred prior to my ownership of the boat. I expect that the holes were ruined in the accident and could not be reused. I don't think I can go back to wood screws.

My shroud failed at the contact with the spreader; I wonder if it was anchored to the spreader properly.

To fix this mast, I need to know the distance from the bottom of the mast to the through-hole for the mast bolt. Could someone measure that for me, and let me know? Thanks!

Perhaps I can maintain the same mast height by adding some material to the bottom of the lower mast plug, and drilling the new though hole close the bottom of the mast. The last boat I had was a Club 420, which had a groove in the bottom of the lower mast plug, and it sat on the mast bolt (the bolt did not go through the mast).
 
I checked and it is through bolted. I expect that the screws ripped out of the mast step in an incident that occurred prior to my ownership of the boat. I expect that the holes were ruined in the accident and could not be reused. I don't think I can go back to wood screws.

My shroud failed at the contact with the spreader; I wonder if it was anchored to the spreader properly.

To fix this mast, I need to know the distance from the bottom of the mast to the through-hole for the mast bolt. Could someone measure that for me, and let me know? Thanks!

Perhaps I can maintain the same mast height by adding some material to the bottom of the lower mast plug, and drilling the new though hole close the bottom of the mast. The last boat I had was a Club 420, which had a groove in the bottom of the lower mast plug, and it sat on the mast bolt (the bolt did not go through the mast).

You can fix those holes by using waterproof epoxy. Fill them in with it. Let it dry and redrill.
 
My shroud failed at the contact with the spreader; I wonder if it was anchored to the spreader properly.

To fix this mast, I need to know the distance from the bottom of the mast to the through-hole for the mast bolt. Could someone measure that for me, and let me know? Thanks!


I did not see anybody answer your question about the distance from the bottom of the mast to the center of the mast bolt hole. I just measured the distance on my Mk I Capri and it is 1.25" from the bottom of the mast to the center of the bolt hole. I hope this helps.
 
I too was dismasted this year and like the others it was because a shroud failed. The mast foot ripped out of the deck and damaged the gel coat as well as destroying the mast foot itself. I was lucky because the wood block that the mast foot mounts to was not badly damaged but I have decided to fix a stainless steel plate on top of the gel coat and another one against the other side of the wood in the cubby so that I may bolt the two plates together and sandwich the wood. One other piece of damage was that the port side wooden splash guard was split in two lengthwise. The break seems clean but I am having difficulty trying to work out how to clamp the two pieces together while they glue without removing the splash guard completely from the boat.

I guess it is time to order a new set of shrouds and a mast foot from Catalina.
 
GBowring: Thanks for the information; that is what I needed to know. So it seems that I lost about 1.5 inches if I cut the mast tangent with the top of the old mast mounting hole. I was poking around on google images and saw a Capri 14.2 that had a block about 1.5 - 2.0 inches thick between the mast step and the tabernacle upon which the mast sits and is bolted. I suspect that this is due to mast damage at the bottom, such as mine. I could also drill the through hole at a lesser dimension, perhaps 1.0" and size the spacer block appropriately. My aim is to keep the mast and boom at the same height. This will also keep the new shrouds the proper length.
 
This discussion about de-masting has me concerned. I have had my boat out 20 times in the last 6 months and the last time the connector that holds the starboard shroud in place on the spreader, broke. Gratefully, it occurred while it was on the trailer heading home and not while it was on the water. I have replaced the connector but am now concerned about the shrouds themselves. I believe that that shrouds are the originals that came with the boat (a 1986 mod 1.) The shrouds are mostly covered with a plastic cover so it is hard to tell what shape they are in. The exposed parts seem to be fine (no signs of wear or rust.) Is there some way to know what shape the shrouds are in other than visual inspection? Is there a recommended length of service for shrouds after which they should be replaced?
 
Steve:

Because shroud failure had occurred on a 14.2 that I previously owned, about 20 years ago, I was planning to replace the shrouds on the 14.2 I purchased in the spring over the winter. However, one failed at the contact with the spreader on the last outing of the year. The white jacket on the shrouds can trap water and hide corrosion and damage. The replacement shrouds I purchased don't have the jacket; they are bare stainless steel.

My advice to you is to buy a pair of shrouds. The cost is about $85, which is cheap insurance against damage to your boat and injury to family and friends. Two observations from shroud failure: 1) It is very loud. 2) It is very fast; the mast and the main sail instantaneously go from vertical to in-the-water. Somebody could get hurt in the process. You might consider a new forestay too (connects from the mast to the bow plate).
 
Thanks for the suggestion.

I already ordered the replacement shrouds and will replace them shortly. I previously replaced the forestay when I discovered after pulling the boat on the trailer for several miles that the end of the forestay had found its way out of the self drain hole in the stern and was dragging on the ground.

I am curious if replacing the forestay/shrouds is something that ought to be done on a schedule (say every X years depending on time in water/exposure to the elements) or if you just check the shrouds thoroughly after each sail to make sure they are not in need of replacement.
 
I think service interval depends a lot on the type of use and storage your boat sees. Our boat is on the water from May to October. For me, I would not keep shrouds more than ten years, checking them about twice a year for signs of wear.

Here are some photos my son took when our boat had its sail and mast in the water. The last photo shows our boat in tow
Oct 2013 076.JPG
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Wow. Just like mine. Let me know how you repair it. Hopefully you will be able to get a welder to fix it like I did.
 
From GBowring (above), I learned that the bolt hole at the bottom of the mast is 1.25" from the bottom. I am going to saw off the mast flush with the top of the broken hole, and redrill a hole about 1" above the new mast bottom. I can makeup the lost mast height by adding a block (about 1-1/4" thick) below the mast step, sometimes referred to as the tabernacle. The mast will remain the same height with respect to the hull and the shrouds and forestay will be the correct length.
 
Mission Bay and Lake Hodges are my 'usual' sailing spots. Hodges, in particular, has given me some knock down gusts. My boats ~2004 model and now I'm thinking new shrouds might be cheep insurance. Like others, my stock shrouds are vinyl covered which makes proper inspection impossible...
 
You are not likely to regret replacing the shrouds. Regret will come if you deliberate until one of them fails. It is a bad experience.
 
I have attached photos of my work to put my mast back on my boat, following shroud failure. I raised the mast step 1-1/2" using a piece of an aluminum extrusion, as I sawed that much damaged mast off the bottom. I drilled a new 3/8" diameter hole 1-1/4" from the new mast bottom. The forks on the top ends of the new shrouds did not fit over the brass grommets. So, I had to remove the shroud anchors from the mast and flatten the grommets with a vise. When I reattached the shroud anchors to the mast, I used a stainless steel machine screw and nut all the way through the mast, in place of the lower screw. I reused the old screws at the top.

I have sailed the boat five or six times since the repair and all is well.

Mast Step  sized.JPG
Mast Shortened sized.JPG
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The pictures of raising the step show a clever repair. I have already weighed in on this topic in a previous thread, after having been stepped twice. I cut the bottom few inches from my mast, maybe sometime I will regain that by blocking it up too. I'm interested to hear how that is working for you.
PS, maybe a good opportunity to add some custom trim?
 
The modified mast step is working great. My wife put it to the test a couple weeks ago when she turtled the boat. I have since installed a baby bob using similar materials. I will post photos of that soon.

This spring, I replaced both shrouds and I replaced the forestay when I added the bob. With the elevated mast step, all the rigging is the proper length. Without it, the rigging would be too long.
 
When I went through this I had to cut my mast. I had a shop make the stays for me and the material they had to work with was slightly larger than the stock Capri rigging. Custom made professional, and I have peace of mind that it is ironclad, all three stays were upgraded, but I suppose that I can't build up the step without adding new chain plates with what I have now. This is getting my gears turning for a winter project.
 
I am new to the 14.2 so I probably have a stupid observation. I have no desire to repair my deck or the bottom of my mast due to a stay failure so I plan to make a change to the way the mast is attached to the step. I will replace the massive bolt at the base of the mast with a piece of aluminum tubing or perhaps a nylon bolt. An aluminum tube can easily be threaded on both ends and nylon wing nuts installed. The lighter "bolt" should easily hold the mast in place while allowing the mast to sheer the bolt rather than tearing up everything. Trial and error will determine if I need to use the strength of a standard bolt to step the mast. From the couple of times I have stepped the mast I doubt the added strength of the bolt will be needed.

I fail to see why a stainless bolt was used in the first place. It appears all of the stays force the mast downward when under load; not so much lateral pressure. The twist on the mast base as well as forward or aft pressure should be minimal so why such a massive bolt? With the lighter "bolt" arrangement a the mast will still come down with a stay failure but the damage to the boat would likely be limited to a bent "bracket" rather a ripped out deck and damage the mast.

I suspect this is an old idea but I plan to give it a try again. Any thoughts from the experienced masters of the craft?
 
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There is an older thread somewhere on the forum where they made some relief cuts on the bracket to allow it to release the mast and bolt in the event the rigging fails. If you have time to search you could find pictures on the forum, I remember seeing it and thinking to myself "that's a clever idea".
 
The wind load on your sails is transferred to the mast and resisted by the stays and the base of the mast where it is attached to the deck, so there will be a small horizontal force exerted at the base of the mast under normal sailing conditions. This force is resisted by the bolt. I suggest that if you use a smaller nylon bolt that you also carry spare bolts. Also, if the bolt shears off watch out for the mast and boom to come crashing around since the top of the mast will be attached to the boat and the base of the mast will have to go somewhere. Let us know how it works for you. Good luck.
 
Has anyone considered added a second cable to both the shroud and the forestay as backup? It would not cause any problems on the shrouds and limited interference on the forestay.
 
On the boats I have owned or worked on (not the 14.2) I have found that shrouds, forestays etc. in fact, any of the standing rigging, typically fails due to corrosion in the crimp joint or ripping loose from the deck or mast. The majority of the time it has been the crimp joint that failed due to corrosion. I have seen and maid countless swage/crimp joints over the years but I have only seen a few fail due to the actual “un-corroded” joint and those were VERY poorly done. I have seen a second set of shrouds added but felt that a better answer is to simply replace the standing rigging on a regular basis. While this is an expense I always consider it as insurance. The “normal” life span of the rigging is hard to determine. Is the boat used in fresh or salt water? Is it stored inside or outside? Is it moored or stored on a trailer? Each of these options contributes to determining when to replace the standing rigging. I had a sail boat that was around 50 years old when I sold it and it has spent the past 11 years on open water yet still has the same original rigging. I had another boat that had a shroud fail after only two years so go figure…


I am new to the 14.2 so I can only guess at the life of the standing rigging. My 14.2 was built in the early 80s so I have replaced the standing rigging as a precaution and the total cost was under $100. It may be over kill but I plan to replace it again in another 5 to 10 years which makes the “insurance” $10 to $20 per year which I believe is reasonable. It is certainly cheaper and easier than repairing a ripped out deck and mast base.


I must say that the standing rigging on my boat was probably the original stuff and it still looked OK. However, I sliced, polished and etched one of the old crimp joints and found corrosion through the entire length of the crimp. I couldn’t tell if it was near failure or good for another 30 years but I do feel better having new rigging.


Just my thoughts and I suspect someone with more experience can correct any errors I have made in judgment or technical opinions.


The 14.2 seems to be a great boat and perfect for teaching young folks how to sail a slupe.
 
The boat is off the lake and in winter storage for the next six months. Here are two photos of my Hobie bob implementation. This approach, two aluminum extrusions and two aluminum plates, requires no drilling of the mast, just a slightly longer bolt through the masthead pulley.
 

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The boat is off the lake and in winter storage for the next six months. Here are two photos of my Hobie bob implementation. This approach, two aluminum extrusions and two aluminum plates, requires no drilling of the mast, just a slightly longer bolt through the masthead pulley.

What is the size of the aluminum extrusion you used?
 

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