I was just 20 miles from my target point, ready to turn back and head
for the M3 buoy off Ireland when the mast came down. The wind was only
about 15 knots and had 2 reefs in the main so it was just metal fatigue
that caused one of the U bolts to fail. "U bolt, hang on a minute, this
sounds familiar!". Yes it is the same U bolt, just the other side, that
had failed on my way to the start of the bluQube solo 1000. When i
replaced the other i had the rigger check all of them and they appeared
to be fine, well they were not.
The mast came down rather quietly i would say, it did not hit the deck
or the hull so one minute it was up, the next it's lying in the water.
Since it was the lower shroud that let go the mast snapped in half as it
came down but since it is deck stepped i wasnt left with a stump on the
deck, just nothing. I tried to savage the sails or anything i could but
it was simply impossible, the lower half of the mast was vertically into
the water then the top part was again vertical so that i could actually
see the top of the mast. No matter how hard i pulled i couldnt get the
genoa to come off the furler, nor the main down the track... i stayed
there for a bit, watching this tangle of cables and ropes, pretty much
emotionless as there was nothing i could do, i had no reason to get
angry at myself as i had sailed quite conservatively throughout nor i
could scream at a piece of metal... So, i took the bolt croppers and the
knife and started cutting the wires and the haliards going through the
mast, it is not a pretty thing to do but i guess even with four or six
of us it would have been the only option, there was no way to hoist all
that weight back on deck and it was not a wise thing to have the mast
banging on the toerail any longer as it could have hit the hull and
pierced a hole. I did save the boom, what a consolation. When i cut the
last of the wires and the mast went down it did so so quickly taking all
the sails down with it that i just looked at the few bubbles coming up
and thought, that's it, time to go home.
Now i am motoring towards Ireland, i have enough fuel to get there then
i'll need to stop to fill up before heading for the UK and it's a long
blody way to go.
I didnt get hurt nor the hull or deck suffered any damage nonetheless,
although i dont feel anything yet i'm sure the disappointment will sink
in soon. This is also a big blow to Ostar confidence, I will have to
overcome it as i cannot let this change my plans, i came out to see what
it is like, and when it goes wrong it is like this, I will just have to
make sure next time it'll go right.
I rigged my emergency vhf antenna which seems to work (i can only try
against my handheld). I'll have to be extra careful until i see the
first ship and i can do a radio check and see if the AIS is still
operational, there is no reason why it shouldnt. At the moment my Sea-me
is not detecting any radars around me so i guess it's just me down here,
limping home.
Ciao,
Marco.
British Beagle.
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