Kaimusailing

The boat had been hastily packed and I set out toward Kent Island, a short hop down the bay near Annapolis, to pick up Phil, my crew. The south wind was 10-15 with gusts to 20, and a nasty chop due to contrary current, especially in the shipping lanes. The chop will kill forward progress when trying to sail to weather. Bearing off a little helps, but the tacking angles then produce meager VMG.
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The boat was taking a beating and I was getting punch drunk. It was impossible to keep the boat on the fine edge of maximum VMG and do anything else. In the grand scheme of things, in a long voyage, it is better to let the progress suffer a bit and pay attention to details that will pay off in the long run.
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The temperature was about 40 and I was getting mentally lethargic and some shivering, signs of hypothermia. By the time I got to the Chesapeake Bay Bridge, which crosses Kent Island, I was desperate to anchor and get warm down below. I ran the engine to improve the windward progress and began looking for an anchorage near Kent Island. At about 10 PM I spoke to Phil and suggested he get sleep tonight and we would make a fresh start the next day. I passed under the bridge about midnight and worked my course over to Kent Island.
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I was tacking under power which is hard on the boat because it goes directly into the rolling chop during the tack and causes the boat to hobbyhorse, enough to sweep the decks with water. There is also snap rolling from hull to hull as wave crests pass under the boat from abeam. This is unusual short period chop. The strain on the rig was incredible and the port shrouds snapped. Perhaps one had snapped earlier and then the second, but the rig immediately fell, snapping the running backstay which was not set up tight. My bad.
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The mast crushed the solar array that is over the galley hatch to starboard forward. The deck table which is integral with the mast came apart in several pieces. Other than the mast falling down, the boat was intact, no holes, no leaks, no crushed cabin or deck. I did not have the energy to do much except ascertain if any further damage could happen due to the loose mast. I set the anchor in what must have been about 40 feet of water and it held us precariously just north of the bridge.
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I ate some canned food and lit the heater in the galley which also heated the pilothouse. After about an hour and a half I slept a bit, but kept anchor watch every 20 minutes or so. At dawn I made coffee and oatmeal. As fatigued as I was, I knew I had to attempt to clear the mast of the boat. I planned to release the boom onto the cross deck, then begin to pull the sails over the cabin top and pile the main on the boom. I was able to do this. Then the main halyard was brought to the port sheet winch and as the halyard was wound in, the mast began to slide base first onto the boat. Eventually it was secured. At this time the marine police arrived and I told them the tale. I would try to motor the boat back to the dock on the Bodkin. They gave me a card with phone numbers if I needed any assistance later. There was also a reference number for their report which might help with an insurance claim.
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After hauling anchor and setting off downwind to the Bodkin I arrived at the dock after 2 1/2 hours. The trip upwind had taken about 10 hours. The lesson is to wait out unfavorable conditions, it isn't worth it.
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In hindsight, I could see that I gave the boat bad treatment and got what I deserved. The mast was due for replacement and I was going to get rid of the deck table also. The table dropleaves prevented easy access to the rope lockers to clear fouled lines when using the windlass or access to the fill of the main fuel tank. The mast will be replaced with the aluminum one purchased this spring. After inspecting the rigging wire I will figure out where it failed. I'm expecting to have missing shackles or distorted shackles due to metal fatigue.
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I needed a boatload of NSAID's just to be able to get around. The fatigue and stiffness were expected after little sleep for 3 days. When you are older, the stiffness and pain can help keep you up for those long shifts. Of course I slept, but when I awoke it was still Sunday, so I called my mother in Hawaii and they were just ending their day. The time difference is 5 hours. I fell back asleep.
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I had a strange energy the next day, but a feeling of caution. I brought back two carloads from the boat. A ton of boat food for the cottage and a load of sailor's clothing. The day was unseasonably warm and I wondered what would have happened if I had waited just one day. Probably the rigging failure would have happened out at sea.
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I took the deflatable dinghy and began unclipping rigging from the mast, floating next to the boat. I took off the port shrouds first, hauled them onboard the dinghy, and layed them out on the dock. There was no failure of metal, not in the wire or fittings. The failure was clearly the dynema lashings which were shredded. That's where it failed. This was 2200 lb breaking strength with 3 or 4 turns on each shroud. How could they fail? Maybe it was U/V breakdown. I could take the existing strands and test them to see if they no longer had the strength.
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After I released more of the rigging off the mast, I got a chill from working in the cold water and began putting things away for the day. Capn Phil called and stopped by to see the damage. After talking about the aborted trip for a while it began to rain. He left for the drive back to Florida. The forecast was for blustery North winds and a cold snap.
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The picture is of the solar array over the galley hatch, impacted by the falling mast.