Has My Mast Been Compromised???

Divecoz · Post by **Divecoz** » Tue Sep 11, 2012 6:22 am

I am taking my boat up to Bills.. Boats 4 sail for some storm damage repairs.. Some is very obvious and I expect no arguments.. But the mast may well be a fight.. The Top or a Large Tree, during a Horrendous storm we had here in July was snapped off went about 60 or more feet through the air and landed on my mast.. The Boat was sitting next to the garage with the mast down.. I couldn't budge the tree top.. must have weighed about?? 250 to 300 pounds.. I took pictures and the first Insurance guy took pictures, but he said he needs a Marine Surveyor.. I in time got out the chain saw and began to reduce the size of the tree top.. I Cut some branches off, tried to lift the branch and couldn't.. not really a branch its the top of a large Maple Tree.. So I cut some more and tried to lift it off. I finally got it down to about 150 lbs and managed to Bench Press it up and off the boat.. When it hit the mast it bent the mast crutch several inches back away from the boat and then the mast slid down past the port side ear, next to the roller on the crutch.. that ear now lays hard against the 1" tube, that is the crutch.. it destroyed the spreaders.. bent /kinked some of the rigging..Bimini was down and covered and that took a hit as well tubes are bent and kinked. But when I looked at the mast I see little more than a black /darkened stripe/ rub mark..No Obvious damage the eye can see.. Hummm This is Tinselled Aluminum right?? Will that mast fail under pressure? These mast must be designed to bend and sway but will they take such a hard direct hit and still be OK? Has it been stressed/Weakened? Is this a severe accident waiting to happen?
What are your thoughts Ideas and knowledge about this kind of thing?

RobertB · Post by **RobertB** » Tue Sep 11, 2012 7:36 am

Pictures? My guess is that anything that is bent or kinked will be covered (spreaders, rigging, crutch). Was the mast permanantly bent or deformed in any way? If it returned to straight after the load was removed, as a mechanical engineer, I would say you have no damage.

raycarlson · Post by **raycarlson** » Tue Sep 11, 2012 7:50 am

I agree, if you can't see any bends dents,gouges then the support and spreaders absorbed all the impact.

Divecoz · Post by **Divecoz** » Tue Sep 11, 2012 8:00 am

Sorry Robert I have never learned how to post pictures here..

Its On My Bucket List before I move away from two sons with Degrees in Computer Technology..
The Mast is not bent? I ran a string line down it and got out my laser as well.. But I guess My question really is .. If you hit the mast with a Large Heavy Tree branch.. Vertical drop of say 20 too less than 30 feet.. and horizontal travel of about 60 to 80 feet. Short of magnaflux or Xray whats your guess? Is or could that mast be compromised? It Hit The Mast Hard enough that it kinked both spreaders.. Bent The U shaped Mast crutch at the transom back away from the boat a couple inches.. The SS Y with the roller between the forks of the Y has one leg now flat against the support leg.. It must have taken a heck of a hit.. Winds here hit almost 100 MPH . It tore 3 of my 50 foot White Cherry trees Right out of the ground.. As we all know the mast is carried on the bow and the transom.. Did it ? Could it? Bow and come back with no issues? It sure bent the heck out of the Rear Mast Support / Crutch..
My concern is that in the event of say a knock down.. That the Mast will break or snap or bend in half, Right At The Point of the previous impact.. Again she LOOKS FINE and there is a smudge mark and I have pictures of how big that tree top was... Do any of you think I am making a Mountain out of molehill??

Divecoz · Post by **Divecoz** » Tue Sep 11, 2012 8:03 am

OOppss... Ray I see ya slipped in between me and Robert.. Yea if "he" refuses to replace the mast I sure hope thats the case..

raycarlson wrote:I agree, if you can't see any bends dents,gouges then the support and spreaders absorbed all the impact.

RobertB · Post by **RobertB** » Tue Sep 11, 2012 9:33 am

It seems to me that a tree hitting the horizontal mast is actually a pretty gentle "collisiion" of sorts - meaning there were no hard spots that would cause local or point damage to a spot on the mast (think of what would hapen if a steel I-beam hit, there would be a small area/dent to worry about). A tree hitting is kind of soft. The mast spread out the load to all points supporting it and these were weaker and deformed. Sounds like there was not enough of a load impulse (the load over a short time) to overcome the mast extrusion itself. I think you mast is good to go - but don't let the insurance adjuster know this opinion, they may give you a new mast anyhow

Catigale · Post by **Catigale** » Tue Sep 11, 2012 10:32 am

DIve ..It sounds like the energy was dissipated into a lot of things - bimini frame, mast crutch, bending moment of the mast...all of these things spread out the amount of time the potential energy of the trunk is quenched...which is a good thing..

No pings, kinks, bends..I would guess the mast is fine...

Divecoz · Post by **Divecoz** » Tue Sep 11, 2012 11:54 am

I am thinking Positive then and If just One More Brainiac.. maybe Kevin or Mastreb will confirm this .. This Old Worry Wart will feel at ease..

Post by **kmclemore** » Tue Sep 11, 2012 12:04 pm

Divecoz wrote:I am thinking Positive then and If just One More Brainiac.. maybe Kevin or Mastreb will confirm this .. This Old Worry Wart will feel at ease..

Well, I'm with Steph on this one... it would seem that a lot of other stuff 'crunched' and took the load off the mast, which probably flexed some and bounced back. I seriously doubt there's latent damage if you can't see a bend in that mast.

Crikey · Post by **Crikey** » Tue Sep 11, 2012 12:23 pm

Divecoz wrote:I am thinking Positive then and If just One More Brainiac.. maybe Kevin or Mastreb will confirm this .. This Old Worry Wart will feel at ease..

Dive, check the first page (after it loads) for a quick check kit (spraycans) to confirm cracks in aluminum.
http://www.irontite.com/PDF/CrackDetect-Catalog.pdf
You could charge the cost of that to the insurance company.
Or it might be peace of mind.
(anyway you'll still miss the winter of 2012!)

baldbaby2000 · Post by **baldbaby2000** » Tue Sep 11, 2012 12:45 pm

The mast on our Mac 25 that was severely bent and even kinked in a spot after the trailer and boat blew over in a storm over 12 years ago. We placed it between a couple trees on the ground and bent it back as best we could. It still has a kink and twist to it but has never gotten worse even though the boat has been sailed in pretty heavy weather and is still used regularly.

Highlander · Post by **Highlander** » Tue Sep 11, 2012 3:35 pm

rich
u'd be surprized how much a bend I can put into my mast with my back stay at least 4" & at the end of the day it springs right back when ever I release the back stay they are pretty flexable & have to be so as they give instead of breaking as for the spreaders their total garbage I've bent mine several times when rigging while catching the rigging on something like the fender lights or such my 10 month old grandaughter could most likely bend them by accidently sneezing on them LOL if it were not so sad , I re-enforced mine with broom handles interally & they still bend but their designed for compression end to end & most likely meet the min. strength req'd

is ur dodger frame alum or SS mine is SS & very stong I can lower my mast onto it & it will suport it no problem just like a mast crutch .
The mast crutch ears will bend very easily I've bent mine several times & just bent them back up again
U could always try making a waiver saying if the mast should fail anytime soon after & someone gets injured or other property or ur boat gets damaged u will be holding them responsible

J

Divecoz · Post by **Divecoz** » Tue Sep 11, 2012 4:22 pm

THANK YOU Gentlemen!! Today and in fact for much of 3 weeks I have been Up To My Eyeballs with BS from Lawyers as we close and buy properties..
That was ALL finally resolved an hour ago and EVERYTHING .. Is a GO!
I will take the boat to Bills have the adjuster out and not worry about the mast!! What a relief that is! If in fact he says NO To replacing the mast its not a real issue.... This summer has been Unbelievable and No much good has happened .. As You All read , in July There was a HUGE storm outside Chicago and the Micro Burst Literally.... centered itself over my 2 acres and house.. The Tree damage ( uncovered by insurance ) was Extensive!!!.. BUT...Things as of just a few minutes ago came to fruition.. FINALLY!! Now with not having to be concerned about Another THOUSAND DOLLARS flying out of my wallet .. I just may be able to sleep tonight..

Divecoz · Post by **Divecoz** » Tue Sep 11, 2012 4:25 pm

I like this idea and it was previously discussed with my lawyer while we waited for more BS!! From One Of Their Liars I mean Lawyers!!!

Highlander wrote:rich
U could always try making a waiver saying if the mast should fail anytime soon after & someone gets injured or other property or ur boat gets damaged u will be holding them responsible

J

Catigale · Post by **Catigale** » Wed Sep 12, 2012 11:15 am

Party of the first part, by virtue of statement that the mast is fit for use as intended, accepts liability for all damages forthwith in the event of last failure

MacGregorSailors.com

MacGregorSailors.com

Has My Mast Been Compromised???

Has My Mast Been Compromised???

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