Speaking of broken masts (pic)

mike · Post by **mike** » Sat Oct 02, 2004 5:43 pm

While working on the boat today, I saw this come up the bayou...

Ouch!

--Mike

Jeff Ritsema · Post by **Jeff Ritsema** » Sun Oct 03, 2004 4:59 am

Looks like he's on the phone to his insurance agent. Just don't build like they used to

Dimitri-2000X-Tampa · Post by **Dimitri-2000X-Tampa** » Sun Oct 03, 2004 5:15 am

In your parts, I expect that broken mast has something to do with a certain terrorist named Ivan.

mike · Post by **mike** » Sun Oct 03, 2004 9:25 am

Jeff Ritsema wrote:Looks like he's on the phone to his insurance agent. Just don't build like they used to

Actually, he's on the phone with his boatyard. There's a floating pontoon bridge near our marina, and as he approached it, I heard him yelling to some people on a boat that appeared to be accompanying him on the trip, "are we supposed to go past this bridge?" and other things that indicated they were lost. They turned around and started heading back the other way just as I left.

Driving home, I realized what the problem was... at the entrance of this bayou to the lake, there is a "Y"... to the left is our bayou, to the right is another bayou. I figured he was looking for a boatyard, and although there is one right next to our marina, he went right past it (I'm sure he saw it, due to the big crane). So, my assumption was that he was trying to get to a large boatyard that is on the OTHER bayou.

Because this boatyard was about an hour away by boat, and given that it was already almost 6:30, I stopped by there (it was on my way home) and started to ask the lady if they were expecting a large sailboat with a broken mast. She finished the sentence for me, and said yes, they had just heard from him on the phone (I didn't see that he was on the phone until I viewed the pictures at home).

--Mike

mike · Post by **mike** » Sun Oct 03, 2004 9:29 am

Dimitri-2000X-Tampa wrote:In your parts, I expect that broken mast has something to do with a certain terrorist named Ivan.

I was thinking the same thing, but I found out from the woman at the boat yard that the mast has been broken some time ago due to an accident with another boat (she didn't have details, and didn't seem sure of this), and that it had been stored at a marina in a neighboring town until the owner finally decided to get it fixed.

Bet it ain't gonna be cheap! I guess that's one advantage to the MacGregor "matchstick" mast.

--Mike

Andy26M · Post by **Andy26M** » Mon Oct 04, 2004 4:49 am

The same weekend as the Newport Boat Show we had some fallout from one of those hurricanes with high winds and heavy rains. I felt pretty bad for all the exhibitors because Saturday was literally "a wash".

Anyway, there were 2 boats in Newport Harbor that looked like this one come Sunday morning. It seems another boat had slipped its mooring in the night and in the heavy winds it hit several other boats. In the process it broke the forestay on one 50-60 footer and sliced the shrouds on one side of a smaller 35ish footer. Both of them were dismasted

- AndyS

Dimitri-2000X-Tampa · Post by **Dimitri-2000X-Tampa** » Mon Oct 04, 2004 5:01 am

It must be very depressing in a marina when you go to a lot of trouble to make sure your boat is tied properly, and then someone elses boat comes loose and trashes your boat. You see a lot of boats in Marinas that look like someone tied them up a year or two ago and haven't been back to check on them since.

mike · Post by **mike** » Mon Oct 04, 2004 7:48 am

Dimitri-2000X-Tampa wrote:It must be very depressing in a marina when you go to a lot of trouble to make sure your boat is tied properly, and then someone elses boat comes loose and trashes your boat. You see a lot of boats in Marinas that look like someone tied them up a year or two ago and haven't been back to check on them since.

Yeah, I love the boats that have grass and other vegetation growing along the waterline... some of these neglected boats have their own ecosystems.

This is an old powerboat in the slip 3 or 4 down from us that sinks on a regular basis. It has leaks that require a large bilge pump to run every 10 or 15 minutes. When the power goes out in the area, the boat sinks. When the hose slips off the pump, the boat sinks.

I talked with the owner once, when he was there using a large gas-powered water pump and some sort of pulley arrangement to raise the sunken boat, and he insists he plans to pull the boat out soon and give it to his dad, who wants to restore it. That was 4 or 5 months ago.

--Mike

Mark Prouty · Post by **Mark Prouty** » Mon Oct 04, 2004 8:28 am

That thing looks beyond repair!

Isn't it costly to have a boat at a slip like this? I'd think it would be cost prohibitive to leave a derelict like that.

mike · Post by **mike** » Mon Oct 04, 2004 8:34 am

Mark Prouty wrote:That thing looks beyond repair. Isn't it costly to have a boat at a slip like this? I'd think it would be cost prohibitive to leave a derelict.

I would think the same thing... slip fees around here are very reasonable (I pay $60/month), but still, that adds up after a while.

There are several other boats at our marina in similar states of disrepair and non-use. Sad.

Anyway, if I were him, I'd have a buddy help haul it out to the Gulf and let it sink. The only reason I could see for trying to restore this boat would be if it had some sort of sentimental value.

--Mike

Don B · Post by **Don B** » Mon Oct 04, 2004 12:01 pm

I think it has sediment-al value !!!!

-Don B

Mark Prouty · Post by **Mark Prouty** » Mon Oct 04, 2004 12:42 pm

Don B wrote:I think it has sediment-al value !!!!

-Don B

Now thats a knee slapper!

Dimitri-2000X-Tampa · Post by **Dimitri-2000X-Tampa** » Mon Oct 04, 2004 2:21 pm

Good one Don.

slip fees around here are very reasonable (I pay $60/month)

Ha...I'd call that a lot more than reasonable..how about downright cheap! The ritsy marinas around here charge 10 times that much. You can still find some backwaters that charge 150-200/month but even that is becoming harder and harder to find. Many of the municipal marinas have waiting lists that are multiple years long.

Frank C · Post by **Frank C** » Mon Oct 04, 2004 4:59 pm

It seems that FL is exorbitantly costly for slips (especially considering the risk of flying debris!). However, $60/month has got to be the bargain rate in the USA. Here on the left coast, NorCal seems lots less costly than SoCal - my mast-up dry storage is $70/month and a slip with full dock is about $170. Our marina is about 3 channel-miles to reach the Bay, and another 3 miles to center-Bay - perfect for the motor-sailer.

I recall that a slip at Pier 39 in SF was only about $400, acceptable considering you're immediatly on the center-Bay and a short walk from Fisherman's Wharf.

mike · Post by **mike** » Mon Oct 04, 2004 5:11 pm

Dimitri-2000X-Tampa wrote:Good one Don.

slip fees around here are very reasonable (I pay $60/month)
Ha...I'd call that a lot more than reasonable..how about downright cheap! The ritsy marinas around here charge 10 times that much. You can still find some backwaters that charge 150-200/month but even that is becoming harder and harder to find. Many of the municipal marinas have waiting lists that are multiple years long.

I guess I'd better keep my mouth shut... the last thing I want is a bunch of sailors moving down here and causing an expensive spike in demand for slips.

I really like this marina... small and cozy, 20 minutes away from the lake (and cheap). But to be fair, as you can see in the photo of the old boat, the pilings are woefully too short to handle a storm surge associated with a hurricane. A slip at my town's modern, fancy marina (with floating docks, tall pilings, etc.) is around $140.

--Mike

MacGregorSailors.com

MacGregorSailors.com

Speaking of broken masts (pic)

Speaking of broken masts (pic)

Even in RI