Crash, bang, whallop.... Oops!....Low bridge!

[NewbieNelson]

So left my berth in Cardiff marina and managed to run into a bridge. No damage to the hull as the forestay took the hit which saved the mast from being damaged and we spun round rather than plowed through. I have bent my foil on the furling genoa so will need to find a replacement. It is too badly dented to get my genoa sail up the little track so I cannot use it. Any ideas on how to replace the foil on the forestay for a Halcyon 23? I believe I can release the forestay by easing pressure on the backstay by loosing the nuts whilst also rigging up a rope to tie to the anchor cleats and to the mast to hold the mast in place. Will I also need to detach the whole furling system from the top of the mast to drop the dented foil down so that I can remove and replace it? Any ideas on costs I could be facing?

 

[lustyd]

You'll need to identify the furling system rather than the yacht. If unsure, post a photo here and someone will work it out

 

[Davy_S]

I don't think he can post photos yet.

 

[PabloPicasso]

I understand it is possible to release the forstay with the mast up. I've done it myself with the boat ashore and I tied 2 halyards to a solid fencepost to keep the mast pl while I sorted out a chainplate issue.

I think if I was repacing a stay/foil I'd drop the mast. Did you say a 23 footer? Can't be that hard to drop the mast.

I wouldn't want to go up a mast stayed by halyards to access the forestay attachment. Sure, what could go wrong

There are ways to get the mast down, pay for a crane/local yacht club davit, between two other yachts using their masts as lift (needs several willing blokes and good coordination, this is what yacht charter companies often do to contain costs), moore under an approriate height bridge and use a block and tackle.

Do you have a tabernacle/Aframe?

 

[lustyd]

I don't think he can post photos yet.

good point.

OP Does it look like this? from an image of a Halcyon 23

 

[AntarcticPilot]

A furling system wouldn't have been original equipment, so the make of the yacht is immaterial.

 

[NewbieNelson]

These photos were taken before the bridge strike. I don't have an A-Frame. The Halcyon 23 is a trailer sailer so I think it's designed to be easy to get the mast down and up, but not having done it yet, I'm not sure how easy it would be.

 

[Biggles Wader]

The mast appears to be stepped in a tabernackle so should be easy to take down. Good excuse to check all the masthead fittings at the same time.

 

[AntarcticPilot]

Although the Halcyon 23 can be trailed, it wasn't designed as a trailer sailer, and it sounds like the rig has been substantially modified from the original.

 

[ProDave]

You will need to detach the forward and probably the middle shrouds leaving only the aft shrouds attached. Remove the boom, then with a few willing volunteers lower the mast. We normally recon on 5 being a good number. One to guide the mast as it comes down, one to catch it, one to handle the furler as it comes down and 2 on the rope lowering it using a halyard or 2 well secured.

 

[lustyd]

looks an identical setup to my Vivacity, easy enough to drop and can be done alone but better with a couple of helpers the first time as it's quite scary when you first do it.

Instructions here Using the tabernacle

 

[PabloPicasso]

looks an identical setup to my Vivacity, easy enough to drop and can be done alone but better with a couple of helpers the first time as it's quite scary when you first do it.

Instructions here Using the tabernacle

That's it, but get some experienced help if you can. Are you in a yacht club, bound to be someone who could assist.

I've found other members of clubs really helpful, especially when I first had my boat and I hadn't much of clue.

 

[VicS]

These photos were taken before the bridge strike. I don't have an A-Frame. The Halcyon 23 is a trailer sailer so I think it's designed to be easy to get the mast down and up, but not having done it yet, I'm not sure how easy it would be.

As far as one can tell from the photos it looks very much like an older type of Plastimo system. Some close up photos may help to positively identify it.



If it is a Plastimo it might be possible to remove it in sections replace the damaged sections of the foil and refit it with the mast up although with a tabernacle and some help it may be easier if the mast is lowered anyway. I expect it will be difficult to separate the foil sections without some heat / loadsa boiling water.

 

[Minerva]

Dropping the foil with the mast up? Possible sure, but what happens if it doesn’t go perfectly? Best you can hope for is the falling spar missing you and only writing off the boat. Worst case your widow has to deal with a written off boat as well the loss of you.

If it were me, the risk / benefit balance makes it an easy decision - mast down every time.

 

[VicS]

Dropping the foil with the mast up? Possible sure, but what happens if it doesn’t go perfectly? Best you can hope for is the falling spar missing you and only writing off the boat. Worst case your widow has to deal with a written off boat as well the loss of you.

If it were me, the risk / benefit balance makes it an easy decision - mast down every time.

The Plastimo system is designed so that it can be fitted easily section by section to an existing forestay with the mast up. It should be possible to dismantle in the same way but the difficulty may be separating the sections. The foil sections are only 1.5m each.

 

[PetiteFleur]

Certainly easy to drop the mast - I did it on my Halcyon 23 years ago, but I did make a temporary 'A' frame to support the mast as it came down. Don't do it on a windy day! Add a block & tackle to the back stay to lower slowly. And 2/3 helpers. I did mine when ashore, much better than afloat. Or get a boatyard to do it

 

[wallacebob]

Reasonably easy job, mast up. I replaced my drum earlier in the year, tie main halyard to pulpit, slack back stay. Here’s the instructions:

 

[Refueler]

So left my berth in Cardiff marina and managed to run into a bridge. No damage to the hull as the forestay took the hit which saved the mast from being damaged and we spun round rather than plowed through. I have bent my foil on the furling genoa so will need to find a replacement. It is too badly dented to get my genoa sail up the little track so I cannot use it. Any ideas on how to replace the foil on the forestay for a Halcyon 23? I believe I can release the forestay by easing pressure on the backstay by loosing the nuts whilst also rigging up a rope to tie to the anchor cleats and to the mast to hold the mast in place. Will I also need to detach the whole furling system from the top of the mast to drop the dented foil down so that I can remove and replace it? Any ideas on costs I could be facing?

I hit an overhead power cable and bent the top 2ft of my furling gear ... I have Plastimo 608 and it was a simple matter to fix.

I found it easier to drop the mast and then its stay etc is all at working level. If you can cut away the damaged and still have sufficient foil left - then just fit the end stop to the surviving top end. The cut foil can be pulled up while the inner plastic is held ... as the foil moves - you can pull it away from the stay. Once that damaged foil is away - the plastic inner will pull away easily.
Once that is accomplished - you should now have a clear section of stay.
If you want to replace the foil section - then remove the rivets / screws at its joint and make sure any alignment plate stays in place .. doing same as damaged section - pull foil up and away from stay - then the plastic inner ..
To fit the new - it depends on the diameter of stay to foil groove etc. But basically its a reversal of the removal you just did .. slide plastic on - then manoeuvre foil section over it and down to the joint ... rivet or screw ... fit top cap ...

Took about 2 hrs all in.

I photo'd the whole thing and trying to find them !!

 

[NewbieNelson]

I hit an overhead power cable and bent the top 2ft of my furling gear ... I have Plastimo 608 and it was a simple matter to fix.

I found it easier to drop the mast and then its stay etc is all at working level. If you can cut away the damaged and still have sufficient foil left - then just fit the end stop to the surviving top end. The cut foil can be pulled up while the inner plastic is held ... as the foil moves - you can pull it away from the stay. Once that damaged foil is away - the plastic inner will pull away easily.
Once that is accomplished - you should now have a clear section of stay.
If you want to replace the foil section - then remove the rivets / screws at its joint and make sure any alignment plate stays in place .. doing same as damaged section - pull foil up and away from stay - then the plastic inner ..
To fit the new - it depends on the diameter of stay to foil groove etc. But basically its a reversal of the removal you just did .. slide plastic on - then manoeuvre foil section over it and down to the joint ... rivet or screw ... fit top cap ...

Took about 2 hrs all in.

I photo'd the whole thing and trying to find them !!

Thank you for the info

 

[Refueler]

If its a lower section of the foil and not top section ... remove rivets / screws joining top section to damaged ... remove screws / rivets from damaged section to section below it ... you should now be able to remove damaged section as I described above ... slide the top section down to replace and fit a new section as top ... (Of course removing top cap from section ready to fit to new !).