JURY RIG

[Tahitibelle]

SCENARIO
You are 500M out of Terceira heading NE towards the Channel (La Manche) a deep low passes through, your boat does a 180 and when it come back up the mast has gone.
QUESTION
What provision have you made to deal with this situation.

 

[Tahitibelle]

I have never tried a jury rig in practice and hope I don't have to in real life. I carry (or will be carrying, Inch Allah) a 17' ex-Lifeboat oar to use as a jury mast or rudder and an old, but sound, No2 jib (left in the garage for Jester 2008 and therfore didn't go down with TB) to rig as a sail (Maybe something like a small storm spinnaker would be better?

What happens if the mast and rudder both go, I hear you say. Good question. Maybe I should go and get another oar. Perhaps an old mirror dinghy mast an sail would do the job. I have only got a Kingfisher 20+ with JR.

 

[jesterchallenger]

Jury rig

I have twin telescopic spinnaker poles which I use for a twin headsail tradewind rig when required. They can be extended and raised as an A frame, the bottom ends clipping onto existing eye bolts on the deck, so that I can rig a spare headsail as a jury sail. I have rigged the poles, quite easy, but never got as far as the sail, so it's an untried theory. It's one of the jobs to practise this winter whilst the mast is down for repair. As I have hanked-on headsails, I always have plenty of spare sails in the forepeak, but it would be easy enough to get hold of discarded secondhand sail if you only have a furler.

I have a Hydrovane which can be used as emergency steering as it has its own rudder - I have fitted a tiller to it, which has proved useful for the tillerpilot and for close quarters manoeuvring in the marina. I suspect that the wave that takes my keel hung rudder (very strongly hung!) off will also remove the Hydrovane, but I do carry a spare rudder for that. I am also making a yuloh which will stow along the toe rail and that could be used as emergency steering. Not sure whether it'll be any use for sculling the boat, but I thought it would be fun to make one and find out. Otherwise it would have to be a spinnaker pole and saloon door, though that's not as straightforward as it sounds.

 

[BlackPig]

If the bowsprit survived that would be the first choice for a temp mast, then the gaff as the saddle would be easer to use than the boom, third the boom.

But there are so many ifs and buts. The main thing would be to have loads of spare rope, wire, screws, bolts and a decent tool box. Clear the wreckage so as not to course more damage, then lye to an anchor/drogue till the weather clears and you can rig up something.

 

[MASH]

Try above all to salvage the wreckage, that's your best source of usable spars and rigging.

 

[fisherZ]

A few decent ratchet straps might be better than 'lashings' of rope.