A little mishap today

[Julie & Lloyd on Rendezvous]

Today, while sailing downwind in 16-18 kts, full main, sail way out there, clocking about 8 kts STW, I hit a wave from a boat.  The mast flexed (boat slows down, mast tip does not, mast bends forward, requiring the luff of the sail to be a bit longer) and ripped the tack cringle/grommet out of the sail.  Anyone else have a similar experience?  I suggest we all keep the potential squirreled away for future reference.

I do a lot of sail/canvas work.  Cannot do this repair - I don't have the tools for setting a grommet the size needed.  Off to One Sail tomorrow, hoping they can repair it pronto!

lloyd herman

Rendezvous, 30U

Port Washington, NY

[Rob Cohen "Soave" NS33 Westport, CT]

Sorry to hear this Lloyd.  I would have guessed the halyard and sail would have stretched enough to prevent that kind of damage.

Are you using a super low stretch fiber in your halyard, like dyneema ?

Did the grommet pull straight down or or at an angle indicating maybe tension on the choker contributed to the failure ? 

You had much better wind today than we had in Westport, CT.

Rob

s/v SOAVE

NS33 #009

Cedar Point YC

Westport, CT

[Thor Powell, Nonsuch 26, Victoria BC]

Maybe ... if the chocker is tight then the boom will require more effort to lift as the mast flexes forward. . Also having the sail out for a run the effort of the mast movement is not in line with the leech....and the wind pressure on the leech is greater.  

How old is the sail?  

I tend to have a loose choker down wind, not for much more of a reason than I don't think a flat sail matters .... but I defer to folks like John N to weigh in here.  

Over the years I have used the choker as a  adjust of last resort.....