Success!! Except for ***BOWED MAST***

[Liane]

Hey Y'all!!

We made it!  Boat in the water, all the repairs seemed to hold, didn't sink!! But...

First day (Fri) in a very sheltered bay -- got the jib then the main up, managed to tack a few times, but the wind was SOOOO slight that at one point I had to ask "Are we even moving?"

Second day (Sat) decided to go in the big bay (since we didn't sink the first day, I figured we were pros).  Got to the marina, and it was WAY too crowded for us (me and two friends who had NEVER been sailing).  So we went to this local spot, which turned out to be perfect:  very few people, on the other side of the big bay, just a firm-ish sand "ramp" to load the boat. 

Got 'er rigged in half the time of Fri, were backing down to the water and a guy screams  "STOP!!!" and pointed up:

***the MAST was pushing against the POWER LINES***

I shit you not. 

Thankfully, the power lines stayed in tact, but the mast bowed quite a bit, about 6 or so inches out of true.  It didn't kink or break, just a nice banana bow...

We pulled forward, got it down, backed under, put it back up, and set sail.
There was a lot more wind, we got going pretty quick, some good splash off the bow, a little bit of lean (heel?), and managed to tack and jibe pretty well, although I have more questions I plan to read about before asking you guys.

For now... 

**ANYBODY got suggestions as to how to STRAIGHTEN THE MAST without kinking or breaking it?  Anybody had to do such a thing with a mast before!?!?!**

Plan on going again this weekend, bowed or straight... Let me know what you think!!

Needless to say, I **LOVED** it.  I have a new life plan:  get my son off to college (or wherever he decides to go), sell everything, buy a bigger boat, and sail around the world.  My son is only 3 (almost 4), so I have time to learn more before hitting the open ocean.  Good thing, eh?

HOW DO I STRAIGHTEN THE MAST? 

THanks!

Liane

[dusty]

ah, that is crazy.

i know someone that sailed into some powerlines. my response was something about how i'd have to run home real quick to change if i had done that.

who puts powerlines right next to the water, anyway? dum-basses. dang.

well, shtuff happens. if shtuff didn't happen, you haven't been where you've never been before. what fun is that?

six inches i personally would guess would leave you still sailing. i did a google on "straighten mast, and that turned up mostly rig-tuning. i'm thinkin' that if you tried to placed the mast's middle around something like a tree and pulled both ends with your tow vehicle, at the very least one would end up with a v in one's mast. at the most someone might be at the mortuary before the day's done.  that leaves duplicating the strain on the obtuse side, which ain't no good because one still risks it snapping. but, i guess if you found somehow to power the operation from within a sherman tank with no onlookers nearby, it could probably be done. i think one might best consider finding a replacement or livin' with it, but, shtuff, what do i know?

[Paul]

Liane!  Congratulations!!  So, happy you all had a great adventure.

Smart to move to "private" water, away from marinas etc.  Also, good idea to start in a cove with little air.  These CP's need a little more to move, but starting small is always good.

What did your "new to sailing" friends think?  Are they as excited as you?

RE the power lines.  Yea, that's a pill, ain't it!?  Thank God no one was electrocuted!!  If a slightly bend mast is all you came away with, then you were well looked after IMHO.  First thing I would do is ask a boat yard.  If they tell you something in the order of 3 digits, run away!  Next, I might try an auto body shop, where they straighten frames when wrecked.  Otherwise, you could risk it yourself in a backyard sorta way, or you could have a uniquely raked mast.  Tell everyone, "I meant to do that.  Yea, yea. It sails better, too."  Who knows you might even start a trend that could reach the America's Cup.  Guess it depends which way its bent.

[Liane]

yeah, I'll hit the boat yard tomorrow.  a body shop is also a good idea.  I've got a pal (in another state) that's a body man, we'll see what he says.

I'm worried about sailing it a little (we did that day, but low winds).  I mean, if it's bowed, it could snap under tension.  I've gotta figure it out.

Just out of curiousity, how much is a new mast, roughly, and where would one get it?

I've gotta get this solved, as I'm dying to get out there sailing again!!!!

[Paul]

You stated there is no wrinkle at the bend site, right?  If it's a gentle bend, then you'll probably be OK.  If there's a wrinkle, ie, a sharp bend, then I wouldn't sail it again, til fixed.  How's the standing rigging?  The turnbuckles?  The forestay?  And finally, how's the tabernackle?

Really depends on how hard a strain the mast received and how bluntly it received it.  I would imagine backing down a ramp slowly would gently bend it forward.   But, if it's other than that, and you cannot fix it.  Contact the guys at Com-Pac or The sailboat company site.  They alter masts.  Who knows.  Maybe they have old ones that need a new home.

$0.02

PS.  Edited this to the intended site.  Sorry for inconvenience.

[dusty]

i was backing my truck up into the lake i've been going to fifteen times out of ten, down the long, long ramp. then >drop<, whoa, what the hell was that?

trailer dropped at the end of the ramp, of course. hadn't experienced that in fourteen berths. lake has dropped. oh, but it's a good lake. due to the minerals prevalent around the area, people scuba dive in this lake its so clear. as lakes go, anyway.

well, fudge. launched my craft, y'd her in on the T dock, and parked my truck, and went sailing.

went to go receive my craft in her trailer to tiredly go home after surviving the onset of a storm with my limited experience. maybe it wasn't that bad, but the worst i've experienced on a boat in this life. dropped my trailer again, put the boat on, tried to pull her back up and she popped over the end of the ramp with a pop. trailer got bent, keel scratched to hell, bunk-board near the keel came off the screws and she landed right on the bare pole with its bent steel two-by-four holder.

nuts....

[mgoller]

Congratulations!
Every time out is different.  keep going out in different conditions and you'll be a master sailor before you know it.
Bent mast?  You and a friend carry it to some nice grove of closely planted pole pines.  Or  whatever you find.  Lodge it in in such a way that the straight part of the mast is wedged as you put pressure on the offended area.  Go gently and you'll straighten it in five minutes without a hint of a bend.
Marcus

[TroyVB]

Liane,

Congratulations on the first time cruise.  The CP 16 will make a sailor out of you and your companions and she is forgiving as well.

I agree with Marcus, if you can find a couple of trees that are close together you can use them.  I also watched someone use the crossmembers of their own trailer in the parking lot next to the ramp.  Be sure to pad the place where mast and trailer contact with carpet or cardboard.  Go easy and the mast should be able to be straightened as long as there are no major kinks.

If you still aren't happy I think that you could get the aluminum extrusion from Dwyer and use your original hardware.

[Liane]

Hey Guys! Guess what!?!?! 

The mast is STRAIGHT again!!!

Found a supercute Greek ex-merchant mariner turned machine shop owner, and he straightened it out in the hydraulic press.  It was an 8 inch bow (no kink, no wrinkle, no actual "bend", just a soft bow), and he worked it carefully and had 'er straightened out in about 15 minutes. 

Wouldn't let me pay him so I'm taking him to lunch next Tuesday, and maybe someday for a sail (he was a little apprehensive about sailing with me, considering the whole power lines story, and my whopping 4 hours of sailing logged). 

So, bent a mast, made a friend.  All is well! 

I was surpised by all the boat yards I called, they all said "It couldn't be done" or "time for a new mast".   I thought they'd be more resourceful.  Ah well.

Woo hoo!  I'll be sailing this weekend!

Liane

[Paul]

Good show!

[dusty]

ah, thank goodness.

sorry to have been such a hope-dasher, myself. i would not have lived with myself recommending to someone that they attempt to straighten it themselves if i was not very sure they weren't endangering themselves. but mgoller has experience i trust, and apparently your greek sailor, too, so - glad you made out okay.

charmed life!

[sawyer]

Very good...
I'm very thankful that you guys didn't get a jolt of electricity as you should be.

Now we all have new info as who and where to to for a bowed mast, should we need it in the future. That is your contribution to this site, we have more ways to fix stuff.  Maybe do a short blip post on that and put it on the repair/gear postings area.    Isn't the Com-pac 16 fun.........  Did you find it stiffer than the other boats you have sailed??  And did you grin the whole time you were out??
We will wait for photos.............   Good sailing..........               Doug

[Liane]

Hey Guys

yes, I do feel like I have a charmed life as of late.  Lucky me!

Doug -- I did love it -- sailing was awesome.  Much grinning occurred.

You know, to be honest, I haven't actually done much sailing before -- I was on a little sunfish twice, and a hobie cat once, both with people who knew what they were doing.  This is the first time I've been required to figure things out myself.

And I've got a lot of figuring out to do...  But I'm determined.   And now that I didn't electrocute myself (these were high tension wires...), I'm convinced I'm meant to be a sailor. 

I'll look at the repairs/gear site, and see if I have anything intelligent to add.  I hope I do!

Thanks,

Liane