Joe Bleau wrote:

I just finished reading all 57 posts of a msg. which appeared in
February having to do with "whether or not a 45-ft. boat could survive
"severe" weather or something to that effect. I was both informed and
entertained by that thread--informed because there were some excellent
analyses which were enlightening to me and entertained by the quality
of the flames going back and forth.

This might provoke another flame war but I (and others) might learn
something in the process so here goes:

There is a discussion going on in a list-serve group I subscribe to as
to the benefit of adding bouyancy to the top of the mast through an
inflatable device which would automatically deploy were the mast to
become submerged in a roll over. I am fascinated by the concept and
would love to have the input from some of the excellent minds iin this
newsgroup who post on such matters..

Currently there is no such device being marked (but think of the
commericial potential--Waste Marine could make megabucks by having
them manufactured in Taiwan for $25.00 and selling them to their
victims (excuse me--customers) for $2500.00. Some posters suggested
something as simple as running an automatic PFD up to the top of the
mast on a halyard when conditions warranted. Others suggested
canister-type inflatable devices permanently mounted. Some claimed
such a device would cause the mast to break. Others claim the devices
would right the boat forthwith. There are elaborate calculations
"proving" that the 40 or so pounds of bouyancy offered by the PFD
would equal thousands of pounds in righting force.

And . . . for the final word from our panel of experts.

Don't believe you're the first to think of this!

Usually the rig is not strong enough to survive being rolled. Most boats that
roll are dismasted. Floatation at the very end of the mast will only increase
the load on the rig, causing the mast to break sooner.

Then there's the extra weight and windage of this equipment at the top of the
mast, which reduces stability the rest of the time.

A better way to approach this problem is to seal the mast itself, running
halyards, etc., externally. Many boats have this feature. It doesn't add
significant weight or windage, and the load is more evenly distributed (vs. all
at the top). Also, since the rig is designed with this in mind from the
beginning, it can be made stronger to compensate, unlike the retrofit mentioned
above.

Matt O.