The seas are 4 to 6 feet so there is no immediate danger, but they are large
enough to give an awful motion? A bit of a countradiction here. But, if
there is no immediate danger you have answered the question your self. You
have time to winch it all out of the water and secure it, and then YOU can
walk down the dock and get advice from a real sailor at the time and
location in question.
"Bobsprit" wrote in message
...

Forget about how it happened. Bad luck or bad stays, the mast is down,
lying
with it's head in the water, still held a 3rd on deck held there by the
remaining stays. The sails were hanked on and they, along with the mast,
are
helping to create a motion in the swells that's pretty awful. No
boltcutters on
board. Can anything be saved? The sails? Should ANY effort be made to save
the
rig, or should we just get the needle nose pliars and get it all off and
over?
The seas are 4-6 feet, so there's imediate danger.

RB