Evan Gatehouse wrote:
duink wrote:

I thought the most interesting part was the discussion of multihull
rigs designed to fail at loads lower than the righting moment - to
prevent a capsize. His point was that being upright and dismasted was
preferable to being turned turtle with an intact rig.


I know Chris of AES. He's a very informed guy. But can you explain to
your insurance broker that your rig is *supposed* to fall down sometimes

Evan Gatehouse

What if it could be demonstrated that it falls over without real
harm, able to rise again if the sacraficial links are replaced? The
mast might well fling ie. the starboard chain plate over the moon,
turning the rig inside out and upside down under the boat to serve
as an anchor or brake. This might not work out on a trimaran, but
could do for a narrower boat.

When my mast broke at the spreaders from lack of a compression
member inside the mast, it was unuseable, and damaged the
tabernacle. If it had toppled whole into the water overside to act
as a brake and could be raised with tackle on board in a calm, it
might be as important a safety devising as ballistic parachutes for
planes.

Terry K