http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homep...S/designhi.htm

"This area documents a series of common points that are a useful
pointers on yacht rigs today. It is by no means advice on how you
should design your mast or how we would design your mast. But in any
case there are a number of common traits shown on many masts today and
it helps to recognise them and look at the 'big picture'."


This is a rather long article and tech orientated that some may
understand and others find useful.

That was quite educational. I don't pretend to understand it all, but
I think I got the gist.

Interesting that even for non-race boats, new materials and approaches
mean we are still learning a lot about how to refine rigging.

R.

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.

rhys wrote:
That was quite educational. I don't pretend to understand it all, but
I think I got the gist.

Interesting that even for non-race boats, new materials and approaches
mean we are still learning a lot about how to refine rigging.

R.

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.

rhys wrote:
That was quite educational. I don't pretend to understand it all, but
I think I got the gist.

Interesting that even for non-race boats, new materials and approaches
mean we are still learning a lot about how to refine rigging.

R.

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

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

Terry Spragg wrote:
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.


What if it could be demonstrated that it falls over without real harm,
able to rise again if the sacraficial links are replaced?

Wharram Cats have a better system - the stitching in the sails is
calibrated to fail at forces below the blow-down point. The mast stays
up but the sail shreds. When the evil weather abates you just haul up a
replacement sail.