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So this was quite a surprise. The storm was actually over, the wind had dropped to 30 knots and we had just gotten up some canvas up when the whole rig started to twist back and forth, slowly. Then it just picked up into the wind and flew off to leeward, quite gracefully. But the standing rigging suddenly cut the flight short. The rig turned upsidedown and went over the side. The boom caught up in the lifelines. Underwater we could see the jib unfurling and being filling with water. The boat and rig were heaving up and down with the seas. We grabbed the shroud cutters and immediately cut the stainless wire to let the rig go. But it wouldn't move because of the boom. And then part of the main caught the wind. I sliced the main to stop it filling and then cut the lifelines to let the whole thing go. I thought about saving stuff for about 5 seconds and realized that would be foolish. Eventually I lay on my back on the deck and heaved the boom off the stanchions with my feet. Eventually I had to break the stanchions to let it go. Phew!
We were congratulating each other on our swift action when there was another lurch. The transom dropped a few feet and we were about to get pooped! I hadn't severed the backstay and the rig was dragging us down. That was a tough cut but I had it done in seconds! |
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