Quetzal dismasting on You Tube

[nquigley]

I just found this

very informative on several levels.
They were very fortunate in several respects (could have been a LOT more challenging):
- John Kretzmer onboard (enormous offshore experience)
- John knows the boat intimately (I'm not sure if this is a previous boat of his, or his current 'Quetzal')
- occurred in daylight on a sunny warm day with slight-to-moderate seas and a light-ish breeze (not in dead of night on a moonless stormy night in rough seas)
- plenty of hands on board (not solo or short-handed)
- I think they said they were only 5 miles out from the marina
- a support boat was on-hand and assisted with a tow back in (I think John was worried about all the standing/running rigging in the water possibly fouling his engine)
- the small remaining connection between the two mast segments held - if it had parted before getting to shore, it could have injured someone when it fell, and might have damaged the boat (e.g., tearing out stanchions at least)
Root cause was clear: corroded chainplate broke at deck level.
I watched the footage carefully before the moment of the failure - did not seem to hit a wave or fall into a trough, or have any other acute kinetic cause - from the pic of the chainplate at the end, it was obviously an 'any moment now' failure waiting to happen!

 

[Christian Williams]

Useful stuff. We will all now check again our chainplates and rigging connections.

(Update: Or not so useful, since somebody apparently doesn't want the video shown without getting paid for it.)

Mention is made of bolt cutters not working to cut rigging wire. They work for me.

 

[william.haas]

I just recently discovered John Kretzmer's books and proceeded to burn through all of them in a little over two weeks. I highly recommend.

 

[Loren Beach]

"Cliff's Notes" version of my experience, in reply #4. https://ericsonyachts.org/ie/threads/sea-breeze.517/#post-1676

A dismasting can occur even in fairly benign conditions. And, like the boat in this video, it all happens in a millisecond.(!) The boat I was on was a single spreader rig with a hank-on jib, which makes the initial work a lot easier. (IMHO)

 

[driftless]

The full account as emailed from John Kretchmer Sailing, 2 Feb 2023:

John Kretschmer Sailing​ A tough day - but also a new opportunity​

Good Morning, I am setting off just now to sail Quetzal from the port of Palmeira on the island of Sal, in the Cape Verde Islands, to the marina in Mindelo on the island of Sao Vicente. It's about 140 miles. Well, sail is not really the right word, I will be motoring. Two days ago Quetzal lost her rig, a classic dismasting as the starboard forward chainplate failed in dramatic fashion. Alas. We had just completed a fast, efficient, wonderful downwind passage from the Canary Islands. I confess, after all of our challenging sailing this past year, it was a hell of a surprise. We were just two miles off Sal when the mast broke just below the first spreader. Our crew, Tim, Tom, Russ, Pete and Sarona were heroic. We were calm and deliberate as we tried, for several hours, to cut away the broken section of mast but it wouldn't budge. We eventually secured it along the side of the hull. It was incredibly fortunate that our great friends, Nathan and Vivian, aboard UItima, were just a few hundred meters away. We had sailed from the Canaries together and we both bound for Mindelo. Ultima was able to take Quetzal in tow, and slowly and professionally tow us back to the port of Palmeira. We arranged for a crane and came alongside the wall in the port. With the help of French sailor Bernard, we managed to cut away the broken section, but it was not easy. Throughout the ordeal, Quetzal's crew worked tirelessly to complete this job. I have said it before and I will say it again, the people that sail with me are talented, resourceful, smart and capable. They're the reason we've logged so many miles over the last 20 years. Nathan and Vivian and their crew of Kate, Sholee, Zack and Daniel, were also incredibly helpful, everyone involved rose to occasion. Nathan was a man on a mission to help me secure what is left of Quetzal's mast and Vivian quietly cleaned up the disaster aboard. Now Quetzal's rig looks a bit like the KON TIKI with a mix of jury rigged stays. But we are already working with Selden on a new mast, and plan to be back underway as soon as possible. Our exact plans are a bit in flux but in the short and long term, we will keep on with our schedule. We have an amazing network of friends with great cruising boats that we will use in the interim, and we will do everything possible to have a new rig installed ASAP. For those of you signed aboard this spring, we will be sending you details in the next few days. I am really sorry for the inconvenience this has caused. I am determined to sail Quetzal across the Atlantic this spring. So, as I send this email, and shove off for an overnight motor, I find myself surprised by my state of mind. I am ok. This is an adventure I didn't need, that's for sure, but it seems I am just destined for adventures, and this one will definitely be an interesting chapter in the next book. Through a lifetime of sailing, and especially during the last 20 years aboard Quetzal, I have relied on a network of shipmates who have become my dearest friends, and many are already figuring out ways to help. Tadji has been my rock, and of course, Bob Pingel will be pulling things together like only Bob can. Quetzal will be sailing again soon, later this year heading south, at 8 knots, under full sail, bound for the bottom of the world. Stay tuned. John

 

[southofvictor]

I just watched JK’s “Viking Route” presentation to the SSCA last week. Bummer to have it happen but he has such a good attitude about it in Tyler’s post above. Glad nobody got hurt.

 

[nquigley]

Useful stuff. We will all now check again our chainplates and rigging connections.

Mention is made of bolt cutters not working to cut rigging wire. They work for me.

He had pretty big-diameter standing rigging, big bolt-cutters and a strong guy (failing) to operate them. I've read that an electric grinder is the best tool, but ... are the batteries charged when you need it? A hack saw is a lot of work, but seems like an essential Plan B

 

[Christian Williams]

There is no wire on the E38 I can't cut with Home Depot bolt cutters.

 

[Bepi]

There is no wire on the E38 I can't cut with Home Depot bolt cutters.

Most have an adjustment screw. If the jaws don't close square all you do is mush the wire.

 

[bsangs]

There is no wire on the E38 I can't cut with Home Depot bolt cutters.

Watched your convincing bolt cutter video @Christian Williams - as I'm trying to determine the best tool for the job myself - but have a question. Would you be able to apply the necessary leverage needed for those to work as smoothly as they did, during a dismasting situation? I've never been through one, so am trying to envision the process during the ensuing chaos.

 

[Christian Williams]

Never been dismasted either, but I don't know why my simple Home Depot model wouldn't work just as well at midnight in a gale with the mast banging the hull. It might help that mine are seldom used, meaning the hardened cutting surfaces aren't worn out.