probably a stupid question but....

Has anyone ever had the mast come out of the step during a pitchpole or capsize? Or is that even possible with the jib tensioned? The reason I ask is that last week I turned the boat over. I kept my balance long enough to see I was going to fall into the mainsail so, at the last second, I stepped on the mast, maneuvered around the front beam and onto the lower hull without ever touching the water. Afterward I thought that might have been a stupid move, stepping on the mast. My 200 lbs could have pushed the mast right out of the step with the boat on its side.

It's highly unlikely that you would have knocked the mast out of the step doing what you did.

16s usually don't carry their rig loose enough for the mast to come out. I've only seen it happen once in 37 years of racing.

14s are a different story.

Had it happen to me last summer.

We were ripping along on a screaming reach, two guys on the trapeze, and me on the tramp driving (in between drinks of water!). I stuffed it hard and blew the main sheet, "center" guy on the wire had the jib sheet, and tried frantically to release it to no avail. Imagine all three of us still poised and hanging in our positions anticipating a recovery, but slowly rolling forward in a cross between a pitchpole and capsize. When it was obvious we were beyond the point of no return, there was no where for "center" guy to go. He fell straight into the mast about two feet up from the base, and the mast "popped" out of the base.

Have never seen that happen before and hope to never experience it again. From this point, turtled boat with mast not attached, it was a pain in the a$$ to get everyhting sorted and towed back home all the way across the lake (turtled boats don't tow well at all). No damage to base or step, in fact only damage was to the sails during the tow. Damn these Hobies are tough!

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Think I'll try to avoid it just the same. Hard choices....take a chance on ripping the sail or knocking the mast out. I've fallen into these old dacron sails many a time with no problems. Not so lucky with my buddy's mylar sail a couple years ago. Knifed right through it.