The cable to hold the mast is something I'd think of doing without the shroud extenders. It's nice to know the butt of the mast is not going to end up in the sea. The concern with the shroud extenders is that with the upper hull now shifted over the other side and is no longer at a right angle and the mast pushing against the mast base. I haven't had a problem with this, but do see it as possible. That will leave you dismasted but relatively safe. You should be able to get the hulls in the right position to sit on them and await help.
No, my concern is with the entire system. I've only used it three times, and gotten the boat up each time. Now one of those times I pop the shroud extender, get the boat upright and it immediately blew over the other side. I now had to pop the shroud extender on the other side. When I got the boat upright, it's now loose in both directions. I didn't think of trying to tighten up the jib halyard. That might have helped the situation.
But at the moment, I haven't figured out how to get the shroud extender back in once I get the boat upright. I do intend to work on this and see if there's a way to get the mast somewhat tightened without finding a beach to fix the problem. With crew, I think this could be done, but I got the system because I tend to sail alone.
Without getting the shroud extender reattached, you have a very loose mast. You've got probably two or three feet of right to left movement at the top of the mast. Maybe more, as I've never measured it. This means that on one tack you've got the mast set properly, while the other tack has the mast leaning quite a bit to the side. As long as you're going in a straight line, this isn't a problem other than losing some efficiency and speed.
The problem is when you change course. A tack isn't too bad. A bit of a slam as the sail shifts and travels that two or three feet, but I don't think the stress on the shrouds is too high. I worry about something snapping, but I don't think I'm anywhere near the breaking point on anything.
I haven't tried a gybe, and quite honestly am too scared to want to try. In a gybe, instead of a gentle crossing of the boom over the boat, even with the shrouds in their normal position, you get a slam. There's a lot of stress on various components in a gybe. However, with the extra shift of the mast when the shroud extender is released, I don't know how much stress will be felt in the system. I see the possibility of something breaking.
Will it? I don't know and don't really want to find out.
I like the system, but there are limits to where I'm willing to go without another boat near me. As you said you're looking for something for a 300 mile challenge, both on and off shore, and for the worst case scenario, I think it's important to understand that the system has some serious limitations.
Jim Clark-Dawe
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