Hobie Forums
http://www.hobie.com/forums/

Australia Day shocker - broken shroud!!
http://www.hobie.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=23&t=5978		 Page 1 of 2
Author:  Gavster [ Fri Jan 26, 2007 4:19 am ]
Post subject:  Australia Day shocker - broken shroud!!
Hi all, I've just joined & really enjoying this great forum. I bought a used Getaway (around 3yrs old) which had very little previous use. I have absolutely loved the boat since buying it.

Anyhow, today is our national holiday - a day on which the most patriotic thing you can do apart from eating meat pies at the Cricket is to go sailing and have a barbie (BBQ) 8) . My plans on the former came unstuck only 20 mins into the sail!!

Conditions were 'fresh' 15-20 knot breeze, and having just made our first tack anbd proceeding along towards Sydney Heads "whack" - all of a sudden the hole mast flys over to leeward! :shock:

Once I managed to extract one of my wife's uncles from under the main (at first I thought he had been smothered) I survey the damage and sure enough the port shroud had come loose at the junction with the connector which attaches to the hull (sorry I'm sure it has a techie name).

As the main priority was getting safely back to shore, I haven't been able to investigate what exact part gave way, but I suspect it's where the shroud attaches to the hull attachment.

Bottom line damage bill (that I know of so far): 1 x broken shroud, 1 x bent mast footing (from the force), 3 battons protruding from the sail due to the sail being stuck under the boat on the tow home (could not drop the main) and what appears to be a bent mast float attachment.

Sure there was a bot of wind about, but nothing more than normal. I imagine those shrouds handle quite some load. Has anyone else had this happen? Anything I can do in future to avoid it?

I will see if insurance will cover and hopefully the boat yard will turn it around quickly.

Gav from Sydney
Author:  Sail Revolution [ Mon Jan 29, 2007 11:52 am ]
Post subject: 
Bummer Gav,

Take some pix if the failure so that we could see what it looks like and what actually gave way.
Having a mast come down is a pretty scary thing. People and gear can sustain major damage. I suspect that your mast base bent because you left the step pin in? I reccommend that people remove the step pin everytime, though your boat (20,get, tiger) will sail fine with the pin in, during a dismasting it can damage the forward crossbar, mast, base etc.

Here is a list that I've been compiling for the last 8 years of the causes of hobie dismastings:

1) Anchor pins. (Pull them out and check them for cracks)
2) Home made rigging. ( That bench at your local west marine is not calibrated!!! You might save $5 off the bat, but you'll be paying for it later down the line)
3) Shroud failure (Old shrouds! Replace your rigging often.)
4) Nicropress pulls out.
5) Aircraft eye failure. (Check them for cracks and rust. Water gets down in there and starts to rust, which expands and cracks the eye. (Again replace your rigging often)
6) Operator error (installing roller furler upside down, letting go of the mast in the parking lot at the wrong time, etc.)
7) Catastrophic hull failure. ( bow broke off in very high winds and rough conditions)
8. Crossbar failure.

The vast majority of these could have been avoided if people simply maintain their gear to shipshape standards. Skimp on your trapwires, but don't buy used standing rigging off of ebay or anything like that. You'll be sorry.
Author:  mglimpse [ Mon Jan 29, 2007 2:03 pm ]
Post subject: 
Jeremy,

If I read your post correctly, you said to REMOVE the pin from the base of the mast after it is hoisted? Have I been doing this wrong all along??

If I remember correctly from the video, I thought it said to leave it in.

I have another question. I am the second owner of my 2002 getaway. I noticed when I bought it that there is some wear at the base of the mast where the ball inserts. Is this something that I should be concerned about? What is causing it? Pin?

Mike
Author:  mmiller [ Mon Jan 29, 2007 2:43 pm ]
Post subject:  Pin and wire failure
Removing the step pin prevents damage to the post and base if the mast falls. The base can just pop up off the ball. On the other hand... during a capsize, if the wires go a bit slack, the pin helps to keep the base on the ball.

Shroud wear / failures on a Getaway can be accelerated due to the freely rotating mast. Constant rotating back and forth will wrap the wires around the mast and off again.

Biggest cause of accelerated wear is mooring on the water or left on the beach for long periods without restraining the mast rotation.
Author:  Gavster [ Mon Jan 29, 2007 3:19 pm ]
Post subject: 
Guys, thanks for the feedback.

I dropped off the boat at Sailing Scene here in Sydney - the Hobie experts. It was definitely a shroud snapping - it broke just above the swage where it attaches to the hull stays.

Kerli was suprised it snapped so cleanly - all bar one thread were snapped in a line. Sorry no photos - didn't get time before the drop-off. Hopefully insurance will cover the cost of repairs.

Re: removing the foot pin after raising the mast - I would worry about it popping out during a capsize, but I also see the issue with damage during a dismasting by leaving it in.

Which is the lesser of two evils? :?
Author:  mglimpse [ Mon Jan 29, 2007 3:22 pm ]
Post subject: 
The wear that I am getting is on the underside on the base of the mast. (Where the ball inserts into the mast. It looks like it has lightly ground away at the metal base. There is some open steel showing.

mike
Author:  Sail Revolution [ Mon Jan 29, 2007 7:01 pm ]
Post subject: 
As far as the step pin is concerned. You should do what ever your manual says. I just get the shrouds a little snug and have never had a rig come off the step. But that's just me. Reguardless, maintain your gear on a regular basis.
Author:  Gavster [ Mon Jan 29, 2007 7:15 pm ]
Post subject: 
Thanks Jeremy. As I bought second hand I got no manual and am a beginner as you can no doubt tell. I have also never adjusted the shroud tension (never pointed out by dealer) so I will indeed set them a bit snugger than before and try leaving the pin out. I'm just paranoid about remember to put it back in after a sail ! :lol: Regards, Gavin
Author:  Sail Revolution [ Tue Jan 30, 2007 10:59 am ]
Post subject: 
Gavin, go here and scroll down to the Getaway section. You'll find a bit more info there:
http://www.hobiecat.com/support/index.html
Author:  Gavster [ Wed Jan 31, 2007 2:57 pm ]
Post subject: 
Surf City Catamarans wrote:
Gavin, go here and scroll down to the Getaway section. You'll find a bit more info there:
http://www.hobiecat.com/support/index.html


Thanks Jeremy - excellent.

As a postscript - the repairs have ended up being reasonable and fairly straight forward. Luckily, insurance will also cover it, so I should be sailing (all going to plan) by this weekend!

Regards, Gavin
Author:  sunjammers [ Wed Jan 31, 2007 5:22 pm ]
Post subject: 
if one wire borke the others may not be far behind, on the rental getaways here in town, mast up all the time, we replace the rigging every year, rec sailors we recomend every 2 years tops. The rigging is to cheep not to replace regualrly even if there is no sign of wear and tear. have fun sailing!
Author:  Gavster [ Wed Jan 31, 2007 5:45 pm ]
Post subject: 
sunjammers wrote:
if one wire borke the others may not be far behind, on the rental getaways here in town, mast up all the time, we replace the rigging every year, rec sailors we recomend every 2 years tops. The rigging is to cheep not to replace regualrly even if there is no sign of wear and tear. have fun sailing!


Will do ! Thanks
Author:  looyenga [ Sun Feb 25, 2007 5:58 pm ]
Post subject: 
That's interesting that you recommend replacement of the standing rigging every 24 months. I had a 1986/16 that I bought new and never replaced the rigging on. Being from northern Canada our sailing season is short so the boats don't see a lot of water time each year. One this I did do every year was to spray some 2 part spray on the ends of the shrouds (sorry the kit is at my cabin so l can't tell you what it's called) the spray is designed specifically to look for hairline fractures in metal components and load bearing cable. I never found any problems but I always thought It might find a failing shroud.
Author:  Han [ Tue Feb 27, 2007 9:21 pm ]
Post subject:  oversize shrouds
I had three shroud failures, all on Getaways. The first was old, original (with the dot) rigging on a boat that was rarely sailed but sat with the mast up since 2002. The second was a brand new '06 Getaway. The wire failed at the nicopress at the adjuster stay. The third was rigging made by Murrays also relatively new and failed in the same place on a different boat.

I replaced all rigging with the next size up and have had no problems since but I can see the shroud casing wearing at the mast where it rotates uncontrolled. I doubt there are any complications for getting oversize rigging and the price increase is minimal.
Author:  zhopper [ Fri Mar 16, 2007 1:50 pm ]
Post subject: 
who did you use for the upgraded shrouds?
I used salty dog marine for my 16 when we upgraded to 5/32 but it seems they don't carry standard sizes for the getaway.
Page 1 of 2 All times are UTC - 8 hours [ DST ]
Powered by phpBB® Forum Software © phpBB Group
http://www.phpbb.com/