I guess using my new TI's maiden voyage to teach sailing to a good friend, on a day with small craft advisory, wasn't the best idea. Oh, well... When we turned around a bend in front of the Long Beach Yatch Club, an aka released, the ama opened up, and wind hit us from the opposite side. Before we could release lines, we capsized, and were pushed by the gale force wind against a dock, with the boat ending up sandwiched between it and a large yatch.
The following damage took place place not so much at that point, but rather by the action of the harbor patrol pulling the boat away from its sandwiched position (they wouldn't allow me to jump int he water to move it and right it up):
1. The aka still goes into the tube, but it doesn't stay there because the push-buttons are limp
2. The two diagonal cross braces broke off from the aft akas, and ended up hanging from the little safety plastic string
3. The bottom of the boat, where the three mast stays show up in the hull, is slightly depressed with a concave shape upwards, by about 1/8 inch - 3-4mm, as opposed to convex and following the shape of the hull (this may have been there before, as I just got the boat used)
So, I need help with the questions below, I hope you folks can lend a hand:
a. I assume the aka not staying in place is because of the "aka clip"? I exchanged akas, and the one that wasn't affected fits well on the other side
b. Are there instructions online on how to change those? I assume I will go to a dealer and get the new, upgraded ones, is that a straightforward process?
c. Are the two diagonal lock braces broken, or is there a safety piece that broke instead? If so, what would be its name?
d. Is the depression on the bottom of the boat something I need to worry about?
e. Is there an accepted way to keep the aka from moving away and becoming a dangling sword that hits your boat on the other side?
Cheers