That has always been a potential problem with both AI's and TI's along with AKA sheer bolts sheering (also causing capsize), especially with those who use the boats offshore. Most of us just add a safety rope which cures both problems in one fell swoop, and is a one time fix that takes all of 5 minutes to rig, (just once), then forever mounted on the boat, costs about $5 bucks. If you search the forum for safety rope you will find a dozen solutions. The simplest is just some 3/16 dia nylon rope (needs to be stretchy). Tie a cinch knot to one end of the rope, now wrap the rope around the front outer aka hull brace (where the front aka cross bar attaches to the hull) then pull the end of the rope thru the cinch loop and pull it tight (kind of like a hangmans noose), or you can just tie a simple knot as well, that knot is never removed again. Now take the free end of the rope and run it to a stainless caribiner that you attach to either the stainless cleat in the center of the ama (on older boats), if you have a newer boat it might not have that stainless cleat in the center of the AMA (those cleats may have been eliminated recently), if this is the case just attach the caribiner to the front of the lifting strap (it is plenty strong). With the AMA out and locked just pull the rope to the caribiner and tie it off (doesn't need to be tight). When not using the boat you just stuff the safety line into the mesh pockets, the safety rope can stay attached to the boat forever forward. When setting up you just open the AMA lock it, then just clip the carabiner to the AMA (takes all of 15 seconds of your time). That simple rope cures 3 or 4 major issues all in one fell swoop. If the front or rear aka bar come unclipped and starts to slip out (as it sounds like what happened to you), the safety rope prevents the AKA bar from slipping all the way out and causing capsize. Of course if it does pop out yo still have to stop and pop the bar back in, but no damage will occur and you won't capsize. If you are in choppy water or hit a large powerboat wake it's likely the nylon sheer bolt on the AKA brace will break (as it is designed to do) and the AMA folds in and you go swimming. The safety rope prevents the ama from folding in (preventing capsize). Of course you still have to stop, furl your sail and replace the AKA sheer bolt (which is way easier when the boat is right side up (lol)). Older boats were famous for the AMA bungys breaking and the AMA's falling off, if one of the bungys breaks, the safety rope prevents the ama from falling off. The other thing that the safety rope prevents (especially on the older boats) is when you are on a reach and one AMA is way up in the air, the bungys stretch and the AMA flops up and down making a lot of noise (that noise drives me nuts). That same safety rope prevents the AMA from flopping up and down willy nilly annoyingly. It's of critical importance you understand the design intent of the AMA bracing systems on the boat prior to making any mods, as the last thing you want to do is disable or override the original design intent of the boat (becomes very expensive very fast with a huge potential of ripping your hull if done wrong, rendering the boat useless and un-repairable (lol)). The intent of the nylon shear bolt is in the event you hit something like a dock, the nylon bolt simply snaps and the AMA harmlessly folds in preventing further damage. With the only downside being if you happen to be in the boat when the ama folds in, the boat capsizes and you go for a swim. With the safety rope the shear bolt still snaps (preventing further damage), and the AMA still swings back, but as the AMA is swinging back, the safety rope is stretching acting like a giant bungy obsorbing the energy of the collission, preventing the aka expensive AKA bar from folding like an elbow (destroying the $200 dollar AKA bar, and ending your sailing for a few weeks. Anybody can make all kinds of re-enforcements to the boat and many do things like replacing the nylon sheer bolt with a stainless bolt, or lashing all kinds of heavy ropes back and forth to completely prevent the AMA's from folding in alltogether but doing so may defeat the original design intent and a greater possibility of ripping the hull itself in that area around where that little ball sticks up (basically scrapping out your $6k boat). Don't take my word on anything, once you have installed feel free to go target a big yacht and just ram it, (yea I've done that (lol)), channel markers also work very well, or cut or leave off one of your bungys while out sailing, and just sail around a while, then to test out the aka's coming out just push the buttons on the AKA braces while underway and turn, trying to get the aka to fall out. Carry a couple extra aka sheer bolts along when testing, you should be fine. You might want to throw in a couple nasty surf returns just to make sure everything works. All this stuff happens in real life anyway, why not be prepared for it.
Hope this helps FE
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