Many years ago I was sailing from South Africa to Gibraltar. We were halfway between Saint Helena Island and Ascension Island when the rudder broke off. Earlier, we had felt a little give in the wheel and thought there was a chance it might break so I went for a swim. I drilled a hole in the rudder and threaded a line that was secured to a cleat on the stern of the boat. 

Sure enough, once the wind picked up the rudder snapped off and was suddenly trailing astern. We managed to retrieve it and rigged a jury system that involved two spinnaker poles and a floorboard (back in those days most boats had two spinnaker poles) and we made it safely to Ascension Island. The steel rudder post had rusted through, causing the break. Thanks to the U.S. Naval base on Ascension we were able to weld the two pieces together and sailed the rest of the way to the Mediterranean without any problems. 

Recent events in the world of offshore racing have me thinking about masts breaking and rudders coming unglued and the list of other things that can go wrong at sea. I wondered how prepared we all are for the inevitable if we are planning on sailing some serious offshore miles. It’s almost impossible to completely avoid breakages on a boat, but there is a lot that you can do to mitigate problems. 

Recently, two major offshore ocean races representing both ends of the technology spectrum have made headlines for dismastings and sinkings. The Ocean Race is at the extreme end in terms of high performance and technology, while the Golden Globe Race in which sailors use technology from 1960s is clearly at the other end. The Golden Globe is a retro race based on the original singlehanded, nonstop race around the world that took place in 1968. 

In both races, boats sustain damage but of very different kinds. In The Ocean Race there has been hull damage, foil damage, sail damage and some rig issues, which should be expected given the fact that these boats are pushing the envelope. Just hours after the start of Leg 3 out of Cape Town two boats broke down. Paul Meilhat’s Biotherm suffered a broken mainsheet strop during a jibe and 11th Hour Racing Team suffered damage having broken two mainsail battens. Neither was a race-ending problem and both teams made repairs, in Biotherm’s case, having to return to port and for 11th Hour Racing a rib coming out to them with some spare parts. Then three days into the race Guyot Environnement – Team Europe announced they had to return to Cape Town after sustaining structural damage to the hull. 

Hull damage is not something that’s easy to fix at sea. While racing aboard Drum in the 1985-1986 Whitbread Race the port hull started to flex and we did an at-sea repair that included some floorboards trussed with spinnaker poles and crew on a daily rotation sitting up in the bow monitoring things. It worked. 

This damage on the IMOCA 60s can be chalked up to yacht designers and engineers pushing the boundaries of technology, although the accidental jibe on Biotherm was crew error and perhaps a little extra wind in Table Bay. These kinds of things can be expected and the boats are very complicated and hard to effect repairs while underway, but it shows that as technology progresses dealing with damage at sea requires a team of very experienced sailors and a shore team to help set things straight. 

Damage in the Golden Globe Race was a little different, in part because the boats are of an older generation, and they are sailed singlehanded through some of the worst weather on the planet. It’s hard to predict where things might go wrong because the boats look so sturdy and are able to withstand some tough conditions. The boats are put through a tough screening process and safety is the No. 1 priority of the race organizers. 

A good hull sounding and thorough rig survey can go a long way to ensuring a safe passage, but an accidental 360-degree rolling while you are asleep is another matter altogether. British sailor Ian Herbert Jones aboard his Tradewind 35 was weathering some bad conditions in the South Atlantic when he was rolled and dismasted. He was also banged up pretty badly with a gash to his head which brings me to another part of being damaged while at sea. Human damage. 

French sailor Bertrand de Broc was participating in the Vendée Globe race when his boat slammed off a large wave and as it crashed down Bertrand had his tongue out and he managed to bite it off. There was only one thing for him to do and that was to sew it back on and that’s what he did, so remember when you are preparing your medical aid kit to include a sharp needle and some thread. (Turn to Technique, page 26, for how to handle medical emergencies.) I haven’t seen Bertrand in a while but the last time I last saw him his tongue was back in full working order. 

Then there is the story of Viktor Yazekov in the BOC solo around-the-world race. He had a cut on his elbow which got infected in the tropics and swelled up badly. The race doctor back on shore insisted that he lance it. Viktor sterilized his nav station and prepare to do self-surgery. He had the camera running and the doctor on email. Viktor slashed his elbow, blood and pus went everywhere, and Viktor dropped to the floor like a deer shot between the eyes. He was out for 12 hours. 

He had been taking aspirin for pain and had forgotten to mention this to the doctor who might have told him that aspirin is a blood thinner. Viktor awoke in a pool of blood but he managed to text an extremely worried doctor that he was fine. Funny thing about that story is that Viktor had his best 12-hour run of his circumnavigation while he was passed out on the cabin sole. 

In order to have a successful passage it’s all about preparation. There are a number of parts of a boat that need to be fully assessed, the hull being the most important. Even if you should lose everything else you still need the hull to stay afloat; it’s a much better option than a life raft. You should have your boat sounded by an expert because all boats are different and different areas of the hull will sound different because of the various hull thicknesses.

The rig and sails are also important, the rig more so. If you lose the rig you won’t have any need for the sails. You can check your own rig but you will need someone to pull you up the mast if it’s in the boat. Start at the chainplates. Clean them well and with a magnifying glass look for any cracks. Also look if there has been any pulling or lifting of the chainplates and again look for cracks. Make sure that the cotter pins in the turnbuckles are in order and then move to the base of the mast. If the mast is deck-stepped again look for cracks or any sign that the base of the mast has been moving. If it’s keel-stepped check the partners. Often there is a seal to stop water coming in so remove the seal and give things a good inspection. 

A couple of years ago I was sailing from Maine to Bermuda and there was a loud bang (in the middle of the night of course). We were in some testy weather and I noticed that the rigging was all slack. Upon a lot of further inspection I discovered that the mast had pancaked on itself inside the deck partners (it was a carbon fiber mast) and that accounted for the slack rigging. We used the halyards to shore up the rig and made it to Bermuda safe and sound. 

Sails are a little tricky but nothing that you can’t inspect yourself. Most sails split at the seams so check the stitching carefully. The thread is the first to rot out and that’s where things can go wrong. You can also check the fabric. If your sails are Dacron take a needle and poke some holes in it. If the yarns part for your needle the fabric is probably OK. If there is a bit of a cracking sound that means that the fabric has been sun damaged and brittle and won’t have much life left in it. A good sailmaker can help you but I think that this is one area that you can do yourself.

Checking the appendages is a bit trickier. Lift the floorboards and check the keel bolts. A surveyor can survey the rest. Speaking from experience, I would suggest dropping the rudder out and giving it a close inspection. The electronics are important but not that important. My first circumnavigation was done with a sextant. I am not suggesting that you bring a sextant and sight-reduction tables because basic electronics are usually very reliable. If you lose your GPS make sure that your VHF is fully charged. You can always ask a passing ship where you are. 

Anyone that heads offshore should expect some kind of damage to happen and be prepared for it, but the best advice that I can give is don’t panic. Necessity is the mother of invention. You will figure it out, but don’t forget to take along a sharp needle and some thread, just in case you bite your tongue off, and a sharp blade and a camera for your Instagram or TikTok post if you need to do self surgery. 

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What to do when your mast goes bang!

The first priority is to ensure all crew are safely aboard and uninjured. The next priority is to secure the mast pieces and rigging, which is especially important in a rough sea state where the jagged ends of the mast could puncture the hull.

Don’t start the engine and put the boat in gear as there will be a mess of lines and rigging in the water. 

You will need to cut away not only standing and running rigging, but the mainsail as well. Powerful bolt croppers and a hacksaw with plenty of blades will be needed to cut away the rigging. If you can remove the boom and large parts of the mast, it’s a good idea to bring them aboard to be used when setting a jury rig. You most likely won’t be able to salvage the mainsail as the bolt rope will be jammed in the mast pieces. Likewise the foresail if it is set with a headfoil. 

If the mast is carbon fiber, wear gloves as there will be exploded shards of carbon fiber everywhere. If you are unable to cut through the rigging, especially if it is rod, you may have to secure the mast to the side of the boat.

Rigging a jury rig is much easier if there is a stub remaining. A spinnaker pole or the boom can be raised to fly a sail from. At this point, you are not worried about center of effort so the new mast can be located anywhere on centerline that is easiest to rig a headstay and backstay. Choose a sail that will fit the new mast, which most likely will be a small jib or staysail. To maximize sail area it’s a good idea to fly the sail sideways, with the foot of the sail becoming the luff. 

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