[alberg30] Re: at the top

[Gordon E. White]

From: "Gordon E. White" <gewhite at crosslink.net>

Greg,
    That masthead sheave is a common problem and the Association has
discussed fixes. I think there is one in the Maintenance Manual. I
believe it is an aluminum replacement. Read Biegel put on on my mast
when he replaced it after the tornado damage.
    The old one wears (impregnated fabric, I think, like an
old-fashioned auto timing gear, c. 1929) and pretty soon the halyard can
jump off the sheave if it is rough when lowering the main (when you are
really in the soup if it jams) and it gets between the sheave and the
opening in the mast and the sail jams part way down. Always in heavy
weather. That's what happened to me coming into Annapolis harbor four
years ago in 40 knots. The old drawbridge was there then but was not
opening except twice a day and I was rapidly bearing down on it.
Sediment clogged the fuel system and I could not get the diesel to
start. We were going so fast  the anchor would not grab (though it
slowed us down a little) and we had to get SeaTow to give us a hand. The
sail ripped pretty badly, though I was able to cut the lashings off the
boom and wrap it around the mast, otherwise we would have hit the
bridge. The bridge tender was supposed to open in "emergencies," but he
didn't think ours was emergency enough.
                            - Gordon White


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