[Public-list] Dismasting! Alberg 30 yawl at Brand's

brooks.glenn at comcast.net brooks.glenn at comcast.net
Sat Jul 15 09:09:45 PDT 2006 

Second your shackles comment... Not in Victoria, but nearby in Everett Marina.

Glenn Brooks
Dolce
 -------------- Original message ----------------------
From: Gordon Laco <mainstay at csolve.net>
> Hi Guys - 
> 
> I am just back from being away 10 weeks - am sort of jumping in the
> discussion so sorry if what I am about to contribute has already been
> covered.
> 
> There must be no shackles anywhere in your standing rigging - if you have
> them, get rid of them!  A rig failure involving a shackle often means no
> insurance coverage.  There should be a toggle under each turnbuckle to allow
> articulation, but never a shackle, as so many older boats that have been in
> the hands of inexperienced or negligent owners end up being fitted with.
> 
> Anyway - I got home on Thursday...chucked Surprise in the water
> Friday...late start to the season but I am here at last.
> 
> Anybody on the list from Victoria (moored above bascule bridge near where
> Pacific Grace and Pacific Swift are based)?  I saw your A30 but never got
> leave at a time when I could drop by and visit.
> 
> Cheers - Gord Surprise #426
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> >       John,
> > Thanks for the additional information on the extra shackle between the
> > turnbuckle and the SS chainplate.  Per Don's advice I will use at least 10x
> > magnification to examine all my bronze fittings that hold up the mast.
> > Though, from all that has been discussed, I am going to start a budget for
> > replacement with newer fittings to replace the bronze.  I might try the
> > "Zyglo" dye inspection in addition to the visual and report back to the group
> > about how that goes.  I have gotten the point that the bronze does have a
> > useful life and depending on how hard the boat was driven, we are now ,for all
> > Alberg 30's, playing Russian Roulette with mast support.  All have mentioned
> > that it is way better to throw away fittings that may have some life left in
> > them, vs, having the failure that you did.  I don't feel that I need to have
> > the same failure on my boat to drive the point home.  Your failure SIR has
> > probably prevented we from experiencing the same, and for that I thank you.
> >  
> > When I mentioned Travis' marina I really meant Brand's.  A brain fart on my
> > part.  At Brand's is where I first discovered what an Alberg 30 was.  We were
> > considering Bristol's, Cape Dory's and then we spied the Alberg 30.  These are
> > all good boats in their own right but, we really fell in Love with the Alberg
> > 30.  In the fall of 2001 there was one at Brand's on the hard that was for
> > sale.  It had a dark blue hull and was owned by someone from out east.  At the
> > same time we reviewed the boats in the water and spotted your boat, the yawl
> > rig and I think another boat.  There was a very pretty Alberg 30 which had
> > nice, unusal, wooden shroud guards it had a light colored
> > hull......................I wonder if that was your boat.
> >  
> > Anyway we spent the remainder of the summer looking at Alberg 30's and finally
> > bought # 133 from Saint Clair, Michigan.
> >  
> > Geroge is right the Association should try to obtain not only the Alberg 30
> > Yawl plans but the story as well.  Interesting........................would
> > really like to feel how she sails.  Say Hello to Andy M from all of us in
> > Albergland, ;-)
> >  
> > Michael 
> >     
> > 
> > 
> > John Brugeman <johnbrugeman at ameritech.net> wrote:   Michael,
> > 
> > We did have a shackle fitting between the turnbuckle and the SS chainplate. We
> > are not sure which failed. Positive thing is we will get new mast, new
> > rigging, new electronics, and paint job where there was damage to the cabin
> > top and the side of the hull. In checking some of the other bronze fittings
> > that were savaged, we found many of the turnbuckles loose at the threads.
> > We keep our boat at Brand's Marina in Port Clinton and I know the gentleman
> > who owns the Alberg that was converted to a yawl. I have never sailed with him
> > so I can't say how an Alberg yawl sails. Andy M., the owner, doesn't sail much
> > as his health isn't very good. As Andy tells it though; he called Carl Alberg
> > one day and asked if he had ever designed a yawl. Carl told him he had it on
> > paper but it was never built. Carl told him to send him $5 and he would send
> > him the plans, and he did. Andy refit his Alberg to the plans Carl had sent
> > him and it looks great but I can't say how it sails. How did you know about
> > this boat?
> > 
> > John Brugeman
> > Mermaid 305
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > Michael Connolly wrote:
> > John,
> > It looks like you have taken proper precautions to prevent a dismasting. I
> > wonder if there is a failsafe way of inspecting older bronze fittings. My boat
> > #133 has all of its original bronze fittings and if I remember there is a
> > clevis at each end of each of the turnbuckles, but no shackles. Did you have
> > an extra shackle fitting between the turnbuckle clevis and the SS Chainplate?
> > 
> > Sorry to hear of the damage to your boat. Do you slip at Travis Boatyard in
> > Port Clinton? If so, have you seen the Alberg 30 that was made into a Yawl? Do
> > you know how well that boat sails?
> > 
> > Michael 
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > John Brugeman wrote: Michael,
> > 
> > This mast is removed every fall and inspected every spring at launch. I think
> > this was a matter of age fatigue of some of the original bronz fittings. I
> > replaced wires in 1998 but some of the old shackles were reused because they
> > looked great. None of the wires failed, which is usually the case. Always the
> > fittings.
> > 
> > John Brugeman, Mermaid 305
> > 
> > Michael Connolly wrote:
> > John,
> > I am curious. Were all the stays and shrouds original or had you done any
> > replacements? How often have you inspected the rig? When you have inspected
> > all and know exactly what failed I would like to know what failed and where.
> > Thanks.
> > 
> > George will know who is making a mast extrusion that is closest to the
> > original. Shipping will likely be much of the cost to you.
> > 
> > Michael #133
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > John Brugeman wrote: Fellow Albergers,
> > 
> > The Mermaid (3068305) had a disastrous dismasting in Lake Erie last Saturday
> > July 1st while under sail. We were on a hard port tack with about 10-15 knots
> > of wind with the rail in the water. It looks like the upper port shroud let
> > loose at the masthead and then the two port lower ones let loose. It was like
> > a rifle shot and it was all over in a few seconds. The mast folded and the
> > mast and sails dove off the boat, with very little damage to the deck and hull
> > except for a couple of deep scratches topside. We were about 3 miles off Port
> > Clinton, Ohio and were able to be towed in via Boat U.S. Needless to say, our
> > new main came through without any damage, and the jib had some small rub holes
> > in it which certainly can be repaired. The mast and the instrumentation at the
> > head, however, were trashed and the rigging will have to all be replaced.
> > There are also some rub marks on the starboard side of the hull where the mast
> > was rubbing while being towed.
> > 
> > I would like to hear some comments/suggestions from fellow Albergers who may
> > have experienced this same situation. Where might one purchase a new mast with
> > the same configuration, and what brand of turnbuckles and wire would be
> > appropriate for replacement? The boom was not damaged, but the gooseneck was
> > broken and will have to be replaced. What might one consider for upgrades
> > while we have this opportunity to do some things? We still have a wire main
> > halyard and most of the boat is original. We even have the original Kenyon
> > instruments.
> > 
> > We are still in the investigative stage of this accident without an estimate.
> > We do have a very capable full service marina, which I am very confident with,
> > handling the estimating and who will be doing most of the work,. Three years
> > ago we redid the deck on this boat and this same marina did an excellent job.
> > 
> > Needless to say, we are still in shock as to what happened to our lovely lady.
> > _______________________________________________
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