Not SAILING South our Mast has to come down [E310]
13 October 2024 · 24 min · 1K views · St. Marys, Georgia
What this video covers
A cracked backstay fitting discovered during a routine pre-departure inspection forces Alex and Cory to abandon a planned Bahamas run and reverse course north to St. Mary's Boat Services for a full re-rig.0:32 The crack — a lengthwise fracture at the threaded ball connection — is the deciding factor, but the underlying issue is that Wildly Intrepid's rig is original and overdue for replacement.1:16 The job costs roughly $10,000 and involves converting from rod rigging to wire, a switch chosen because rod rigging has few certified service providers and wire allows DIY repairs when something fails offshore.8:11 En route to St. Mary's, a serpentine belt begins shredding on one side; Alex diagnoses misaligned alternator pulleys and adds a washer to shift the alternator inboard.4:13 Navigation into the St. Mary's lift area requires timing arrivals to high tide — a six-foot tidal range leaves the well nearly dry at low water — and following a single shallow channel.11:44 The mast comes down without incident, though the crew must exit the well quickly before the tide drops.16:22 A leaking mast boot will be replaced with Spartite two-part compound.15:41 The family leaves the boat over Christmas to visit family in Jacksonville.18:39 A cracked fitting on original rod rigging is sufficient reason to re-rig before an offshore passage, not after.
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