In a storm at sea why would you cut down a yachts mast? Thanks

Question

In a storm at sea why would you cut down a yachts mast? Thanks

Answer 1

One reason is that the wind blowing on the mast acts like a lever to turn the boat over.

Also, the mass of the mast affects the stability of the boat - it moves the moment of inertia upwards, and when the boat is rocking from side-to-side it will move the horizontal center of gravity outwards.

While these factors increase the chance of the boat rolling over, depending on how well the vessel is constructed and what it's made of, there could potentially be the chance of the mast breaking loose and either being lost, or the mast pulling on the boat if it's still attached.

-Throughout the age of sail this was a particularly important problem for ocean-going vessels, as losing a mast (especially the main mast) could greatly affect the speed of the ship.

Answer 2

Modern yachts carry equipment to cut away mast after they have already broken (demasted).  A mast that breaks will still be attched by the stainles steel rigging.  It will then bang against the bost hole it. Cutting equipment is carried to cut the rigging and let the mast go free (or perhaps recover).  It would be very dangerous to cut down a mast and there are no circumstances when this would be safer than the alternative of leaving it up.

Answer 3

Good answers, but no explaination of why one would cut down a mast on purpose.

As a counter weight to the mast is the keel. A sail boat should be able to weather a storm if all is in balance. If for some reason the keel was gone, (they can literally fall off in some circumstances) there would be no counter weight and the boat would roll, possibly staying inverted.

That's the only time I think one would intentionally get rid of the boats main source of propulsion.

Answer 4

Splinter has the answer.

There is still enough surface area there to roll a boat over.

We have two sailboats on lifts at our dock and each one has rolled over in its lift, just from gale force winds during a storm.

It is all about reducing your exposure to the storm

Answer 5

One should NOT cut down the masts on a sailing yacht at sea.

Reason:  the mast gives support for being able to ride out a sea, either heaving to or with a riding sail.  it also reduces roll as a counter balance.

If a yacht were to roll, breaking the mast, and rigging, one then would want to cut the mast(s) free, away from the vessel to prevent damage caused by the errant rigging.

Answer 6

You would never, never cut DOWN a sailing vessel's masts at sea. If the boat were dismasted by a storm or a broach, you might well need to cut the mast AWAY.  

Answer 7

As you can see by the answers so far, there are many opinions.  but note several have possible good reasons to do so, like broken or fouled mast and or sails.  In a storm, gale force winds or higher, there might be a good reason to cut away the mast. but I've never found myself in that situation, and I've been in high winds.

Answer 8

I'm assuming your talking about a sail powered ship.

The reason you cut the mast down in extremely severe storms is:

1) Masts weigh a great deal. Having that much weight sway from side to side a few dozen feet above the ship can dramatically change the center of gravity.  This can raise the risk of capsizing even when there is a counterweight.

2) Masts catch wind even without sails.  This exacerbates the pressure and force pushing from side to side.  

Answer 9

WOW !

More inland lake and coastal sailors here then I thought... Humm - So close, but, so far away...

Fact is... every USCG Deep Water Sailing Safety course advises that any sailor on an Ocean Passage, should have two sets of large steel wire cutters, and a couple of good strong hacksaws with lots of new blades... (course, I include the rechargeable - electric chainsaws - that make a quick release of your mast, be in wood, aluminum or steel...

Now the question as I understand it Is... in a storm at sea - WHY would a sailor CUT down his mast?

I can think of only one... and It is the only reason I have ever heard of or read about...

     A good, smart sailor suddenly "caught" in a storm would first take all his sails down, (and off - stowed away - if he could) if he knew he had no chance to run.  The wind alone is not going to heel over a bare masted ocean going sailing ship. It just won't happen.  However, If the storm tore off or destroyed his "rudder" he then has no directional control of his vessel... the wind and waves will turn the ship abeam and it will be the "seas" breaking over and on top of him that would knock his vessel over - not the wind.

If he can cut the mast off, (along with all the rigging) with a deep keeled heavey displacement hull - he would just simple be as a bottle floating in the ocean - the vessel would for the most part, remain right side up...   it would just bounce around a bit with the action of the waves.

    In an Ocean Passage (heavy displacement) sailboat - losing the "keel" is losing the boat, your going to sink and you are going to sink really fast. You would not have time to cut off the mast.

(In fact, that very thing just happened here in Galveston, Tx a few weeks ago involving Texas A&M students out with two sailing instructors. It all happened so fast in fact, one of the sailing instructors lost his life - as he could not get out of the cabin fast enough.

Answer 10

I wouldn't as a sailor A boat can sail under a bare mast so you would have steerage and control and since the mast is the counter balance to the keel> removal of the mast would make the boat exstreamly unstable And unsea wearthy>>

Answer 11

so the wind doesn't catch in it and you won't get blown over.