When Rig Comes Crashing Down, Rental EPRIB Calls for Help

SOUTHPORT, NC — Last Saturday morning, the 36-foot catamaran “Cata-Tonic” was 80 miles southeast of Southport, NC in a 20-knot breeze when without warning, the boat’s mast and rig suddenly crashed down on deck, dangerously spilling sails, mast and rigging into the sea. While none of the three sailors aboard were injured, the tangled mess soon became more than a simple inconvenience when it began to drag underneath the boat, its sails catching the sea, threatening to capsize the boat or punch a hole in the hulls.
The loss of the mast also meant the loss of the boat’s VHF radio antenna. The captain then did what most sailors hope they never have to do: he activated the BoatUS Foundation rental Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB), and grabbed a handheld VHF to call a mayday, knowing that the little radio may not have the power or range to be heard from so far out to sea. “Redundancy is essential for offshore passagemaking,” said owner Jon Rodnon. “But we didn’t see any vessels on the horizon, and we were 40 miles offshore and 80 miles to the nearest port.” Read more
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