A couple weeks ago I went to the Sail Oklahoma "Messabout" on Lake Eufala and met Charlie Huie there, who is from near Little Rock and has also built a Pocketship.
Here's Charlie sailing his boat on our second day there. It was really windy the first day we went out--bad idea. I went aground once and wound up with a hematoma from wrestling it back afloat. When we got to the rendezvous site, it turned out to be on a lee shore. Had to have help getting out of there.
This is our "next door" camper, Al Stead, who came down from Minnesota. Al went along in my boat the second day and taught me a heck of a lot about sailing in a very short time.
Here comes the bad news (other than my hematoma and trip to the ER, etc.). After Charlie helped me get my boat back on the trailer, I headed off to our campsite to help him with his--maybe 200 feet away. I was not expecting overhead power lines and learned about them the hard way.
As the mast fell, the bowsprit was ripped in half. Luckily it was ripped longitudinally so I should be able to just glue it back together and get some more use out of it.
The breasthook came out with the bowsprit. I was planning to redo it some day anyhow, just not so soon!
What's left of the breasthook, which we finally found inside the cabin. I also damaged the tabernacle, but it was temporary anyway until I can get some white oak to replace it with. Again, just not so soon.
I ordered a portable garage to do the repairs in and assembled it yesterday. Will need to keep exposed areas out of the weather, and will have to keep epoxy sections warm from time-to-time.
Here's poor Gaia, sans bowsprit and breasthook, inside the "garage." You can't see the damage to the tabernacle, but the wood was ripped out above the pivot holes. I can't find any damage to the mast other than a few dings. Would much rather replace the tabernacle than the mast--glad it is only bolted in. I see no reason to glue the replacement tabernacle in either--all the lateral strain is taken up by the shrouds and forestay.
