Module 20 - Special Situations Afloat
Rig Failure and Jury Rig
What you will learn
Control people, hull and propeller hazards after rig failure before deciding whether to retain, secure or cut damaged gear.
A dismasting creates moving loads, sharp wire, hull impact and propeller-fouling risks. Saving sails or building a jury rig comes after the casualty is stabilised and the threat chain is understood.
Account for crew, treat immediate injury and reduce propulsion. Keep people away from loaded or sweeping rigging and identify where the mast, spars and wire contact the hull. Night, sea state and deck access can make a theoretically simple action unsafe.
Control movement if possible and protect the hull from repeated impact. Before using the engine, establish that no line, sail or wire can reach the propeller or steering gear. A visual check from one side may not clear submerged rigging; do not put a person in the water beside an uncontrolled yacht to investigate.
Decide whether damaged gear can be secured, recovered or must be cut away. Cutting can remove a hull threat but also releases stored energy, creates sharp ends, loses useful material and may alter stability. State who controls each cut, where the released load will go and how crew stay out of that path.
A jury rig is a limited propulsion or stabilising arrangement using the remaining vessel-specific equipment. Its loads, sail area, attachment points and safe conditions must be assessed and tested progressively. It does not restore the yacht's original stability or structural assumptions, and a slow successful trial is not permission to resume the original offshore plan.
| Decision | Evidence needed | Main boundary |
|---|---|---|
| Retain | Gear is controlled and not damaging hull | Stored energy and renewed motion |
| Secure | Strong points and handling path are credible | Crew exposure and new structural loads |
| Cut | Ongoing threat exceeds release consequences | Load path, sharp wire and lost equipment |
| Use propulsion | Propeller/steering clear and control tested | Submerged fouling and hidden damage |
Choose retain, secure or cut
The mast is over the side, a shroud strikes the topsides and part of the sail disappears beneath the hull. The engine is available.
1. Stop the injury chain
Keep crew clear, reduce movement and treat casualties.
2. Map the rig
Identify hull contact, loaded members, submerged lines and likely propeller/steering reach.
3. Control each release
Secure or cut only with a planned load path and protected positions.
4. Prove propulsion
Use engine or jury rig only after fouling risk and achieved control are demonstrated progressively.
Sense check: An available engine is not usable propulsion while submerged rigging may still be in the propeller arc.
Common mistake or limitation
- Starting the engine before establishing where submerged sails, ropes and wire lie.
- Cutting every damaged stay immediately without controlling stored energy and the release path.
- Sending crew onto a deck with sweeping or loaded rigging to save equipment.
- Treating a jury rig as restoration of the yacht's original structural or passage capability.
Recap
- People, hull contact and fouling hazards come before equipment recovery.
- Retain, secure and cut are conditional decisions with different load paths.
- Propulsion is released only after submerged gear and control are checked.
- A jury rig is a limited, progressively tested fallback that changes the passage plan.
Optional quick check
Section 6 of 12
After dismasting, sail and wire disappear beneath the hull while the engine remains available. What is the strongest action?
Sources and factual review
Reviewed 20 August 2026 - Compass Revision editorial review.
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