Metengr:
You are right on the above points.
This sailboat is a monohull. When sailing with the wind on the side (on a reach as was the point of sail when failure occured), as the forces increase (a gust for example) the boat leans (the mast is not anchored like a wind turbine). As the boat...
Swall:
The light colored region at the lower right corner of the fracture is definitely very white, while the rest of the fracture is a very dark grey. And you are right, a galvanized angle is bolted on the casting, I need to check if the white around the bolt is corrosion or some type of...
Attached are the pictures.
On the main casting on the right, under the blue and green ropes, the fracture is grey just like on the left. But below the ropes you can see that the fracture is white...
I will try to post some pictures.
I am wondering the different colors at the fracture.
Galvanic corrosion is a problem in boats: Aluminium structural members with stainless steel fasteners. However, in this case the fracture was not near a stainless fitting.
Walt
I was sailing on a boat this weekend. The wind was about 20 knots; therefore, the potential loads are high but not extreme. We only had the jib up (front sail), did not use the main sail; therefore, the loads should not have been that high. I am sure the boat has seen higher loads in the past...
