Kennedy Sr. and Jr.

A question for Mike Jr. I was wondering if your dad made you sit in the corner or took away your allowance or something when you left pieces of the boat all over the ocean. :- ] Cheers Charlie

--- In Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com, "Husar, Charlie [USA]" <husar_charlie@...> wrote: > > A question for Mike Jr. > > I was wondering if your dad made you sit in the corner or took away your > allowance or something when you left pieces of the boat all over the > ocean. :- ] > > Cheers > Charlie > I'll let him answer that but he was 16 when he went on the Transpac with me. I think he was 17 when they lost the rig. I will say that he and Byron, who was the paid hand at the time, were the only two in the crew who did not become immediately seasick when the rig went and they were left in 25 knot wind and 20 foot seas at 0 dark hundred. As I heard the story, Byron hung Mike Jr over the side by his legs with a hacksaw to cut away the rigging when the bolt cutters wouldn't cut the rod. Of course, when they pulled into the Isthmus at Catalina after dawn, they found everybody else had withdrawn from the race. They were the only ones who had kept going in the conditions. Mike Kennedy Sr Conquest Ca 40 # 96 PS. I think he has the same tenacity in the court room. At least on one occasion, I understand, the opposing counsel checked himself into a psych hospital and told them he didn't want to be a lawyer anymore. Mike got high fives from his office the following Monday.

Mike, you still didn't tell me if you took away his allowance. :- ] Cheers Charlie From: Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com [mailto:Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of mtkennedy1 Sent: Monday, December 17, 2007 12:13 AM To: Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com Subject: [Cal_Boats] Re: Kennedy Sr. and Jr. --- In Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com, "Husar, Charlie [USA]" <husar_charlie@...> wrote: > > A question for Mike Jr. > > I was wondering if your dad made you sit in the corner or took away > your allowance or something when you left pieces of the boat all over the > ocean. :- ] > > Cheers > Charlie > I'll let him answer that but he was 16 when he went on the Transpac with me. I think he was 17 when they lost the rig. I will say that he and Byron, who was the paid hand at the time, were the only two in the crew who did not become immediately seasick when the rig went and they were left in 25 knot wind and 20 foot seas at 0 dark hundred. As I heard the story, Byron hung Mike Jr over the side by his legs with a hacksaw to cut away the rigging when the bolt cutters wouldn't cut the rod. Of course, when they pulled into the Isthmus at Catalina after dawn, they found everybody else had withdrawn from the race. They were the only ones who had kept going in the conditions. Mike Kennedy Sr Conquest Ca 40 # 96 PS. I think he has the same tenacity in the court room. At least on one occasion, I understand, the opposing counsel checked himself into a psych hospital and told them he didn't want to be a lawyer anymore. Mike got high fives from his office the following Monday. Yahoo! Groups Links

Well, my only allowance was earned by doing my chores, which at the time involved working in and delivering the boat to the next race. Without a mast the boat didn't go anywhere for a while, so the allowance kind of took care of itself. You can only wax the hull so many times... I will say that when the mast goes over the side, keep in mind that bolt cutters and hacksaws won't cut the rod-just pull the pins at the chainplates. You'll still need to cut the halyards. Been through that twice, and for some reason it always happens in big breeze late at night. --- In Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com, "Husar, Charlie [USA]" <husar_charlie@...> wrote: > > Mike, you still didn't tell me if you took away his allowance. :- ] > > Cheers > Charlie > > -----Original Message----- > From: Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com [mailto:Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com] On > Behalf Of mtkennedy1 > Sent: Monday, December 17, 2007 12:13 AM > To: Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com > Subject: [Cal_Boats] Re: Kennedy Sr. and Jr. > > --- In Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com, "Husar, Charlie [USA]" > <husar_charlie@> wrote: > > > > A question for Mike Jr. > > > > I was wondering if your dad made you sit in the corner or took away > > your allowance or something when you left pieces of the boat all over > the > > ocean. :- ] > > > > Cheers > > Charlie > > > > I'll let him answer that but he was 16 when he went on the Transpac with > me. I think he was 17 when they lost the rig. I will say that he and > Byron, who was the paid hand at the time, were the only two in the crew > who did not become immediately seasick when the rig went and they were > left in 25 knot wind and 20 foot seas at 0 dark hundred. As I heard the > story, Byron hung Mike Jr over the side by his legs with a hacksaw to > cut away the rigging when the bolt cutters wouldn't cut the rod. > > Of course, when they pulled into the Isthmus at Catalina after dawn, > they found everybody else had withdrawn from the race. They were the > only ones who had kept going in the conditions. > > Mike Kennedy Sr > Conquest Ca 40 # 96 > > > PS. I think he has the same tenacity in the court room. At least on one > occasion, I understand, the opposing counsel checked himself into a > psych hospital and told them he didn't want to be a lawyer anymore. Mike > got high fives from his office the following Monday. > > > > > > > > > Yahoo! Groups Links >

michaelkennedy05 wrote: > > > I will say that when the mast goes over the side, keep in mind that > bolt cutters and hacksaws won't cut the rod-just pull the pins at the > chainplates. > What's the problem--is the rod rigging just too hard, or too large a diameter, or what? A few years back the local hardware store had one of those big tables of cheapo imported tools, and I bought a bolt cutter for maybe $9.00 to put aboard for emergency rigging cutting. I figured that even if it only worked once, it was worth it. But I have wire standing rigging and figure that it ought to master that easily. Rod rigging is way too high tech for my Cal 20, which gets hauled every fall, and for my other boat, too, and none of the big newer boats I've sailed on has had to worry about cutting its rod rigging (knock on wood). So tell why you can't cut the stuff. Chris Campbell

--- In Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com, Chris Campbell <clcampbell@...> wrote: > > michaelkennedy05 wrote: > > > > > > I will say that when the mast goes over the side, keep in mind that > > bolt cutters and hacksaws won't cut the rod-just pull the pins at the > > chainplates. > > > > > > > > > What's the problem--is the rod rigging just too hard, or too large a > diameter, or what? The stainless is just too hard. I had both a bolt cutter and a hacksaw aboard but apparently neither would do it. I had forgotten that part but you read it from the horse's mouth. I was just so happy everybody was OK that the rest sort of glided by. Once the rig was gone, only it was not gone, just bouncing under the hull, the motion made all the crew except Mike and Byron sea sick. If anyone had gone overboard then it would have been really bad because sheets and halyards were streamed all around the hull. Starting the engine then would have instantly fouled the prop. The kids told me they could see the masthead light still lit under the water on the windward side of the boat. The mast was wrapped around the hull and the boat was drifting downwind rapidly. Mike Kennedy Sr Conquest Cal 40 # 96 >

Having been involved in a few dis-mastings, all in nasty weather and each on a nearly-new boat, I just want to confirm what "the Mikes" have written. Do not rely on bolt cutters. Have a good "HEAVY" hammer and a solid drift-pin to remove the pins at the chain-plates. As the break in the aluminum is often not clean, you will need a hack-saw and possibly several blades to cut it away. Fin Beven ----- Original Message ----- From: mtkennedy1<mailto:mt… [at] cox.net> To: Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com<mailto:Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com> Sent: Monday, December 17, 2007 12:47 PM Subject: [Cal_Boats] Re: Kennedy Sr. and Jr. --- In Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com<mailto:Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com>, Chris Campbell <clcampbell@...> wrote: > > michaelkennedy05 wrote: > > > > > > I will say that when the mast goes over the side, keep in mind that > > bolt cutters and hacksaws won't cut the rod-just pull the pins at the > > chainplates. > > > > > > > > > What's the problem--is the rod rigging just too hard, or too large a > diameter, or what? The stainless is just too hard. I had both a bolt cutter and a hacksaw aboard but apparently neither would do it. I had forgotten that part but you read it from the horse's mouth. I was just so happy everybody was OK that the rest sort of glided by. Once the rig was gone, only it was not gone, just bouncing under the hull, the motion made all the crew except Mike and Byron sea sick. If anyone had gone overboard then it would have been really bad because sheets and halyards were streamed all around the hull. Starting the engine then would have instantly fouled the prop. The kids told me they could see the masthead light still lit under the water on the windward side of the boat. The mast was wrapped around the hull and the boat was drifting downwind rapidly. Mike Kennedy Sr Conquest Cal 40 # 96 > Yahoo! Groups Links

mtkennedy1 wrote: > > - Once the rig > was gone, only it was not gone, just bouncing under the hull, the > motion made all the > crew except Mike and Byron sea sick. If anyone had gone overboard then > it would have > been really bad because sheets and halyards were streamed all around > the hull. Starting > the engine then would have instantly fouled the prop. The kids told me > they could see the > masthead light still lit under the water on the windward side of the > boat. The mast was > wrapped around the hull and the boat was drifting downwind rapidly. > I would rather acquire knowledge of such things at second hand! It's interesting that non-sailors have greater faith in engines than in sails. They don't realize that the sails give us additional stability. Not having a rig is something I only experience twice a year, at launch and at haul out (I launch and then we step the mast later)--and then only in calm conditions. The boat has a different motion even then. I'll take Mike Jr.'s word for it about being mastless in seas. Chris Campbell

--- In Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com, "Fin Beven" <finbeven@...> wrote: > > Having been involved in a few dis-mastings, all in nasty weather and each on a nearly-new boat, I just want to confirm what "the Mikes" have written. Do not rely on bolt cutters. Have a good "HEAVY" hammer and a solid drift-pin to remove the pins at the chain-plates. As the break in the aluminum is often not clean, you will need a hack-saw and possibly several blades to cut it away. > > Fin Beven Exactly. And the halyards and wires powering masthead lights, instruments, etc need to be cut as well (this is where the bolt cutters/hacksaws are handy). One other thing to keep in mind; after you cut the rig away, the sheets attached to any sails going down with the rig need to be released as well. We lost the rig on an SC70 once and the last thing to go were the spin sheets. I let the last sheet go and it was like a weed-eater as it spun on the winch as the rig started to sink. We sent everyone below before doing this to make sure no loose lines grabbed anyone on the way over the side-if something snares your ankle when you send the rig, you aren't going to tread water very long with the whole mast, sails, rigging hanging off of your leg. One other trick to remember: the rig falls to leeward and the hull drifts onto the mast. The broken mast, spreaders, etc. would like nothing more than to poke a hole in the hull, and remember it's midnight and blowing 35. Not an ideal time to get into the raft (and I'm already in enough trouble with Dad without sinking the boat). It takes a while to cut away the rig, so put the helm all the way over and lash it there while you're working. This causes the hull to rotate around to leeward of the mast, which is now acting as a drogue (keeping beam to the big seas, with the keel swinging the hull around and no mast to counter-balance. Now the vomiting starts). Make sure you lash the tiller to the side opposite the mast (i.e. mast falls to port, tiller lashed to starboard). Once the hull rotates to leeward of the mast it will stay there (remember it's blowing 35) and the hull drifting downwind of the mast will keep them mostly apart. > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: mtkennedy1<mailto:mtkennedy1@...> > To: Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com<mailto:Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com> > Sent: Monday, December 17, 2007 12:47 PM > Subject: [Cal_Boats] Re: Kennedy Sr. and Jr. > > > --- In Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com<mailto:Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com>, Chris Campbell <clcampbell@> wrote: > > > > michaelkennedy05 wrote: > > > > > > > > > I will say that when the mast goes over the side, keep in mind that > > > bolt cutters and hacksaws won't cut the rod-just pull the pins at the > > > chainplates. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > What's the problem--is the rod rigging just too hard, or too large a > > diameter, or what? > > The stainless is just too hard. I had both a bolt cutter and a hacksaw aboard but > apparently neither would do it. I had forgotten that part but you read it from the horse's > mouth. I was just so happy everybody was OK that the rest sort of glided by. Once the rig > was gone, only it was not gone, just bouncing under the hull, the motion made all the > crew except Mike and Byron sea sick. If anyone had gone overboard then it would have > been really bad because sheets and halyards were streamed all around the hull. Starting > the engine then would have instantly fouled the prop. The kids told me they could see the > masthead light still lit under the water on the windward side of the boat. The mast was > wrapped around the hull and the boat was drifting downwind rapidly. > > Mike Kennedy Sr > Conquest Cal 40 # 96 > > > > > > > > > > Yahoo! Groups Links >