Equipment Failure Puzzler

[John Danicic]

Equipment Failure Puzzler

Ok all, let's liven things up.

Mariah is safely put away for the season. The leaves are done. I stacked the firewood by the back door and the Christmas lights are up. I am ready for snow. Also ready for this winter's sailing puzzler.

So here is a picture of a Cape Dory equipment failure from the last sail of the season.



Who out there in the Cape Dory participancy knows what this failure is associated with and how it happened? Also as a bonus. How to prevent its reoccurrence.

Now, If I told you about this, please hold your tongue. That mean you brother Paul.

Feel free to post your wild speculations. Any ideas?

[Oswego John]

My flat out answer is "I don't know"

It would help me (and others) if I knew a few things. What size wire rope is it? It doesn't look to be galvanized.


It appears that it is the result of an overload strain. But, then again, the parting isn't in the center of the eye, more to one side of center.

Hmmm, could this have been caused by abrasion?

Thanks a lot for the puzzle, John. Now I'm going to lose lots of sleep thinking of the answer to this poser.

Wild, far out guess. Maybe part of a mooring? Doh. No, I'm going to change that and guess it's part of the steering mechanism.

Well, one thing. The Nicopress didn't fail.

O J

[Jerry Hammernik]

Looks like it took a side impact. Would help to know a bit more about the piece and where it is used.

[tjr818]

Perhaps an accidental gybe?

[Russell]

Not many places wire loop is used on a CD36. I am thinking main outhaul, but why it failed I have no idea.

[Maine_Buzzard]

Rudder quadrant? The crimp in the thimble is a puzzle, as it would take a few thousand pounds to squeeze it that flat.

I'd say abrasion on a metal bracket ate the wire away.

Could have been an interesting tack!

[bottomscraper]

I assume the bent thing at the bottom of the picture was the
thimble. Damage was caused by external pressure/impact
not wear or tension normally applied. The only other location
that I can think of besides the outhaul is the topping lift and
that is what my guess is. I guess one possibility is if the
shackle of the block somehow got twisted so that it wasn't
pulling on the thimble. Solution: a block with a real swivel, like Harken?

[Ed Haley]

To me, it looks like galvanic action between the SS cable and some metal that composed the fastener that attached the cable to the stanchion.

Could the action be hastened by being enclosed by tape?

[rtbates]

I'd venture to guess it's the 90 degree turn caused by the thimble..

[M. R. Bober]

Well the thimble sure looks deformed. I think it is steering cable, but can't figure the cause

Mitchell Bober
Sunny Lancaster, (Where it is a great day for being outdoors.) VA

[mike ritenour]

Too many sundowners and not enough lookee see at the gear

Kidding aside, looks like too much of a load on the wire coupled with some galvanic action.

[ronkberg]

Looks like the cable was fried by a lightning strike.

IMHO.....Ron

[Jim_B]

and did pulling the boom vang down break it.....?

[John Nebilak]

How about the pendant on the stays'l. But I can not figure out how it would brake.

[Paul D.]

As the brother, I know what it is. But instead I will only say that my thirty year old Benmar Coursesetter 21 was sent off to Benmar for refurbishment in a forty pound box today. After three seasons of 360's whilst on autopilot, next season bodes well for cleaning and varnishing under way.

This has nothing to do with the puzzler, sorry, but there is a vague hint in the message.