Sydney to Hobart fix up mast by rigger Charlie Goodfellow saves day for David Gotze’s No Limit
An extraordinary repair by a 21-year-old on the high seas up a 10m swaying mast with a makeshift tool, which took three hours to fashion, saved the day for his Sydney to Hobart crew.
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An extraordinary aerial repair on the high seas up a swaying mast in Bass Strait with a makeshift tool that took three hours to fashion saved the day for a crew in the Sydney to Hobart.
The radical on-the-run repair meant David Gotze and his crew on No Limit could finish a Sydney to Hobart marred by the deaths of two competitors during a torrid first night and morning of the 628 nm race.
The well-planned and executed rescue mission to save the mast on the Victorian yacht saw the 52-footer claim fifth place across the finish line – but more importantly delivered all crew safely to Hobart.
“It was incredible. The crew did a great job,’’ skipper Gotze said.
And it was a 21-year-old, doing only his fourth Sydney to Hobart but surrounded by some of the most experienced ocean sailors in the country, who helped save the day.
A rigging screw fell out of the D2, which helps support mast, and fell into the water before being recovered back on board by the crew.
Sailing master Dave Allen said the crew then came up with a plan to try and repair the damage at sea.
Sailors were sent down below to fashion a makeshift spanner out of a file and other assorted materials that would help get the screw back into the mast for the running repair.
Gotze and others searched for a weather window where the wind and the sea state had abated and around three hours after the initial incident young rigger Charlie Goodfellow was sent up the mast with another crewmen to effect the repair.
“A little light spot was found, we got lucky, it just happened,” said Goodfellow.
“We slowed the boat down and I went up the mast about 10m with Lucas (Geddes).
“We wound the screw back into the mast with a special tool we made.
“It’s like a big nut that winds into the mast. I could start it by hand and then use the file thing we made to tighten it up. It took about half an hour.
“The boat was quite unstable but we were tied on the mast but we were still flinging around.
“It wasn’t really hairy. It was done safely, The boys came up with a really good plan.’’
Three days into the race there were 30 retirements and around 70 yachts still at sea in the 2024 event.
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Originally published as Sydney to Hobart fix up mast by rigger Charlie Goodfellow saves day for David Gotze’s No Limit
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