Short answer

After a dismasting, account for everyone on board and treat injuries first, then stop the wreckage holing the hull. Secure the rig alongside if it can be controlled, or cut it away if it is holing the vessel. Protect the propeller before using the engine, then assess flooding, communicate your situation and only then consider recovery.

People first, then the hull, then the rig. A mast over the side is dangerous but recoverable; a holed hull and an injured crew are not. Account for everybody immediately — a dismasting can put someone over the side without anyone noticing in the noise.

The immediate hazard is the spar working against the hull in a seaway. A mast alongside acts like a battering ram. Either control it against the hull with lines and fenders, or cut it free — that judgement depends on sea state, the damage happening, and whether the wreckage can be managed safely.

Never start the engine until the propeller is protected. Loose halyards, sheets and wire go straight to the propeller, and losing propulsion converts a serious situation into a far worse one. Account for every line over the side first.

Communicate early. Report your situation and position while you still have power and options, rather than after conditions deteriorate. See how to make an emergency rigging repair and how to check a rig after a grounding.

Step by step

  1. Account for the crew

    Check everybody on board immediately and treat injuries. A dismasting can put a person overboard unnoticed.

  2. Assess hull damage

    Check for holing and flooding where the spar and fittings struck the deck and topsides.

  3. Control or cut away

    Secure the rig alongside with lines and fenders, or cut it free if it is holing the hull.

  4. Protect the propeller

    Account for every line and wire over the side before the engine is started.

  5. Communicate

    Report situation, position and intentions early, while power and options remain.

  6. Consider recovery last

    Only attempt to recover the spar when people, hull and propulsion are secure.

Key facts

Order of priority
Crew, then hull integrity, then propulsion, then the rig
Main hull risk
The spar working against the topsides in a seaway
Before starting the engine
Account for every line over the side
Afterwards
A full structural inspection before the yacht sails again

Full background: read the guide

Primary sources

Regulatory statements are checked against primary sources rather than secondary summaries. See the editorial policy.