Practical Sailor's gear and boat reviews take the guesswork out of your buying decisions.

Volume 27
Number 22
November 15, 2001

Emergency Rigging Cutters

The new Toolova Shootit 12 is a no-brainer at the high end—it cuts wire and rod almost like butter. At the low end, the old hacksaw does pretty well, too, given a proper supply of brawn and elbow grease.

Left to right: Felco's muscle-
powered Cable Cutters, Huskie
Tools' hydraulic cutters, and the
gunpowder-powered Toolova
Shootit 12.

Dismasting is right up there among a sailor's worst nightmares. When a mast comes down at sea, no matter how or why, there's tremendous potential for further damage. Few things will sink a boat quicker than the end of a mast holing your vessel. Speed is of the essence when such a calamity occurs, and the number-one priority is getting rid of the danger as quickly, and safely, as possible.

In most circumstances on most boats, the quickest and safest way to accomplish this is to remove the clevis pins securing the rigging, either by simply pulling them out (if they aren't under load) or knocking them out with a drift…

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