The USCG investigation team was able to identify a series of factors that caused the demasting, key of which was severe internal rot of the mainmast due to fungal growth. The rot significantly weakened the structural integrity of the mast, making it prone to failure under stress, they concluded.


Notably, Grace Bailey’s Douglas fir masts had almost all sapwood removed during lathing, and the remaining sapwood at the upper portion of the mast had been removed during final shaping. And while a properly treated sapwood shell is essential for preventing decay in grown Douglas fir masts, the owner and operator of the schooner had failed to implement effective preservative treatment.


“Grace Bailey’s masts did not undergo anti-fungal treatment, leaving heartwood unprotected from fungal colonization,” states the report, adding that checks, ideally limited to a treated sapwood shell, penetrated unprotected heartwood, allowing continual moisture intrusion into the mast interior.


The report also criticizes the inspection methods on the schooner, concluding that they lacked depth due to safety constraints. They report that they primarily relied on visual inspections from deck level. Alternative methods like lift cranes were not used.


Following the release of the report, the USCG has issued nine recommendations to prevent mast collapses in the future. Among them is broad collaboration between the agency and the sailing industry to identify wooden mast material characteristics and conditions that can precede, influence, or contribute to fungal decay.


The Grace Bailey was restored and certified by the USCG. She has returned to the seas for her summer cruises.


Grace Bailey from starboard after dismasting. Source: Maine Marine Patrol


Foremast rot identified during survey, November 23, 2022. Source: Maine Design report of survey


Undated Photo of Schooner Grace Bailey. Source: USCG


Read the report and recommendations at https://bit.ly/4mofGKS


Grace Bailey mainmast, October 19, 2023


THE REPORT | SEP 2025 | ISSUE 113 | 113


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