Dismasting
Dismasting occurs to a sailing ship when one or more of the masts responsible for hoisting the sails that propel the vessel is broken or overturned, but the hull itself is still upright and seaworthy. Dismasting usually occurs as the result of high winds during a storm acting upon masts, sails, rigging, and spars. Dismasting does not necessarily impair the vessel's ability to stay afloat, but rather its ability to move under sail power.
Modern masts are usually made of aluminum, carbon fibre, or other high-strength materials. These masts are subject to huge forces and tensions during high wind, large seas, or racing situations, and it is not uncommon even today for modern masts to be lost. Modern sailing vessels usually carry an internal combustion engine as a secondary means of propulsion, so the loss of sail power is often not a serious concern.
The broken masts, sails, rigging, and spars can fall overboard and act as an enormous sea anchor. This creates heavy drag on the hull which, in combination with high winds, might capsize the ship. If possible, rigging would be cut free from a dismasted ship in order to stabilize the hull.
Under such conditions, the crew might fashion makeshift masts and sails from spare materials carried aboard. This would allow limited propulsion and navigational control. If the ship managed to make landfall near forests with suitable wood, new masts could be constructed from the locally available material. The masts of a sailing ship should be regularly inspected and replaced if necessary due to storm damage and normal wear. Most ocean-going ships would carry a large supply of rope, sailcloth, and even spars for ordinary and extraordinary repairs. It is often possible to use part of the broken mast to create a jury rig. Spinnaker poles and mizzen booms may even be used. A man-of-war would expect to carry out additional repairs due to battle damage.
In Herman Melville's seminal novel, "Moby Dick," Captain Ahab is said to have been, "...dismasted off Japan," alluding to Ahab's leg having been taken off by the white whale and replaced with a polished whale-bone peg-leg. "but like his dismasted craft, he shipped another mast without coming home for it. He has a quiver of 'em."