When do you use a "storm jib"?

Okay, after writing for 30 minutes a beautiful piece of prose, it got dropped by a bad network connection. Argh. Here is the short rewrite!

1. A storm jib is for extreme winds.
2. We didn't have extreme winds.
3. Spreaders are really important to keep the mast from bending like spaghetti.
4. Our spreaders failed, so our mast took on a likeness to spaghetti. (photo 1)
5. We deviated from course to protect the mast and crew. (photo 2)
6. We climbed the mast 4x in 24h to rig extra supports using every winch on the boat.
7. We are using a storm jib to keep the loads down and manageable
8. We are still going to Antigua! Back to sailing again and beautiful conditions (25kn breeze, gusting 35kn. Moderate to large seas of 3-5m. We could do without the seas.

All safe and well and well-fed and in fine fettle on the good ship Sula bassana!Read more