Log in
When a C&C 34 Gooseneck Breaks: How Salvage Kept a 40-Year-Old Race Boat Sailing
Owning and racing a classic sailboat like a C&C 34 comes with a unique challenge: when critical hardware fails, replacement parts are often obsolete, unavailable, or impossible to find new.
That reality hit hard when a crew’s gooseneck snapped during a race, instantly turning a competitive day on the water into a test of seamanship and problem-solving.
Instead of retiring, the crew finished the race under headsail alone — a testament to both the boat and the sailors aboard.
🎥 Watch the Full Repair & Race Story
(This video documents the failure, the search for parts, the repair, and the winning return race.)
The Real Issue: Obsolete C&C 34 Sailboat Parts
After the race, the real problem became clear. The boat is over 40 years old, and the original gooseneck design for the C&C 34 hasn’t been manufactured in decades.
The crew searched:
-
New-part suppliers
-
Boat shows
-
Online marketplaces
Nothing matched.
That’s when they reached out to Anchors & Oars / SailboatParts.com, asking if we might have something that could work.
How Sailboat Parts Salvage Saves Classic Boats
In our yard, we inventory thousands of used sailboat parts, including masts, booms, and hardware pulled from boats that would otherwise be scrapped.
In this case, we had a compatible gooseneck still mounted on a mast. I cut it off personally, measured it, and sent photos to confirm it could be adapted.
Here are a few examples of goosenecks we have: Goosenecks
It wasn’t a perfect bolt-on replacement — but with older boats, the right question is often:
“Can this be made to work safely?”
The answer here was yes.
Making a Salvage Gooseneck Work
After a local machinist fell through on fabricating a custom part, the salvaged gooseneck became the solution. With careful modification, it was fitted to the boom and mast.
This is the reality of vintage sailboat ownership:
-
New parts aren’t always available
-
Custom fabrication isn’t always affordable
-
Salvage often provides the strongest, fastest solution
Back to Racing — and Winning
Just weeks later, the boat returned for the 2026 season opener under brutal conditions:
-
Sustained winds over 22 knots
-
Heavy seas
-
Night sailing past unlit oil rigs
Exactly the kind of environment that exposes weak hardware.
The modified gooseneck performed flawlessly.
The result?
🏆 First place in the working sails class
Why Used Sailboat Parts Matter
Stories like this are why we do what we do.
Sailboat salvage isn’t about compromise — it’s about preserving strong, well-built hardware and keeping classic boats competitive, safe, and sailing.
If you’re restoring, cruising, or racing a classic sailboat and can’t find the part you need, there’s a good chance it already exists — you just need to know where to look.
📍 Anchors & Oars / SailboatParts.com
Keeping classic boats on the water, one part at a time.