Not a good day.... Now I need help

[dewaegep]

Well, yesterday was not a good day!
For the first time since I have my boat (remember that I restore an abandoned Capri 14.2 see post http://www.capri14.org/forum/phenomenal-day-t2117.html) the wind was a sustain 12 -15 knts from SE, and also some waves, so I was exiting.
It was the first time for my partner to step sail boat, but he is working on offshore platform, so I was confident that he have good nerves and can stay calm in adverse conditions. My 7 year old son was part of the trip.
We start on the lake side of the Island, and i instruct my partner in the sailing operations. He was managing the JIB. My son as very happy with all those waves and the boat going fast.
At around 2.5 km from the beach, i decide to go back. We tak with some difficulties, because it was the first time for my friend to realize such maneuver, but I anticipate all the errors and then explain him what he did wrong.
We spend around 5 minute and then i heard a terrible sound, like a big bang. Things append very fast, the boat become instable, I jump inside the cockpit, my friend also, and the i realize that the mast was in the water.
Nobody was hit, everybody´s fine, but we were still in the middle of the lake, with no sails, the mast in the water, but we were still in the boat as we didn't capsize.
So, we start to recover the sails and put them in the cabin, so we have more space in the cockpit to maneuver. We put the mast and boomvang on the boat, and we start rowing to the beach. My gps show more than 1.5 kilometers to row.....not an easy thing to do on a Capri with waves.
at the end, a Fisherman with a motor boat show us, and trow us to the beach.
Ok, now, I have a broken mast. I discover that the rivets that fix the piece that attach the mast to the stay (I don't know how you call it) were broken. (see photo). Originaly, this piece had 2 small rivets to fix it, I replace them with new larger ones and those broken.
How do you fix this piece to the mast? Can you send some photos?
But worst is the base of the mast, (see photo), it is broken and need to repair it. If I cut the mast, I will loose 3 inches, So I would like to ear from you some idea on how to repair it without loosing any inches, if it´s possible.
Thanks for your help.
Patrick

[kdub]

I have stepped my mast twice because the stay cables broke. One time the bracket was ripped out of the deck and the second time the mast broke at the base like yours. I just hammered the bracket back into shape and cut a bit off the bottom of the mast. Then created a custom teak plug for the bottom of the mast. The top of the stay cables are connected by similar steel plates on mine, but not rivited, stainless steel screws are used to secure the steel plates. Bring plate into the sail-shop and have them remake a new stay that is a bit shorter and they can make the end of the cable permanently attached to that plate, then screw that into your mast.