Measuring Standing rigging

[odeapt]

I am a little confused on how to measure my standing rigging. I read online to: take down the wire, reassemble it with the turnbuckle off the boat, and then measure from bearing surface to bearing surface with the turnbuckle at its original setting.

I did this and got 18' 7"



How does this help me determine the length of wire to cut? Shouldn't I measure from eye to eye on the swaged fitting? Also aren't you supposed to install the new wire with the turnbuckles 3/4 open to allow room for the initial stretch? So if i measure the old wire to the normal setting, wouldn't it be too long?

I am also replacing the turnbuckles, so would it be correct to add the difference in length between the existing turnbuckles and the new ones to the new length of wire?

[roverhi]

If you are going to use swaged ends, give the rigging shop that will make up the wire the center to center eye measurment of the existing wire and have the rigger do their thing. If you are going to use StaLoks, etc and do it yourself, you'll have to estimate the bury of the wire in the fitting and distance from the end of the wire to center of the eye. Easy to do but takes a bit of eyeballing. If you are changing turnbuckles, add or subtract from the wire length for the difference in length of the turnbuckles.

[Orion Jim]

Stretch in short wire lengths such as yours is minuscule. You can use this formula to calculate stretch.
https://www.ronstan.us/marine5/wirel...risontable.asp

[chris95040]

Originally Posted by odeapt

I am also replacing the turnbuckles, so would it be correct to add the difference in length between the existing turnbuckles and the new ones to the new length of wire?

Thats exactly why you might measure from bearing surface to bearing surface. If you are replacing turnbuckles, the length of the old one is inconsequential, yeah? You make up your new gear such that the bearing surface to bearing surface distance is the same. (Well, possibly a skootch shorter.)

Why be carrying around this extra unused measurement? This is even true if you aren't replacing the turnbuckle, since in all likelihood you'll want to reset the engagement of the turnbuckle and again its prior contribution to the length overall is completely meaningless.