Not a simple matter of new for old

[Stillraining]

Hey that looks like Dagmar's

[hellosailor]

If you keep "old" turnbuckles (old means what, 20 years?) and they are perfect when you inspect them now, will you reinspect them annually, or what?

The impression I've gotten in the past couple of years is that stainless turnbuckles, once they hit 15-20 years of age, are due for replacement the same way that old "perfectly good" rigging is. They may not show any cracks now--but in another year, or two or four? How frequently would you need to retest them, to trust them?

[ribbony]

Ouch - just good luck that that mast did not come down on the cat next door !

[ribbony]

We have no history on the vessel apart from when it was launched, 1983. The turnbuckles could be that old, who knows. They are at least 10 years old and are a long superseeded model.

[delmarrey]

Originally Posted by Stillraining

Hey that looks like Dagmar's

Yep! A power boaters paradises.

[ribbony]

The question is relevant to a: 35' steel multichined cruising yacht, 7ton, dual spreader (continuous wire) rig, about 12mt high off the deck. Cutter rig with inner forestay.

The current wires are all 5/16 (8mm) with the only exceptions being the uppers x 2 and the innerforestay x 1, that are 1/4" (6.4mm). There are 4 x lowers (2 fore & 2 aft).

The cap and upper shrouds on each side join at the bottom on a bridel plate that is pinned to the chainplate.



The question/s is this:

In a rig like this (designed 25 years ago) as we re-rig this now, would all these wires be kept the same or are there thoughts out there that some take a bigger load than others and so the rig dimensions can be tuned a bit by reducing some and increasing others ?

Do the lowers x 4 need to be as big a wire as the cap shrouds ?

Does the forestay or backstay take a bigger load ? Roler furler on forestay.

Some comments would be appreciated, or descriptions of similar rigs.