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Old 23-05-2017, 00:00   #1
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Rigging Knowledge - Where do you get yours?

I'm curious where some of you other wizened folk turn when looking to self-educate (or formally educate) when it comes to rigging? Be it websites, books, riggers, or other?

I know I've learned a heck of a lot from Brion Toss; live, & via text, a good big from the Dashew's, plenty from my racing & boat care mates, other riggers, and of course, hands on experience. Not to mention CF. However, it'd be nice to have several other core sources of rigging info. Particularly information codified into concentrated form such as books, or perhaps rigging websites.

Since for me, learning things peacemeal, from various multiple internet sources, kinda' sucks. Especially since you have to also evaluate if the person writing the tip or article is full of BS or not, & which part. So it'd be nice to have a thread here where folks list their top 5 (or however many) go to rigging info tomes. I know that I'd surely appreciate seeing lists of folks foundational rigging informational sources.

Thanks!

PS: Comments from those who've actually been apprentice, journeymen, or master riggers would be appreciated, & then some.
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Old 23-05-2017, 01:03   #2
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Re: Rigging Knowledge - Where do you get yours?

I seem to recall that there was an authoritative & quite exhaustive book about rigs & rigging by Matthew Sheehan (or similar) but am unable to find it.
very good is Selden's rig tuning guide
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Old 23-05-2017, 01:55   #3
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Re: Rigging Knowledge - Where do you get yours?

One good source I use is Ivar Dedekam's illustrated sail and rig tuning. Also available as an ebook. I have no association with him, just like his book.
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Old 23-05-2017, 03:45   #4
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Re: Rigging Knowledge - Where do you get yours?

Piecemealer here--my mind picks up and stores trivia like my waistline stores fat cells. Most of what didn't come from the experience of doing it wrong the first time came from tidbits that were mentioned in passing in books I read--books about seafaring rather than rigging--but that my mind stored away in the 'rigging' file.
I also rubberneck around other people's boats a lot, and whenever I can, I'll de-construct a worn loupe or strop to see how they were made.
Books that spring to mind, though are:
'Rigger's Apprentice' by Brion Toss
'Hand, Reef and Steer' by Tom Cunliffe
Hervey Garret Smith's little booklet on ropework
'The young sea-officer's sheet anchor' by Delancey
Instructions for any splice can usually be found on the rope MFG's website, and Samson has a handy little spiral-bound manual of splices as well.

But I agree, a comprehensive manual of all rigging would be nice--it just seems that as technology advances it would have to be updated rather frequently.
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Old 23-05-2017, 05:23   #5
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Re: Rigging Knowledge - Where do you get yours?

For me it's taken more than just one book or source, like benz I have been storing trivia for years.

I did a couple of years of mechanical engineering study thats helped a fair bit, but to be honest I dont think there are that many people with the full skillset of from design to practical these days. The design side is getting so specialised that there is a big disconnect these days between the rigger and the rig design. A reasonable source of very basic info on design is principles of yacht design. The calculations insidd it are pretty crude, walking through the simplified NBS code but is a decent start. I have picked up a lot reading various phd's online. Especially anything by chris mitchel of AES http://www.aes.net.nz/info.html

He has some good phd stuff from many years ago. There is also some good info buried in the DNV rigging code. https://www.google.com.au/url?sa=t&s...lnBW5lop9GLVUw

The afore mentioned seldon rigging guide is an excellant resource, that if you read carefully between the lines tells a lot about modern rig loads.

I have read a couple of old books by Piere Gutelle that are quite interesting.

The best learning though is to go out and play with other peoples masts in the guise if tuning them. Its facinating to see what happens under controlled conditions. Infact a lot can be learnt just by sighting up masts when the boat is loaded...

A good mate was foolish enough to let me design some parts of his rig. It worked well, as in it never fell down, and the staysail sheeting was excellant, but I ended up insisting he added another set of lowers to help stabilise the lower portion when he switched to a lighter alloy mast. That was a good learning curve.

Playing with traditional rigs is also a good way to learn a lot, because often the rig is more flexible, so you see the loads much more clearly.

I have developed a pretty useful (but very crytic and now somewhat disorganised) spreadsheet that deals with many of the loadings on my own yachts mast. Its instructive but crude. But building the spreadsheet has been a great learning tool for me.

Saying all this I still consider myself just a interested amateur when it comes to rig design and rigging. I'd love a good really technical book on rigging, but sadly the real developments these days are in FEA and other really fancy modeling thats far beyond my simple understanding of statics and dynamics. Ohh well, one can only learn so much in one lifetime... https://www.google.com.au/url?sa=t&s...Tvz_2cvIajnR3A

https://www.google.com.au/url?sa=t&s...rdrutTXHIYsSOQ
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Old 23-05-2017, 05:54   #6
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Re: Rigging Knowledge - Where do you get yours?

unciv,

Get to know a couple of the top french pros. That is where the knowledge is really developed and concentrated. It sort of trickles out from there.

We had the fortune to bump into Ellen and Isabelle and JPD.

The other place I have learned a lot from is the heavy lifting community. Those guys really know their stuff. Lives and lots of money is at stake, so they are 'forced' to be true professionals.
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Old 23-05-2017, 06:04   #7
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Re: Rigging Knowledge - Where do you get yours?

For 100+ year old technology, John Leather's "The Gaff Rig Handbook".

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Old 23-05-2017, 06:52   #8
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Re: Rigging Knowledge - Where do you get yours?

Skene's " Elements of Yacht Design" has a section on rigging design, rigging load calculation/development, stability, chain plates, tangs, etc.
The book is a little old, but the basics haven't changed.

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Old 23-05-2017, 07:47   #9
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Re: Rigging Knowledge - Where do you get yours?

Thanks guys, great stuff! Keep it coming please.
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Old 23-05-2017, 08:28   #10
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Re: Rigging Knowledge - Where do you get yours?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Benz View Post
Piecemealer here--my mind picks up and stores trivia like my waistline stores fat cells. Most of what didn't come from the experience of doing it wrong the first time came from tidbits that were mentioned in passing in books I read--books about seafaring rather than rigging--but that my mind stored away in the 'rigging' file.
I also rubberneck around other people's boats a lot, and whenever I can, I'll de-construct a worn loupe or strop to see how they were made.
Books that spring to mind, though are:
'Rigger's Apprentice' by Brion Toss
'Hand, Reef and Steer' by Tom Cunliffe
Hervey Garret Smith's little booklet on ropework
'The young sea-officer's sheet anchor' by Delancey
Instructions for any splice can usually be found on the rope MFG's website, and Samson has a handy little spiral-bound manual of splices as well.

But I agree, a comprehensive manual of all rigging would be nice--it just seems that as technology advances it would have to be updated rather frequently.
Ben
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These, plus Wally Ross's book "SAIL POWER" (dated but excellent) and tinkering with Loos Gauges, sighting up masts and other tuning methods. I also went thorough a standing rerigging, which itself was educational, and I've helped with converting a swage end to Sta-Lok.
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Old 23-05-2017, 08:36   #11
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Re: Rigging Knowledge - Where do you get yours?

"Unfortunately" there are a huge variety of non-standard rigging options out there. Specifically, non-metal & rod rigging solutions & end fittings that almost require one to be a factory technician in order to keep up on the applications, & rules for use with each. Especially end fittings on so many of the racing boat solutions any more. Along with some of the ways of attaching things to the spars themselves. Particularly carbon fiber ones, & the metal rigging bits integral to them. Which, a lot of these rigging bits, & ways of solving problems can be transferred over to more standard masts & rigging quite elegantly. But it's a question of knowing about them, & the math which goes into them, etc.
I'd surely love to see a cross referenced encyclopedia filled with them. Though with the doors closing at places like Hall Spars, this may be even more of a dream than a realistic wish.

Help!!!
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Old 23-05-2017, 10:35   #12
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Re: Rigging Knowledge - Where do you get yours?

Here is the link to the Sheehan book:

https://www.alibris.com/Sailing-Rigs.../book/29627967
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Old 23-05-2017, 10:38   #13
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Re: Rigging Knowledge - Where do you get yours?

When I was a kid I read "Skene's Elements of Yacht Design" ( over and over and over) because I thought it was fasinating to read. After that it was alot of other various sources including the "meatball engineering rules" go look at other production boats of similar size and displacement, take a look at what they did and go up a size where needed!!

Of course right now I have a Morgan OI 41 and its stock rigging is pretty damned stout!! 3/8" main cap shrouds on a mast that's 49ft above deck!
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Old 23-05-2017, 11:01   #14
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Re: Rigging Knowledge - Where do you get yours?

Hi Uncivilized,

As have you, I learned a lot from reading, doing, and working with various riggers over time.

I can now say I have learned the most in the last 3 years from Brion Toss both in person and from his 'The Complete Riggers Apprentice' book [which I suspect you already have...] among other rigging titles.

I learned a huge amount having Brion survey my present boat's rigging as a separate, pre-purchase project in 2014.

I subsequently asked him to tune the rig and learned even more during that very worthwhile exercise [and his detailed write-up] about a month after purchase. [I had that done just prior to having her measured for new sails...]

What I haven't done yet is attend one of Brion's [annual?] 2+ day hands-on rigging workshops. He limits these classes to 12 individuals, and focuses on each person's individual boat where applicable. [A quick search of his website didn't reveal any scheduled classes for this year, so direct contact may be warranted...]

[As an aside, since Brion's loft is in the same building as Carol Hasse's in Port Townsend, Carol's 2 day hands-on sail repair class is another well worth attending... With any luck they are calendared in succession...]

In case this is useful.

Cheers! Bill
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Old 23-05-2017, 15:18   #15
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Re: Rigging Knowledge - Where do you get yours?

I own a freedom
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