Rigging rust pics #2--your thoughts

[esarratt]

Scroll down through the next two posts for the pics.

Your thoughts on the really rusty side stay?

FYI: I am motoring and sailing this boat "home" in a couple weeks. The trip is about 250 miles down the ICW. Then the mast comes back down and the boat goes back on its trailer. And I go back to my "real job" building my house in Western North Carolina. Then when winter comes, I move down to the coast to work on the boat and sail.

That being said, is this rusty fitting one to replace now or can it wait until the winter?

FWIW, the boat has 4 side stays on each side of the boat. This is one of two lower stays that attach to the mast just below the spreaders. The spreader stay makes 3 and a 4th stay attaches near the top of the mast.

Thanks for the help.

[esarratt]

Here are pics.

Thanks!

[esarratt]

Here is one more pic for perspective. The stay in question is the lower rusted one.

[ozskipper]

Firstly, opinions here will be varied and come from people with various qualifications and lack there of.

I am no rigger, but have sailed for 30 plus years and done my own rigging.

My take on your lowers is that as long as the wind isnt "up" you should be ok to sail it in lighter breezes. Having said that. While your rig is already down. The smart thing is to change/fix/repair anything now. This will save you a double crane hire and you can leave the mast up.

But the most important thing to remember is that if you do sail with it and hear any loud Bangs, get the sails down instantly. If one of the threads go, you will hear it. Thats the sign that the rest of them are also about to go pop. Thus weakening the integrity of the mast.

[esarratt]

Originally Posted by ozskipper

But the most important thing to remember is that if you do sail with it and hear any loud Bangs, get the sails down instantly. If one of the threads go, you will hear it. Thats the sign that the rest of them are also about to go pop. Thus weakening the integrity of the mast.

Interesting. I thought they all just went at the same time. That makes sense.

[esarratt]

Originally Posted by ozskipper

The smart thing is to change/fix/repair anything now. This will save you a double crane hire and you can leave the mast up.

I follow. I should have clarified. The boat does not stay at a yard; it goes to some land I own just down the road in Washington, NC--out of hurricane flood zone. The boat, at 24', is just small enough to carefully-trailer a few miles to my property.

[ozskipper]

Originally Posted by esarratt

Interesting. I thought they all just went at the same time. That makes sense.

The other thing to remember is that it wont be a problem if it happens to be on the leeward side of the boat. It will only be "serious" problem when its on the windward side.

However, with all that said. Change the entire lot when it comes time. Its not "that" expensive and its much cheaper than buying and fitting a new stick.

[Steadman Uhlich]

On the ICW you will most likely be motoring most of the time.

I would take that one off, make a replacement and then keep the old one as a spare.

[GILow]

My thoughts:

If it is not convenient to replace the suspect rigging now then I would not have a problem sailing the boat with rigging in that condition, but I would adjust my expectations of the rig accordingly. I would reef a lot earlier and accept a slower trip. And I'd stay very close to the sheets to release them if I needed to in a hurry.

Ozskipper is correct in saying that the stays could part strand by strand, but I've actually had an apparently fine forestay go with one big bang so I think it could go either way.

Is it practical to bring some spare halyards or the like down to the chain plates to reinforce the suspect rigging for the trip?




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[ozskipper]

Originally Posted by GILow

snip

Is it practical to bring some spare halyards or the like down to the chain plates to reinforce the suspect rigging for the trip?

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Thats an excellent idea . Using the topping lift (for the kite pole) would be perfect as its load point should be "similar" to, or at least near, the lowers.

[neilpride]

Tips to found loose strands at the swage end or broken strands at the swage end,
1 take the tip of small flat screwdriver, try to squeeze the tip between the strands at the swage end, if you are able to squeeze the tip and feel loose strands then the wire is toasted .
2 take a plier, grab the wire at the swage end , turn the wire sideways , if a strand is broken you can see it pooping loose from the core , wire toasted.


Rust at the bottom terminals are quite normal unless you spend day by day cleaning the rigging... aka polish or acid wash.

[esarratt]

Originally Posted by GILow

My thoughts:

If it is not convenient to replace the suspect rigging now then I would not have a problem sailing the boat with rigging in that condition, but I would adjust my expectations of the rig accordingly. I would reef a lot earlier and accept a slower trip. And I'd stay very close to the sheets to release them if I needed to in a hurry.

Got it. Good ideas.

Originally Posted by GILow

Is it practical to bring some spare halyards or the like down to the chain plates to reinforce the suspect rigging for the trip?

Good idea. That is easily done.

[Jim Cate]

Originally Posted by neilpride

Tips to found loose strands at the swage end or broken strands at the swage end,
1 take the tip of small flat screwdriver, try to squeeze the tip between the strands at the swage end, if you are able to squeeze the tip and feel loose strands then the wire is toasted .
2 take a plier, grab the wire at the swage end , turn the wire sideways , if a strand is broken you can see it pooping loose from the core , wire toasted.


Rust at the bottom terminals are quite normal unless you spend day by day cleaning the rigging... aka polish or acid wash.

Ahaa! A voice of experienced reason. I agree totally... the appearance of rusty stains isn't indicative of serious corrosion. Strands that are in danger of parting will become visible using the techniques Neil outlines above.
If you wander around a marina inspecting rigging wires, a great many will exhibit similar staining... boats that are in frequent use.

Fatigue is a greater worry to me than staining, and fatigue doesn't show traces. Neil's prying technique will ferret out strands that are cracked from fatigue... use it especially on the forestay where the side loads from the jib tend to bend the wire at the terminal exits.

jim

[esarratt]

Originally Posted by neilpride

Tips to found loose strands at the swage end or broken strands at the swage end,
1 take the tip of small flat screwdriver, try to squeeze the tip between the strands at the swage end, if you are able to squeeze the tip and feel loose strands then the wire is toasted .
2 take a plier, grab the wire at the swage end , turn the wire sideways , if a strand is broken you can see it pooping loose from the core , wire toasted.


Rust at the bottom terminals are quite normal unless you spend day by day cleaning the rigging... aka polish or acid wash.

This technique is new to me, thanks! I'll try it.

[BobFord]

When beating up the Red Sea , I broke 3 stays. Best advice so far is to listen for the bang. My experience , the outer strands will go first , rust or not .Simply lay to, and effect a temporary repair. I used chain and wire rope grips. All fixed in Tel Aviv.