Standing Rigging Replacement

[Dockhead]

I am out of the water in Cowes with the mast down for the first time since the boat was new 13 years ago.

The rigging is all apart on the floor of the riggers' loft. They say, naturally, that I should replace it all.

There are no broken strands or obvious problems. The boat has less than10,000 miles from new (although a number of miles in my ownership were harder than they should have been, sailing in storms I shouldn't have been out in, not reefing when I should have, etc. - high spirited excesses of new ownership ). The Norseman fittings need to be reset and the wire rope may need to be cut in order to do that.

The cost is about 5k pounds, like 8k American, not counting the cost of pulling the mast, stripping it,putting it back together, etc., which amounts to another $3000 or so.

So to replace,or not to replace, that is the question. If I don't replace it, then I'm out the $3000 all over again in a few years, so I'm inclined to bite the bullet. Any words of wisdom?

[Cheechako]

Wow, surprised it's that much $ if you reuse your fittings and turnbuckles.... that's just wire?

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by Cheechako

Wow, surprised it's that much $ if you reuse your fittings and turnbuckles.... that's just wire?

75 foot mast, 16mm wires (mostly)

[skipmac]

The cost sounds about right. I bought all new rigging including new Staloks, new turnbuckles (what do you call them over there, rigging screws or bottle screws or something like that), new toggles and chainplates. Not installed the whole package was a bit over US$3,000. Cutter rig, shorter mast about 52' over the water or 45' from the deck.

I struggled with the same question. The rigging wire looked perfect, boat was day sailed and weekend around Long Island Sound and probably had less than 5,000 miles. Doubt if the sails were ever up in winds over 15 kts.

But all the experts cried gloom and doom and what if this and that and I do plan on some actual, real on the ocean sailing so I figured what the hell and bought all new wire.

So if I did it so can you.

[boatman61]

Replace it... Your Insurance Co knows it makes sense...

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by boatman61

Replace it... Your Insurance Co knows it makes sense...

LOL.

You know, funny you should bring that up, but my insurance company (Towergate Mardon) are actually quite relaxed about it. They leave it to my judgement (I asked them about it a few times), and don't even require a rig survey until 20 years.

[Pete7]

DH, weren't you thinking of heading up to the cold north for a couple of seasons? I would be replacing it because if it fell down then it would really ruin your day. I sleep well knowing we did ours last year (12 year point).

Don't forget the the scrap value of the old stuff.


Pete

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by Pete7

DH, weren't you thinking of heading up to the cold north for a couple of seasons? I would be replacing it because if it fell down then it would really ruin your day. I sleep well knowing we did ours last year (12 year point).

Don't forget the the scrap value of the old stuff.


Pete

Absolutely. This summer will be either Iceland or the Baltic all the way to Finland. But come on -- you sound just like the riggers.

Actually, the riggers sounded worse, the devils. They said that a boat sitting in a marina (like my boat lived before I bought her) is even harder on her rigging than a boat which is being sailed for tens of thousands of miles -- cyclic loads and all that.

Damn it, I just know I'm being conned, but I can't find a way out of it. And you're not helping, Pete!

[Pete7]

Lol, but it's about balancing the risk. Sure the risk is small, but if it fell down and you have to motor back to Northern Scotland you are still completely stuffed with no mast in one of the remotest parts of Europe. It would cost you £3k to fly the crew home from there. I can cut our 7mm rigging but how would you deal with 16mm wire holding half the mast against the hull at sea. A 18v battery angle grinder is probably the answer btw.

Cyclic loads hmm, perhaps if she was shored up on hard standing, but sat in the water then I would be doubtful. We replaced ours, because we had the money at the time and I wasn't happy about the corrosion from the white plastic stuff all over the lower rigging which had trapped dirt and then remained damp. It all looked a bit iffy, but I missed a trick when they replaced the bronze bottle screws and didn't return them to me. I think they could have been tested and used again.

Do you want to keep one of the longer wires on board as a spare just in case?

Pete

[Vasco]

Once you pulled the stick you knew you were going to replace everything, didn't you? No one is going to tell you to put it back in without all new, shiny, rigging.

[1paulg]

Am surprised the Insurance Company is so relaxed about it...a lot want a riggers report every 2 - 3 years - especically if you they are covering you for an open water passage....
Although we often think -"are the Riggers just talking up business" you have to be guided by what they tell you...
By the sounds of it -it is due...do it and you wont have to think of it again for a long time...
I just had the lashings replaced on mine and they were only 6 years ..plus a full rig check including dye testing on the rods -everything was ok (besides the lashings) and it still cost about $5k - am counting on having to replace fully within the next 4 years though...

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by 1paulg

Am surprised the Insurance Company is so relaxed about it...a lot want a riggers report every 2 - 3 years - especically if you they are covering you for an open water passage....
Although we often think -"are the Riggers just talking up business" you have to be guided by what they tell you...
By the sounds of it -it is due...do it and you wont have to think of it again for a long time...
I just had the lashings replaced on mine and they were only 6 years ..plus a full rig check including dye testing on the rods -everything was ok (besides the lashings) and it still cost about $5k - am counting on having to replace fully within the next 4 years though...

$5k for a rig check?! Wow -- query whether it's not more cost effective to just replace it constantly . . .

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by Vasco

Once you pulled the stick you knew you were going to replace everything, didn't you? No one is going to tell you to put it back in without all new, shiny, rigging.

Yes, clearly that's where everything went horribly wrong . . . .

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by Pete7

Lol, but it's about balancing the risk. Sure the risk is small, but if it fell down and you have to motor back to Northern Scotland you are still completely stuffed with no mast in one of the remotest parts of Europe. It would cost you £3k to fly the crew home from there. I can cut our 7mm rigging but how would you deal with 16mm wire holding half the mast against the hull at sea. A 18v battery angle grinder is probably the answer btw.

Cyclic loads hmm, perhaps if she was shored up on hard standing, but sat in the water then I would be doubtful. We replaced ours, because we had the money at the time and I wasn't happy about the corrosion from the white plastic stuff all over the lower rigging which had trapped dirt and then remained damp. It all looked a bit iffy, but I missed a trick when they replaced the bronze bottle screws and didn't return them to me. I think they could have been tested and used again.

Do you want to keep one of the longer wires on board as a spare just in case?

Pete

18v angle grinder! That's a hot tip! I have a pair of jumbo bolt cutters on board, but I already figured out that they will not cut the 16mm (5/8") parts

[Pete7]

See if we can spend some more of DH's hard earned cash. Is there a VHF antenna on top of this mast by chance? and how old would that be? and the coax; a 75 foot length hanging down inside supporting its own weight for 13 years. Hmm, lot of sucking of teeth