Cost comparison of shipping to rigger versus Sta-Lok?

[OrangeCrush]

Hello all,

I know that replacing tired rigging is a tired subject, and I've looked at posts on this site about it, but I could use your opinions.

The standing rigging on my Pearson 26 is looking good but due diligence says I should probably start replacing it one of these years. I was thinking of starting off with only the inside shrouds this year, since they will be the easiest/cheapest, and they are the only ones that show faint discoloration at the bottom swage. Next time I drop the mast I will do the rest, but if I don't have another reason to drop it yet I'd rather replace a couple of pieces at a time over the next couple years.

I know that Sta-lok can save me a bundle over having a professional rigger come to my boat and take care of everything, but how does sta-lock compare with just removing a couple of shrouds and shipping them to a rigger for replacement? This will be much simpler and presumably they'll do a better job than I can, but if it's still going to be twice the price I'll just go the sta-lok route.

If so, anyone recommend a reliable and affordable rigger for this type of order before I start shopping around on my own?

Also, I know that the P26 shrouds are thicker than most for a boat this size, but would anyone advocate upgrading to one size beefier?

Thanks for any input,

Jack