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Old 29-10-2020, 04:46   #1
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How Old Is Your Standing Rigging

This will probably become a crap storm, but .....

How old is your standing rigging and boat (because need both really to understand). Let's try to answer the question in a useful way and stay away from the “fear” part we all know about.
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Old 29-10-2020, 04:53   #2
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Re: How Old Is Your Standing Rigging

Our boat is 44 years old

chain plates are 10 years old

bobstay tang is 2 years old

Upper main mast tangs 44 years

Mizzen and main mast lower tangs are 2 years old

Rigging terminals are 10 years

All rigging wire is 6 months old.

There’s the whole bag
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Old 29-10-2020, 04:57   #3
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Re: How Old Is Your Standing Rigging

My standing rigging and boat are 20 years old.

I am not too worried about the fact of it being 20 year old rigging, but i do think about it at times. My boat spent its first 16 years up in New England, so it wasn’t even in the water 1/2 the year. The other half it was really only used on the weekends and wasn't sailed in real nasty conditions. The boat has never been raced and has been sailed conservative. The last 4 years the boat has cruised full time, but that means it overall has sailed less not more.

I had the rigging inspected about 2 years ago. They didn't find any problems other than a comment about a fitting that referenced another rigger’s report and that turned out to not even be the same type of fitting. They of course had the expected “we recommend replacing every ...... years” that I find incredibly self serving.
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Old 29-10-2020, 05:03   #4
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Re: How Old Is Your Standing Rigging

Boat is 34 years old and all the standing rigging is 11. Pulled, inspected, and rebedded the all-important chain plates awhile back too. Also replaced the aging sealant on the deck plates with butyl tape. Keep the water out and all that.

Thinking of replacing yours or just curious? I've heard & read opinions that are all over the map (no surprise), so seems like a valid inquiry. Had an insurance survey completed recently and was advised re: more frequent inspections after 10 years but nothing about replacement. Seemed reasonable, and never heard anything about it from the insurance co. Maybe different if the boat spent more time in the tropics and had harder use.
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Old 29-10-2020, 05:45   #5
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Re: How Old Is Your Standing Rigging

Our boat is 51 years old, I pulled the chain plates and had them inspected 5 years ago, and I replaced the standing rigging in the spring. I also rebuilt the knees that the chain plates are mounted to while they were out.
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Old 29-10-2020, 05:50   #6
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Re: How Old Is Your Standing Rigging

The boat is 47 years old.
The mast is 30 years old, 9' added to the height of the spar.
The chainplates are 1 year old.
All standing rigging is 1 year old.
All running rigging is 1 year old or newer.
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Old 29-10-2020, 05:53   #7
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Re: How Old Is Your Standing Rigging

The "standing rigging" on the Golden Gate Bridge is 80 years old, cables on the Brooklyn Bridge were replaced at 110 years of age
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Old 29-10-2020, 06:15   #8
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Re: How Old Is Your Standing Rigging

Quote:
Originally Posted by flyingfin View Post
The "standing rigging" on the Golden Gate Bridge is 80 years old, cables on the Brooklyn Bridge were replaced at 110 years of age


And those are huge, made of mild steel, and have a maintenance program.....so not even comparable.
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Old 29-10-2020, 06:16   #9
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Re: How Old Is Your Standing Rigging

Quote:
Originally Posted by sailorboy1 View Post
My standing rigging and boat are 20 years old.

I am not too worried about the fact of it being 20 year old rigging, but i do think about it at times. My boat spent its first 16 years up in New England, so it wasn’t even in the water 1/2 the year. The other half it was really only used on the weekends and wasn't sailed in real nasty conditions. The boat has never been raced and has been sailed conservative. The last 4 years the boat has cruised full time, but that means it overall has sailed less not more.

I had the rigging inspected about 2 years ago. They didn't find any problems other than a comment about a fitting that referenced another rigger’s report and that turned out to not even be the same type of fitting. They of course had the expected “we recommend replacing every ...... years” that I find incredibly self serving.


I think your New England part cinched it for me.

Our boat has been sailed year round for years on end. Raced lightly, and always salty in tropical type heat/humidity.
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Old 29-10-2020, 06:24   #10
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Re: How Old Is Your Standing Rigging

Quote:
Originally Posted by flyingfin View Post
The "standing rigging" on the Golden Gate Bridge is 80 years old, cables on the Brooklyn Bridge were replaced at 110 years of age
Actually, most of the suspension cables have been replaced at least once on the GG bridge but thanks for playing. Same with the GW and Brooklyn bridges.

Have rod rigging which supposedly lasts longer and inspected annually. So far, so good after 12 years
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Old 29-10-2020, 06:24   #11
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Re: How Old Is Your Standing Rigging

SB - As you know, we have the exact same boat as you and I’ve often wondered about this as well. Have even gotten quotes to have the rigging changed in marathon when we get there.

Not that I believe there to be problems, but for peace of mind. Although I figure my boat has had even less stress on it than yours especially as it sat for the last 7 years with no use.

Still on the fence about spending the money.
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Old 29-10-2020, 07:06   #12
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Re: How Old Is Your Standing Rigging

Prior owner replaced the standing rigging with sta-lok about 12 years ago. The work was done by a very reputable rigging company.

I'll have the mast pulled in the spring and replace the wire then as well as some other work. I did replace the 4 lower shrouds myself with KOS wire and new cones and formers. Also using 4000UV for sealant.

Of the 8 sta-lok connectors 1 had mild rust inside. The rigging company that did the work used a silicone sealant.

Because of that I think that re-doing the rigging before going on our 5 year cruise appears to be a wise decision.
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Old 29-10-2020, 07:51   #13
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Re: How Old Is Your Standing Rigging

Boat is 39 years old.
Rigging replaced in 2017. It had been replaced at least once before by I previous owner. I know that because incorrect undersized swage studs and turnbuckles were used.
At that time I removed and inspected the chain plates and replaced those bolts.
I found a broken wire on a shroud in 2019 after crossing the Indian Ocean and transiting the Mozambique channel, which was about 2 months of brutal hard sailing.
The Stem Fitting now has some visible rust and will be R&Red before I continue sailing.

What I have learned:
Talking with a number of other sailors in SA that also ran into rigging problems, it didn't seem to matter when the rigging was replaced. Some that were rigged in New Zealand that season had problems, and some with quite old rigging had problems. Several rigged temporary stays with dyneema. Only a few were catastrophic(total loss of rig).

My conclusion is inspect often. It doesn't seem that catastrophic failure often happens without some visible problems first. Broken wires, worn pins, rust at a swage, or rust along a wire like a candy cane, seemed to always happen first.

I would not consider starting a circumnavigation with 20 year old rigging. But sailing the east coast and Caribbean I wouldn't think twice about it. Do a complete inspection, including going up the mast and looking at every swage, and every pin, before and after every crossing. If you see anything that doesn't look right, fix it before sailing. And you should do that before any ocean crossing regardless of rig age, as it seems failures of fairly new rigging are still surprisingly high.
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Old 29-10-2020, 08:48   #14
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Re: How Old Is Your Standing Rigging

Boat is 21 years old and rigging is original. Having it in the PNW (read fresh water wash) helps keep it in good shape.

That said - we are planning on sailing down the coast next year and are currently in discussions with a local rigger to get it replaced for the offshore trip - a requirement from our insurance company
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Old 29-10-2020, 09:00   #15
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Re: How Old Is Your Standing Rigging

Boat is 34 yrs old. Age of rig was unknown and has always been in salt. Looked like it was mostly the original metric rig except for the lowers which gave me pause. It all was replaced last year.
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