Refurbishing standing rigging

[northoceanbeach]

Is there a way to bring back to life standing rigging? Maybe it is getting older but it's not time to replace. Is there anything you can do to polish it up or help it last longer? It seems it takes a lot of abuse and people don't really do much to to care of it.

Can I put some sort of protective coating on it? I have heard stainless steel needs oxygen though. What abou a good meal polio to make it shine? So drops of oil in the stages?

Really any ideas to take care of it so it lets as long as possible and ways to make it look new again.

[Stumble]

You can technically pull it from the boat and have it electro polished, but to really renew it you also have to retemper the metal to eliminate the work hardening as well. The cost to have these two things done far exceeds the price of buying new, and they won't do anything to fix already damaged parts.

[Roy M]

Using your halyards as a substitute support, one by one, remove a shroud or stay from he masthead and lower tang, wash it well, clean it with metal cleaner, and burnish it with rags. Then take it to a rig shop for inspection of the wire and terminals. If they approve it, reinstall on the boat. Do this for every shroud and stay. No shortcuts. And when you finally decide to replace the rigging, do yourself, and all that sail with you, a favor, by pulling the stick and completely overhauling every fastener and unit attached to the stick and boom. Again, no shortcuts.

[northoceanbeach]

How often should it be totally replaced? I hear all sorts of answers, maybe I will here too. Some people say five, ten, fifteen years. Some say it will last forever if well cared for.

[Stumble]

Originally Posted by northoceanbeach

How often should it be totally replaced? I hear all sorts of answers, maybe I will here too. Some people say five, ten, fifteen years. Some say it will last forever if well cared for.

It depends on where the boat is, and the use it is put to, as well as the type of rigging. But the USCG in Hawaii (this is probably worst case situation) requires , for wire rigging, new wire every 8 years, and a mast down inspection of all the parts every 4 (IIRC).

My insurance company won't insure standing rigging (or the mast) past 12 years without a rig inspection.

[roverhi]

If the wire has identical ends, you can end for end the wire. Swages tend to fail at the lower/turnbuckle end because of more exposuer to salt water from spray and gravity. End for ending the wire evens out the effects of corrosion. Whether you should do it or not, wire that has no broken strands and no cracks or other obvious flaws in swages can last a long, decasdes, time even in the tropics. Problem is swages sometimes fail when there is no obvious sign of impending problems. Keeping wire in service for more than 10 years in the tropics, 15 years in temperate climates, and virtually forever in fresh water is a crapshoot.

Don't forget the chain plates. No data other than anecdotal, but seems as many rigs are lost to chainplate failure as wire failure. That may be because wire issues are easier to see and changed out before failure. Chainplates should be pulled and inspected at least as often as wire is replaced.

[mikereed100]

Navtec recommendations for wire:

"Navtec estimates a life expectancy schedule based on climate variables and water salinity:
Heat and water salinity at maximum (Florida, Caribbean Islands) - 5 to 10 years
Heat and water salinity at medium levels (East/West coast of US) - 10 to 15 years
Fresh water climate - 15 to 20 years"

http://nebula.wsimg.com/08a64b52c701...&alloworigin=1

[Roy M]

Mike, thank you. Now I have some documentation to reinforce my own preventive maintenance program on WILDERNESS. It will mean more bucks over time (for the level III inspection regimen) but I can perform this between haulouts to reduce the burden. I hope to thus be able to change my avatar photo to one more like yours (with a more exotic locale than Point Loma).

[witzgall]

Do what Roay m suggest, but instead of "Metal Cleaner" use a passivation liquid, such as nitric acid or one of the bio - orange or such based passivation solutions, such as:

CitriSurf 77 Plus Liquid - Gallon