Replace standing rigging?

[kayakerChuck]

I bought a 1979 O'Day 30 last year. I planned on replacing the standing rigging this winter. I'm self employed and waiting on parts for work. No parts, no income (for now), so I'm questioning my need to replace the rigging.

The boat has spent it's life on the Great Lakes. The standing rigging has been replaced at some unknown time. The boat has mostly been on the hard for the past 10 years. 3 years ago, the previous owners had the rigging professionally inspected and no issues were identified.

The mast is down for the winter. I've removed all the rigging and carefully inspected everything. I don't see ANY rust, discoloration, cracks, or indications of stress. I know there is no magic way of knowing what is going on internally.

I'd sleep better with new standing rigging. I also tend to be a bit "fussy" (anal?) with safety related stuff.

Am I nuts for thinking about waiting until next winter to replace the rigging?
Maybe replace just the uppers & wait on the lowers?

Thanks for holding my hand!

[Cwens]

A phrase from aviation safety: "If there's any doubt, then there's no doubt." Meaning that if in the back of your mind you're questioning the safety of any decision, then you need to listen to that voice. If you're worrying about the safety of old standing rigging, then the way to stop the worrying is to replace the rigging.

[boatman61]

I guess its down to how hard you sail.. if you like to race and take it to the limit.. replace the rigging.
If your a lazy cruiser and don't sail to schedules leave it for another season or, replace the fore and aft and leave the others till next winter.

[kayakerChuck]

"If there's any doubt, then there's no doubt."

Yup.

I have too many years of SCUBA diving, rock climbing, and other assorted gear dependent activities.

I'm definitely a cruiser, but- The weather here isn't that stable or predictable. I've been clobbered more than once.

New rigging it is.

[Cwens]

Originally Posted by kayakerChuck

"If there's any doubt, then there's no doubt."

Yup.

I have too many years of SCUBA diving, rock climbing, and other assorted gear dependent activities.

New rigging it is.

yeah.. We could do all sorts of quantitative analysis around the question of how bad a catastrophic rig failure is (answer: worst case you and your guests die, medium bad case the downed mast bangs around and puts a hole in the boat and you sink it but are rescured, likely case you lose the rig, successfully cut it away, and motor back to shore somewhat poorer) times how likely it is (answer: we just can't really estimate that probability to any accuracy)... but none of that takes into account that the entire purpose of recreational sailing is to enjoy ourselves, and worrying about a substandard rig puts a big dent in your enjoyment.

[GILow]

I've met a few people who've lost rigs. A couple have noted that they were not pushing the rig hard at the time. I think it is in the nature of crevice corrosion and the like to fail with little apparent force, maybe a slight shock load from.a gust and wave combo.

If you want to manage the costs, have a look at the Searig mechanical swage fittings from NZ. They are a fraction of the cost of Staylock while being, to my eye, indistinguishable from them in quality and function. I re-rigged my 42 footer with them a couple of years ago for about half the cost of buying.swaged stays and less than one third of the cost of stsylock.

[boatman61]

Good tip..
I was going to suggest Staylock but remembered he mentioned cash is tight.

[El Pinguino]

As one of those who has lost a rig in light conditions and almost lost a second one I would suggest - if money is tight - replacing your lowers first. They are the hardest working part of your rig - the other stuff just holds the mast up.

I lost the rig when ( 8yo but a lot of miles ) when the t-ball (?) fitting at the top of a lower failed. Previous owner had failed to mention that the other lower had failed ( at the chain plate - exploding turnbuckle ) and he was lucky to save the rig just a few months before I bought her.

Second time was finding a number of broken strands at the top of a 3 year old lower that had only done about 12 or 13 thousand miles. I now have tangs and sta-loks at the head of the lowers rather than swaged t-balls.

[Cheechako]

Cash tight? Looks good? Leave it for a year or 3.. Especially since it's a fresh water boat.
Sure there is some risk, but sailing's a risk on it's own.

Friends of mine replaced their standing rigging. Sailed the SO Pacific to NZ. Almost to NZ they broke a chainplate!
There's always something....

[Jim Cate]

Well, if the rig has been down for those 10 years on the hard, the boat saw only seasonal usage whislt in use, the boat has been in fresh water, and the rig was redone somewhere in the period between build (1979) and ten years ago (2012) and it was inspected three years ago... well, I would have no qualms whatsoever about using it for a further season.

If she has a furler on the headstay, do have a good look at the wire where it comes out of the upper terminal, for this is a typical failure point in such rigs.

Jim

[kayakerChuck]

I just thought I'd close the loop.

I had my local rigging company make me new stays & turnbuckles. It was a good call- the winds don't pay any attention to the weather forecasts. In July, we headed out with a forecast of winds 20, gusting to 30. What we actually had was winds 30, gusting to 50.

I was glad to not worry about the rigging.