Rigging projects 2015.

[neilpride]

Hallo there, well since i have 2 main projects starting 1 week of 2015, i decided to document step by step the process so you can see how a big mast is assembly piece by piece ...this topic point at a small Jeaneau ,dismasted last month, and a big multihull, dismasted on route to BVI.

We are really sad for the Catamarán owner since 8 years ago we install a new mast and new rigging, he made a circunavigation by the big capes , include the Horn and arrive here in St Marteen to thank us for the wonderfull work done in the rig, weeks later in a soft breeze from the E and in route to Virgin Gorda the mast fall down, after a inspection we found a mistake by design in the chainplates position , to close to the mast in distance, so we wonder why the mast fall right now since he round the horn and other tough places without problems, anyway this first pics show the 2 masts in a huge box, the Jeaneau mast is original from Factory , the multi mast come from Sparcraft..

Stay tuned if you want to learn or see how we put together 2 masts in short time...

Cheers...

[gjordan]

I look forward to some good information coming here. There is always lots to learn. _____Grant.

[neilpride]

Okey, we put together the Jeaneau mast this morning, really quick since we order the spar to Sparcraft in a kit, that mean if you order the spar ready to be assemble you save lots of cash in rigging labour, most Spar makers have a huge boat data software so they can found the OEM specifications and send the same spar as the original, they come in a kit, 2 sections joined by a sleeve, mast head, sheaves , boom goseneck, spreaders barckets, etc,... ready from Factory, in fact most of the rigging labour is small things like VHF antena, Tricolor light, wiring, wind vane, windex etc.. even the rigging and the turnbuckles are the same.

So saying that we put the mast together in 5 hours, and tomorrow we step the mast in the boat, the furler is a facnor i recommend if you are willing to change your old furler to fit a turnbuckle in the bottom of the forestay, that way the rigging tuning is more friendly...0

I post tomorrow more pics when we finish to step the mast and some tricks to tune the rigging and found the correct tensión, prebend , rake etc,.....

Cheers...

Top left is a air compresor rivet gun, this is one of the best tools for a rigger since we put hundreds of rivets each year, is really powerfull and he can handle even huge monel or ss rivets.


Next , the 2 halves ready for the gun.

And the mast assembled..

[neilpride]

More pics.

Top left is one of the best SS cleaners pasivate in the bussines.

Rigging screws ready to.

And the yellow spot in the mast head is a anticorrosive paste we use in any SS screw or part in contact with aluminium, so far is working really nice, we even take apart a old furler after some years using this stuff in the previous work.

[neilpride]

And a bit more....

Mast head done, the new raymarine wind vane plug, VHF bracket, new running rigging,
Wiring, and our swage table.

[HappyMdRSailor]

Great stuff Neil !

[sirkus]

Hi.
Where in St Maarten are you? Yes, and you might want to turn the gooseneck and the thrubolt the other way around.
Cheers!

[Tayana42]

Very interesting. Thanks for sharing the process.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[neilpride]

Yeah sorry for the Goseneck pic, the mast is resting in wooden chocks, so we can handle both ways, the goseneck is Factory fitted. We have a shop in the french side of st martin and im planing in open another one in Palma of Mallorca , Spain.

By the way if you are curious in why the boat break the mast, is broken by Hurricane Gonzalo, the mast fall just with the wind, no collision or something else.

Cheers..

[sirkus]

Ok. Can you delete some post in your inbox? I like to send you a PM.

[neilpride]

Yeah sure .

[neilpride]

Mast ready for crane at 5.00PM... Owner want to sail it Monday, she is really happy to have it ready for Monday...

[neilpride]

Job done, today at 8.00 am we lift the mast in the crane and step it, no without surprises, Sparcraft make a mistake with the backstay, to long by 5 inches, maybe they mistake the boat year when looking for the backstay in the comp, but anyway, we shorted in 5 minutes, everything go well and right ...


Some people ask me whats the benefit for sweep back spreaders, well what i can say is Sweep back spreaders work in fact like a backstay in some boats if the angle is to deep, no need for a babystay since the prebend in the mast is reached by tensión the capshrouds , and not much mast pumping .....overall is a very stable rig,, the backstay work softer since there is no need for a tight tensión, most likely to make some rake aft and support , FWD deck are is clear since no need a babystay in some cases ...The negative aspects? Downwind and the need for long spreaders if the angle is to deep.

Bottom left picture show how we straight the mast sideways using a tape, is measured from the bottom screw togle pin to the end of the top thread, bot sides lowers and uppers stays need to be the same measure.

Also you can see in the top right picture a can of Lanocote, this is mandatory for us in almost all the threads in the screws , keep the threads and the turnbuckles in good working operation for years , very important here in the tropics since moisture and Sahara dust coming from Africa freeze turnbuckles in short order.

And for the right stay tensión , well we have diferents ways to measure the tensión, in this particular case with sweep back spreaders is very easy since we looking for a nice prebend and after adjust the lowers and backstay, the forestay need to be tight but not to tight is kind of a rigger feeling , like the tensión, we rarely use a wire gauge tensión device , but it depend of the boat features, construction etc..or the sailing área location, as a rule of thumb for us with a 20 knts in a tack the leeward stays stay a bit loose but dont take this for granted, in my boat i have the rigging really tight and rarely i see the leewards come loose, is a matter of rig design and feelings, we also sometimes if the owners ask for a sailing test and see if the spar is straight under loads, thats maybe the most important point after all.

And thats all for the moment , next week we start to put together a 19 meter 2 spreaders new mast for a multihull, a diferent animal regarding many aspects , see ya....

[skipmac]

Hi NeilPride,

Could you post more information about the passivation product like brand name, supplier, etc?

Thanks
Skip

[neilpride]

Originally Posted by skipmac

Hi NeilPride,

Could you post more information about the passivation product like brand name, supplier, etc?

Thanks
Skip

Yes sure , its made by Soromap a french spar maker , not sold in regular shops, it work fantastic , you just brush the acid, wait few minutes if is a light rust oxidation , if is heavy rust spots a overnight bath do the trick and flush with plenty of fresh wáter after, so far the ss last longer without rust spots or oxidation even after months .. Monday i can post here the details, Brand, name etc... Cheers.