replacing running rigging on a sailboat

Opti Running Rigging Sheets Halyard Line Sailboat Kit. It is very flexible and easy to handle, and is still the line of choice for most applications on cruisers and club racers. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission, which supports our community. Colligo Dux: A relative newcomer to sailboat rigging, Colligo Dux is pre-stretched and heat-treated Dyneema. The biggest thing we like to have is the history of the boat: what kind of boat it is, how its been sailed and where has it been sailed, says Jay Herman, owner of Annapolis Rigging. Get it wrong, and your boat could wind up on the beach in a bad blow. The cover on core dependent dyneema line normally acts as the first defense against UV rays and chafe, but when you strip it back, the dyneema has to fend for itself. Sailors' hands are busy with the running rigging most on a sailboat. If you look closely at the line right before it wraps around behind the spindle, youll see that it is starting to chafe because there is not a fair lead for the line running into the slot. To avoid you have to go cheap on your safety gear, I've put it in the budget for $500. And if you see evidence of wear, ask yourself (or your local rigger) What could have caused this? The cost of having a professional rigger inspect your running rigging can save you more money down the road. Marlow Ropes in the UK produce Marlowbraid. The customer had had the boat re-rigged, and during a trip to the BVI, the new wire stretched. What kind of end fittings? I've read that the inner stays rarely snap. The next area deserving close scrutiny is the spreaders. Its one of the most important features on a sailboat, but many owners put standing rigging at the back of their minds when it comes time to do their pre-season safety checks. Tag each line with a sticker noting which line it is. Turns out that owning a boat is pretty affordable. Cleat the jib off on the port side of the mast and the main on the starboard. In the US, Sampson, New England Ropes and Yale all make a double braid dacron line very suitable for almost all the running rigging on an older sailboat. For a medium-sized boat (30-50 feet), the cost will be somewhere between $2000 and $4000. This is a perfect example to illustrate why a thorough, yearly inspection of running rigging is important. SailboatOwners.com, 605 NW 53rd Avenue, Gainesville, FL, 32609 A sailboat doesn't have to be expensive if you know what you're doing. Probably the trickiest will be the forestay and backstay, as these carry the greatest loads, although all the standing rigging can be loosened to some degree when at rest. The 150 Genoa sheets were 35 feet each as Faster suggests but my halyard lines, which are wire and rope were only 40 feet of rope. Some of these might not apply to your situation. This halyard had been wrapped around a shroud and tightened to prevent it from slapping against the mast while at the dock. This site uses cookies to help personalise content, tailor your experience and to keep you logged in if you register. However, what you'll actually pay really depends on the type of boat you have and what you do with it. Its imported and sold through distributors like Alps Wire Rope. WE SHIP WORLDWIDE: More Info. At minimal cost you can rig a permanent preventer that is easy to use, is fully adjustable, and does not require going forward on deck. Rigging comprises the system of ropes, cables and chains, which support a sailing ship or sail boat 's masts standing rigging, including shrouds and stays and which adjust the position of the vessel's sails and spars to which they are attachedthe running rigging, including halyards, braces, sheets and vangs. Inspect any integral reefing sheaves or bearing wear or UV degradation. Let's start by getting a good overview of the different maintenance costs. There are other wires out there that are cheaper, but theyre not guaranteed.. On this eye splice, the core has herniated out of the cover. Just tell us the best email address to send your tips to: Improve Sailing A forum community dedicated to Sailing enthusiasts. Read more on the lifetime expectancy of marine diesels here. All standing rigging, whether rod or wire, has to end in a fitting that attaches to the deck and mast. This small cruiser is well built, easy to handle and relatively economical to maintain. The average annual maintenance cost of sailboats is between $2,000 - $3,000. Down Haul. Liveaboards that don't really sail that much have less maintenance to do in one way, and more in another. Listing Results for Sailing & Rigging and ENG1 Medical Certificate in Marans, Levallois Perret and Cap D'Agde SKIRMISH was built for Clarence Noble in Brisbane. You cannot use a mechanical fitting on rod rigging. Included in every new DragonFlight 95 v2 kit : v2 DF95 Rigging Instructions. splicing any of these high tech lines is not for the faint hearted. We only sell guaranteed-content, guaranteed-process wire, Herman says. What would be the maintenance cost if you were on a tight budget? Dont forget the turnbuckles and chain plates. Now would also be a good time to change those old cotter pins and circlip rings as well. VerticalScope Inc., 111 Peter Street, Suite 600, Toronto, Ontario, M5V 2H1, Canada. Generally, they consist of either three or four parts (Sta-Lok has three; Hi-MOD has four), including a sleeve; a cone; in Hi-MODs case, a crown wheel; and the terminal (an eye, fork, stud, etc.). Deep cycle batteries (which are best for household functionality) need replacing every 4-6 years and will cost roughly $600. On the other hand, it will be very important to maintain hull health, as even small leaks will lead to condensation and mold, which is horrible for your health and living standard. This way you can cut the wire roughly to length and have a rigger swage the tops, fit them in place yourself and terminate the lower ends to suit. Technical support for boat owners and maintenance yards servicing Sabre sail and motor yachts | Sabre Yachts Technical Support Contacts in Sabre's After Sales Service Department may be reached by calling 207-655-3831 or by filling in the contact form. Well, for starters, I'd recommend doing most small maintenance yourself and ignore all non-essential. Bluey Williams's yard was a cowshed in Lawnton near the North Pine River, on the northern side of Brisbane and inland from Redcliffe. The reason it is a scheduled item is that a visual inspection prolly won't detect defects. Improve Sailing 14.8K subscribers In part 3 of our series on sailboat parts, we dive into two types of rigging: standing rigging and running rigging. [advertisement]. Please try again. Finally, rod rigging requires a particular type of terminus called a cold head that can be fabricated only with a purpose-built machine, which only a rigging shop will have. The short answer is, lithium batteries perform better and last longer than many lead-acid batteries. I just replaced all the rope running rigging on a Catalina 27 for about $300. Replacing Running Rigging on an Older Sailboat, a bowline or other knot in a high tech line reduces the breaking strength by up to 80%, for jib sheets you must increase the line size to account for the reduced strength more $$$$, an eye splice is required to attach a shackle to a halyard. Get all your parts together. Account. Customize your boat, or put it back in its original factory condition with parts and gear from MacgregorOwners.com. If you don't have that you may be able to find it on line or on line at your boat class owners' association. Many boat owners are reluctant to replace their running rigging, and for good reason, it can be expensive! While its often difficult to know whether, say, a swaged terminal is in good condition, there are a few common signs of possible failure to look for. Replacing the running rigging on your sailboat seems like it should be fairly simple, and a decade or two ago, it was. Preparing The Boat For Rigging. We are cruisers who sail around 500 nm per year, and are able to avoid frequent encounters with heavy weather by laying over if storms are in the offing. If your running rigging has seen better days, now might be the time to replace it. Hello improvesailing.com webmaster, You always provide useful information. My belief is that you should be replacing your sailboats standing rigging every 10 to 15 years. But this time frame also is variable, depending on the boats purpose and use. There is minor chafe on all sides of the line and along the entire length. Replacing the mast is uncommon, but if you're unlucky and get demasted, it will need to be fixed. This was seen on a brand new boat at the 2020 Seattle Boat Show. Most people starting out will get a smaller size boat and use it for day trips and weekend trips. In most cases, you'll only have to replace your running rigging every 5-10 years, but it will cost you $5,000 on average. Make Wire cutting Jig. Replacement of the rigging components is more frequent and based on inspection. Our sailboat ropes and lines were designed to withstand any weather condition without fraying, tearing, or catching. Allow at least a foot for each splice or knot. Marine sailboat supplier of running rigging - halyards, dock lines and halyar=ds shackles. Running Rigging & Cordage to Order . Proper size and material components for the rig are further consideration. Hi, I'm Shawn, and when I was 2 years old, I was sailing (with my parents) on the English Channel during a proper storm (and by proper I mean something along the lines of force 10). This halyard definitely needs to be replaced. Depending on the answers to those questions and others, a professionally done re-rig for a 40-footer could be closer to $6,000 or more. Learn all about the dangers of failing to winterize here. For a 26' sailboat, that's just 500 bucks. They also would carry a piece of wire as long as the longest stay on the boat coiled and stowed, which undeniably was sometimes easier said than done as well as spare end fittings and the tools needed to replace a broken shroud or stay. Theres such a safety margin in rigging. PACESHIP PY26 Sailboat details on sailboatdata.com. You can see the difference between the old line on the right and the new line on the left. Start by digging out the bosuns chair and finding a trusted (and hopefully fit) buddy to help you. The cost of replacing the standing rigging is, on average, $4,000 every 10 years. Replace this after pinning the shroud as it is a safety device if the main pin happens to come loose (It happens!) If in doubt, get a professional opinion. The theory is that it can take 10 to 15 years of cycling, but this continual motion when its unloaded is what fatigues the wire, Madden says. For docklines a 27 ft. boat would use 1/2 nylon: 25 bow, 15 stern, and 20 spring. As for sources of wire and fittings, there are many, including major chandleries and vendors, like West Marine and Defender, as well as some private riggers, like Annapolis Rigging and the Rigging Company, which will work with you to define what you need and help you source parts and materials. When we brought our Oday 25 home ,I knew judging from the lack of care the previous owner shown the rigging might also be suspect. On this site for example someone posted the specs for a Catalina 27 and they were bang on and agreed fully with the specs I got from the Catalina owners association. Tips on leading lines aft to the cockpit for single-handed sailing; Running rigging color selection, line storage, and more! Would you replace this? I push the boat hard whenever conditions allow and am always a bit leery of its old rigging. It sounds to me that the question is when, not if you will go for new rigging. There are some obvious answers to this one for instance, if your wire rigging has broken strands or if its suffering from candy-striping, i.e., rust-colored streaks swirling down the wire. Now is a good time to give it a quick spray with some track lubricant as you descend. This is some excellent information! Ive had some snafus out there to be sure, and they loom large when theyre read more, When One Wrong Makes a Right Everybody knows youre not supposed to sail up the Pacific Coast! Your subscription could not be saved. . Come join the discussion about sailing, modifications, classifieds, troubleshooting, repairs, reviews, maintenance, and more! So youre sailing offshore and youre looking at the windward shroud thats taut, and thats not the one to worry about. Skilled marine technicians charge from $75 - $150 per hour. You should be able to get the specs off the internet. I agree with a general average of 20 years for replacing the standing rigging. The latter is very important, as its a common cause of weakness, so wherever possible ensure stainless steel fittings are insulated from an aluminum mast. Check the deck around the chainplates and mast for cracking and delamination. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. Put together both the pieces of your mast. Masthead sloop, single spreader, 2 cap shrouds, 4 lowers, r/r forestay, single backstay. If you live on a boat in a location where it falls below freezing temperature (good luck!). Enough tape to cover a cotter pin suffices; otherwise, leave the metal open to the air. The final price depends on two things - what type of engine you have, and how hard it is to get to the starter. So you don't want them on there. Researchers have announced the discovery of the wreck of the schooner barge Ironton in Lake Huron, sitting upright with masts and rigging still intact and with the lifeboat that could have saved her crew still lashed to the ships stern. At least once a year, at the beginning or end of the sailing season, you should visually inspect all of your running rigging and look for signs of wear. All this small hardware needs to be replaced every 20-30 years and will amount to about $1,500. Give us a call, and we can give you a rough quote. Since each one is 34' and then add another 6-10 to be safe? Shrouds and stays should be replaced in pairs, applying just enough tension to support the mast with you climbing it, but not tuned to sail. Then the swager is used to compress the fitting so tightly that the wires merge into a solid piece of stainless steel and cant pull out (right). It is comprised of fixed lines, wires, or rods that are designed to support each mast or bowsprit on sailing vessels. I think another factor to consider is how much of the "life time" of the rigging was spent with the boat in the water and the mast up. Contact us Overall condition is good with some kinks here and there. Before re-tuning the rig the mast base, turnbuckles and stay fixtures should be inspect. This was rod rigging and increased the price quite a bit. Cruising World may receive financial compensation for products purchased through this site. The average price of a used cruising sailboat is between $10,000 and $100,000. Lastly, check your boom, starting with the gooseneck, mainsheet and vang fittings, where huge forces are applied when the rig is under load. It does not all wear out at the same rate. For all remaining running rigging, you can use polyester double-braid rope. Overall condition is good with some kinks here and there. Ensure swivels are working and remove any shackles. A good boat supply store will be able to help. Check by sighting up the backside of the mast to see how straight your spar is side to side. Attach as many of the rigging lines as possible to the masts, booms, and gaffs. Swaging is a strong and durable way to attach end fittings to wire rigging. A little less than the semi-circular groove on the sheave (or pulley).Generally its not strength issue for diameter but rather thick enough to be easily handled. Add winches and UV rays and the wear and tear can be significant so it's important to use a quality line. My boat has been in fresh water all its life. So how often should standing rigging be replaced? For those with external halyard blocks, check to make sure all lines run freely and that block bearings arent worn. Read more on the cost of antifouling your boat. How much does a used sail cost? The condition of this halyard is likely due to UV degradation. I cant understand why they wanted 75 feet for the main as I still have 25-30 feet even when the main sheet is eased all the way. A boat in the water is in constant motion and the rigging experiences constant micro shock loads even when sitting in the slip. You should be mechanically inclined, he says, and the way to find that out is if I start talking all this technical jargon and you decide whether youre suited to handle that at all.. Failing to winterize it will increase your maintenance cost over time, as the engine wears out more quickly, and your plumbing and equipment will fall apart. As I have done a fair amount of club racing, my personal preference would be to use any of the above products for everything except the halyards and then go for a lighter, low stretch, high tech product such as New England Ropes T-900 for the halyards and get the eye splices done professionally. About us No signs of corrosion or stray strands anywhere. First, check for cracks (usually longitudinal), particularly if the terminal looks misshapen or the stay is misaligned in any way. Deck hardware consists of the bullseyes, tiller, eye straps, cleats, and so on. If you need to replace the mast and boom, prepare to spend anywhere between $15,000 - $25,000. Saltwater is a lot more corrosive, and the stress on your rigging and sails will be higher. Your engine will wear out faster, and you'll need more incidental repairs as well. Sta-Set X is an ideal. Ensure you keep hold of the standing end so it doesn't disappear to the top of the mast. Not all maintenance is as important. Click here for a full walkthrough with diagrams. If in doubt, get your deck buddy to rig temporary stays using the halyards and check each stayone at a timewith it slackened off. A boat spending most of the last 10 years on a trailer with the mast in a cradle has only corrosion to consider. Much depends on where it is manufactured; Herman and other riggers say the best wire today is coming from South Korea through a manufacturer called KOS, making wire to military specifications. And never forget the golden rule: if in doubt, sling it out. Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions about your running rigging. How the rigging has been tuned is also part of a boats story. If you replace the rigging preventively, you should never experience the failure I did. Kinks in wire is like chafe on a line. ImproveSailing is compensated for referring traffic and business to this companies. It sounds to me that the question is when, not if you will go for new rigging. The Estimated Costs of Replacing a Jibs and Genoas Sails for boats measuring 42' to 50' can cost around $5,500-$9,000 Sails for boats measuring 36' to 42' can cost around $4,000-$7,000 Sails for boats measuring 32' to 36' can cost around $3,000-$5,000 Sails for boats measuring 24' to 32' can cost around $2,500-$4,000 Another factor in your DIY decision-making process is simple: peace of mind. Money well spent. if it were wire you could get away for about half that price. 9034 GD Marsum These boats have less moving parts and less critical parts. Inexpensive, double-braid Dacron is a fine choice for furling lines on most boats shorter than 40 feet. Do this by placing a wrap of tape 3 up from the upper chainplate pin hole on each upper shroud. When the rig is tuned the wires are stretched. Before long this will create slack in the rig, generating bends and stresses elsewhere. The biggest problem with rigging and older sailboat with high-tech lines to control the sails is that the lines are too strong for the boat. Your first thought may be to replace this old stuff with some of the bright new high tech line you can find in your local chandlery. Also look to see if there are any broken wires where the shroud enters the terminal. Die testing wont pick it up, and its rare that a wire will give you warning before breaking.. These carry a good deal of compression load, so check their roots for damage and make sure the spreaders arent bent in any waythey should exactly bisect the angle of the shroud. If line is properly taken care of, it can last many decades. Maybe dying or some other high tech test would. Over time, UV exposure weakens the fibers and eventually, even the slightest friction will cause chafe that will damage and break the fibers of the cover. It definitely needed to be replaced. Copyright 2023 Cruising World. The owner didnt adjust the rigging to compensate for the stretch for several seasons. Do a few turns on one side before going to the other and applying an equal number. It's a really helpful post (with a formula) if you want to know what to expect. Modelers Central guide you through the importance it adds to the beauty of your finished model. Your sail area will most likely also be larger, which means your sail replacement will be more expensive. Average installation and setup takes around 30 hours (at $105 per hour), which would add another $3,105 to the bill, bumping the cost to re-rig up to $8,010 for an average re-rig. We're looking for writers! Leave each line with extra length, and coil the lines up. Wire rigging is generally less expensive and easier to handle. They weigh less and take up less room. We offer a full range of sailing lines to replace any or all the running rigging on your boat such as halyards, sailboat sheets or control lines. The task of replacing the standing rigging on a sailing yacht may seem daunting but there is a procedure to follow that can make it a relatively straight forward process for anyone who is reasonably practical. For over 40 years we have specialized in manufacturing standing rigging for all of the major sailboat manufacturers nationwide. Also, you'll have plenty of time doing odd jobs yourself, since you'll be living on the boat. The standing rigging consists of wires supporting the mast on a sailboat and reinforcing the spars from the force of the sails when sailing. They might have swollen, so the new will appear to be a smaller gauge. Sometimes they let you go longer if you have the rig professionally inspected, particularly if you have an electronic check carried out on the terminals and other crucial fittings. As a basic rule, the replacement of the standing rig should be done every 10 years, except for multihulls or regattas, and rod or composite fiber rigging. I'll explain each line item in detail later on. Our sailboat running rigging includes sailboat mainsheets, sailboat halyards, and all major sailboat lines. Do you want to earn money to write on our website? The wire itself rarely fails midway along a shroud, so this makes good sense. Fisheries Supply is your premier supplier of sailing and rigging rope from top brands like Samson, Marlow, Robline and New England Rope. As you work your way down the mast, take a glance at the mainsail track to see if its in good condition and well secured. In marine environments, everything can go wrong exactly one time for it to be critical. Prices for new boats typically range from $100,000 to $500,000. Marine-suitable stainless wire is called 316 grade, but even that doesnt mean youre necessarily getting high-quality wire. This one didnt. With a spare mechanical end fitting, wire and the proper tools, you can replace a stay pretty much anywhere. I found some tests that some SBO folks had done many years ago on the O'Day 25's standing rigging. A stripped cover dyneema halyard is a great way to reduce the splice diameter and weight aloft for racers, however, they do have their downsides. I have broken more than my share of components in newer boats while a lot less in older boats. Running the halyards Both the Jib and Main halyards are purple , high-load, Marlow Spectra line. Generally, end fittings fall into a few classes: studs, eyes, forks and hooks, each of which comes in a dizzying array of sizes and configurations.

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