The running rigging consists of all the lines, sheets, and so on that is used to haul and operate the sails. How Much Does It Cost to Replace Standing Sailing Rigging? Youre out there offshore and theres a squall coming and you start worrying about the craziest of things, and you dont want to have any unknowns. Thats especially true of the system that keeps the mast and sails up. I'm on Lake Michigan. Rig inspections, rig replacement and rig upgrades is how we can help. Standing Rigging Inspection, Maintenance and Replacement I've read that standing rigging should be replaced anywhere from 10 all the way up to 20 years and also simply based on condition. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission, which supports our community. This is the furling line for an in-mast furler. We only sell guaranteed-content, guaranteed-process wire, Herman says. Fitting a Roller Furling Line - Practical Sailor Winterization is an often-overlooked cost, but it can be one of the largest expenses each year. How do you know when its time to re-rig? ImproveSailing is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. And if your boat is in the the Seattle area, wed love to come take a look at your running rigging. Make Wire cutting Jig. Cruising World may receive financial compensation for products purchased through this site. If you use your batteries extensively, they will most likely need replacing after 3-4 years, for example, for liveaboards or full-time cruisers. Learn all about the dangers of failing to winterize here. If you're hoisting the sail on land, make sure the bow of the boat is pointing towards the wind. SKIRMISH was built for Clarence Noble in Brisbane. Are the chainplates sound? we have provided rigging services and have specialized in running rigging. You could be setting yourself up for some serious problems, as well a spending a lot of unnecessary money into the bargain. Money well spent. Some boaters don't shrink wrap in the winter because of it. We're looking for writers! The first decision is whether to tackle the job with the mast up or down. 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. Look for cracks, corrosion and worn clevis pins or shackles, removing any tape and replacing cotter pins and split rings where necessary. Overall, this halyard looked relatively new compared to some of the other lines on this boat, and this sheave probably caused the demise of the previous halyard. When we talk about sailboat rigging, we mean all the wires, ropes and lines that support the rig and control the sails. [1] 2. Rigging Tips for Building a Model Ship | Modelers Central Your sail area will most likely also be larger, which means your sail replacement will be more expensive. Do you want to earn money to write on our website? Most masts have integral sheaves, which are rarely serviced except when the mast is unsteppedoften only at five-year intervals. For dry storage, part of the process can be to shrink wrap your boat. Opti Running Rigging Sheets Halyard Line Sailboat Kit. Our selection runs the gamut, from economical polyester single- and double-braids to high-tech, low-stretch line made from materials such as Dyneema, Spectra, Technora, Kevlar and Vectran. If you don't have that you may be able to find it on line or on line at your boat class owners' association. Replacement of the rigging components is more frequent and based on inspection. [advertisement] Take this opportunity to check out your spars as well. If you own a bluewater cruiser, your maintenance cost will go up a lot. This produces an easy-to-handle rope that is strong and durable. On sailboats, however, there aren't a lot of non-essential parts. Technical support for boat owners and maintenance yards servicing Sabre Next check the back and forestay fittings where they connect to the mast, ensuring any clevis pins are straight and secure. Do this by placing a wrap of tape 3 up from the upper chainplate pin hole on each upper shroud. With a spare mechanical end fitting, wire and the proper tools, you can replace a stay pretty much anywhere. Let's go over each type and break down which costs to expect exactly. Its common to choose to fit lighter swaged terminals at the top of a stay or shroud and mechanical ones at the bottom, where swaged terminals are more vulnerable to corrosion. Spreader tips that are covered can often encourage and hide corrosion as they can trap water and reduce air flow over stainless steel fittings, causing them to corrode. Barnacles can slice through your boat's bellow! If the wire in a stay or shroud has stretched to the point where theres no room for further adjustment, make sure you compensate for this when replacing the wire so that at least one-third of the turnbuckle body is open to accommodate adjustments when the rig is fully tensioned. Perhaps a rogue cotter pin sticking out of a turnbuckle. For instance, the Rigging Company makes a spare-stay kit that can accommodate either wire or rod rigging repairs, Cockerill says. A detailed rig check takes no more than two hours or so to completeabout as long as it takes to provision the boat with a weeks food suppliesonly the result of not doing it can be a good deal more drastic! Attach as many of the rigging lines as possible to the masts, booms, and gaffs. Maybe dying or some other high tech test would. For docklines a 27 ft. boat would use 1/2" nylon: 25' bow, 15' stern, and 20' spring. Hed estimate more like $4,600 for a 40-foot boat, but all of these numbers depend on how much is involved: Are there furlers? They aren't even worn enough to require end-for ending yet. All this small hardware needs to be replaced every 20-30 years and will amount to about $1,500. Yes, its unlikely youll suffer a massive failure during normal coastal cruising, but it is good practice to spend a little time looking carefully at each element of your rig at least once a month, or before a cruise lasting more than a few daysparticularly if heavy weather is expected. Just a FYI. Market Scan: Running Rigging - Practical Sailor Theres no reason good quality rigging shouldnt last up to 20 years or so if it is well maintained and any problems that arise are sorted right away. Why replace sailboat running rigging? - Boat and Equipment Reviews To be more precise, the highly tensioned stays and shrouds that support the mast are known collectively as standing rigging, whilst the rope halyards, sheets and other control lines come under the heading of running rigging. With all of these factors in mind, what can you expect to pay for standing rigging replacement? You can see that the chafe is only occurring on one side of the line, the side that comes in contact with the sheave. All standing rigging, whether rod or wire, has to end in a fitting that attaches to the deck and mast. The owner didnt adjust the rigging to compensate for the stretch for several seasons. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. The most common location of chainplate failure is where one disappears into the deck and cant be inspected. Rigging - Wikipedia Madden says that cost isnt linear, though; as you go up in size (a bigger boat needs heavier wire and larger fittings), youll spend more. 1. Let's start by getting a good overview of the different maintenance costs. The following resources contain do-it-yourself information on upgrading and maintenance. The only thing we can really do is regularly inspect lines to look for wear. You can also use sacrificial covers to protect halyards from clutch damage,. Deep cycle batteries (which are best for household functionality) need replacing every 4-6 years and will cost roughly $600. If the leeward shroud flops around underway, the constant flexing will weaken the metal over time and make it more prone to fail. With chainplates its often not the actual hardware that fails, but the structure that supports them. Proper size and material components for the rig are further consideration. When inspecting your rig you should also make an inventory of all its parts and their dimensions. However, what you'll actually pay really depends on the type of boat you have and what you do with it. Tartan 30 - Sailing Magazine Most recent receipt was for lower stays 10 years ago. So how often should standing rigging be replaced? You can take a masthead halyard from side to side to ensure that the masthead is on center. 0 www.rigbos.com. And although rod rigging may be able to last longer than wire, it too needs to be serviced every five to six years to get the most life out of it. Sailboat Running Rigging Lines | Sailing Lines - Vela Sailing Supply I am going to be getting new jib sheets with will be 7/16" for ease of handling. The boat owner or previous rigger had clearly replaced the old line without looking for the source of the chafe. This could be a marine eye, a marine fork, a T-head or a J-hook, among others. Allow at least a foot for each splice or knot. Included in every new DragonFlight 95 v2 kit : v2 DF95 Rigging Instructions. On modern boats, chainplates are fitted outboard (right) and covered with a plate that lets water drain. Contact us Replacing the mast is uncommon, but if you're unlucky and get demasted, it will need to be fixed. Boom Vang. 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. Inboard engine (and generator) starters cost from $40 - over $1,000 depending on the engine. It will be important to maintain a couple of parts, though: With a first boat, you most likely won't invest in new sails or the standing rigging if you don't have to. But if you want the good stuff, need more fire extinguishers, plan on spending more like $600. Wire rigging is generally less expensive and easier to handle. On this eye splice, the core has herniated out of the cover. How to Rig a Laser Sailboat: 12 Steps (with Pictures) - wikiHow It sounds to me that the question is when, not if you will go for new rigging.