replacing running rigging on a sailboat

Click here for a full walkthrough with diagrams. The following resources contain do-it-yourself information on upgrading and maintenance. Boats used for coastal cruising, week ending or day sailing may go longer. Don't forget that this site will also replace your rigging. There are also a few spots where the chafe is more serious. 5 Ways To Sail Rig A Sailing Boat 2023 - CHUCKPAL You could be setting yourself up for some serious problems, as well a spending a lot of unnecessary money into the bargain. Selecting Line for Running Rigging | West Marine The bottom of the top half just slides into the top of the bottom half. That's why I've calculated the average maintenance costs for four different types of boat below: Your specific maintenance cost will vary depending on what type of boat you have and how you'll use it. Although the hull actually read more, It was March, and Id made it through another Maine winter. Masthead sloop, single spreader, 2 cap shrouds, 4 lowers, r/r forestay, single backstay. Another trouble spot on keel-stepped masts is where the spar enters the deck, especially if water has leaked under the mast collar. How exactly do you determine how much line you need for a given size sailboat? Now is a good time to install all new cotter pins or rings to leave no doubt as to the integrity of your connections. So I've added it to the "be aware this might happen" list - but won't add it to the monthly recurring costs. For a 26' sailboat, that's just 500 bucks. Although rod rigging is more common on racing boats, many well-known cruising-boat builders, such as Valiant, Bristol, J/Boats and Hinckley, have rod-rigged models. how much fuel a sailboat uses in my article, ICC (International Certificate of Competence, Average Cost of Buying & Owning a Sailboat (With 4 Examples). On longer boats, you can opt for a furling-line material of more esoteric double-braids with less stretch. From knowing the parts of the sails to understanding the need for tension, I'll go over everything you need to know about rigging sails. How Much Do New Sails Cost? | Life of Sailing The reason it is a scheduled item is that a visual inspection prolly won't detect defects. A rope with a Dyneema core (SK 78 or better) with a polyester cover that can be removed from the working ends would be best. Inexpensive, double-braid Dacron is a fine choice for furling lines on most boats shorter than 40 feet. It was this mistakefailing to untie the read more, After four long months poised to spring into action at the first sign of the right weather window, Spindrift has announced that its record-breaking circumnavigation attempt wont be possible this year. First, check for cracks (usually longitudinal), particularly if the terminal looks misshapen or the stay is misaligned in any way. Read more on the lifetime expectancy of marine diesels here. Winter storms and ice can damage the hull and mast as well. I don't like spam - I will only send helpful content. Marine-suitable stainless wire is called 316 grade, but even that doesnt mean youre necessarily getting high-quality wire. Specific Gravity is 1.38, so it does not float. Lifejackets have to be replaced every 10 years. The interval of longterm maintenance will increase dramatically in these conditions. PDF Rigging Manual Rev - Club 420 Your sail area will most likely also be larger, which means your sail replacement will be more expensive. Running rigging, standing rigging, what's the difference? Sailboat Rigging. Replacing your old worn out or damaged standing rigging is a crucial requirement to insure your safety and the safety of others. The easiest place to work on your rig is on the ground. Colligo Dux: A relative newcomer to sailboat rigging, Colligo Dux is pre-stretched and heat-treated Dyneema. With chainplates its often not the actual hardware that fails, but the structure that supports them. For docklines a 27 ft. boat would use 1/2 nylon: 25 bow, 15 stern, and 20 spring. Too narrow for equivalent ropeshould be 10% wider than the diameter of the rope. 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. Your costs will range from a couple of hundred dollars for a small outboard up to over a thousand for a large or difficult to reach inboard. About us If in doubt, get a professional opinion. I have broken more than my share of components in newer boats while a lot less in older boats. They can also crack under the constant tension, particularly if the rig has been pumping in rough seas or if the toggles that ensure proper shroud alignment have seized and cant move freely. If in doubt, get your deck buddy to rig temporary stays using the halyards and check each stayone at a timewith it slackened off. The only thing we can really do is regularly inspect lines to look for wear. Running rigging - Wikipedia I personally take stock of a pleasure boat's components and their age and will not load an older boat's rigging as much as I would a newer one. ImproveSailing is compensated for referring traffic and business to this companies. In other words, if your boat already has rod rigging, with all of the end fittings to terminate the rods both on deck and in or on the mast, then sticking with rod will ultimately be less expensive than making the switch to wire. The easiest way to prevent line from chafing all the way through is to simply look at your line. One advantage is that you might not need to winterize if you're a fulltime cruiser since you'll probably spend your winters in Bermuda. That was a case of not knowing that the worst thing you can do to standing rigging is have it loose on the leeward side, he says. By taking on the labor yourself, youll probably save as much as $2,000 on the re-rigging cost, he says. Fitting a Roller Furling Line - Practical Sailor Replacing Your Sailboat Rigging - Cruising World Enough tape to cover a cotter pin suffices; otherwise, leave the metal open to the air. Clean and lubricate them, then refasten them, and remember to mouse them with new galvanized wire and tape over the ends to avoid chafe. 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. 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. It wears with time due to UV exposure, flogging, strain from the wind, and regular use. 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. The total maintenance cost varies a lot, depending on the following factors: Still, we want a general feel of what to expect. In marine environments, everything can go wrong exactly one time for it to be critical. Riggers say the question of whether to rig with wire or rod is usually fairly easily answered: Run what you brung. . It will always be a judgment call. 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. One part of sailboats and yachts that must be inspected, maintained, or even replaced when necessary is the standing rigging. Hardwood would be best but we used epoxied plywood and it was adequate. Sailboat rigging very rarely fails from being overloaded. LittleSister said: Re-rigging my 27 footer in 2017 cost me about 860 (though I was something of a captive audience, and didn't shop around - presumably both the boatyard and the riggers made money out of it). Did you find the answer to your specific question? 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. Although anyone can walk into a local chandlery and buy wire, that doesnt mean the wire is of the highest quality. Wire rigging is generally less expensive and easier to handle. We only sell guaranteed-content, guaranteed-process wire, Herman says. Exhausted In Singapore, For All the Wrong Reasons, Cruising World Takes Multiple Honors in Annual Writing and Photography Contest. It's a really helpful post (with a formula) if you want to know what to expect. 1. Cut a square piece of wood about 3-4 on each side. I'm the owner of ImproveSailing. Listing Results for Shore Support & Services, Sailing & Rigging and ENG1 Medical Certificate in Marans, Levallois Perret and Cap D'Agde Barnacles can slice through your boat's bellow! sailboats with inboard engine: $5,000 - $10,000, sailboats with outboard engine: $1,000 - $1,500, most powerboats (inboard engine): $15,000 - $35,000, small outboard engines (2-5 hp): $1,000 - $1,500, large outboard engines (100+ hp): $10,000+. The number one destroyer of line is chafe. The cost to replace standing rigging obviously varies from boat to boat. I live in Friesland, The Netherlands, which is famous for its great lakes and lots of sailing opportunities. Most masts have integral sheaves, which are rarely serviced except when the mast is unsteppedoften only at five-year intervals. The benefits of rod are less stretch, less weight, less windage, and arguably longer life than wire, because theres less possibility for corrosion of the rod itself. The two primary manufacturers of mechanical fittings presently are Sta-Lok and Petersen Stainless, which produces Hi-MOD. 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. The deciding factor of how much will this cost exactly is whether you can simply bolt the new engine in or whether you have to adjust all other parts, including shaft logs, exhausts, electrics, and so on. Today, with the advent of super-strong synthetic line such as AmSteel and Dyneema, the need for that extra wire and gear is eliminated. 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. On modern boats, chainplates are fitted outboard (right) and covered with a plate that lets water drain. Three strand is referable and less expensive than braid for dock and anchor lines also a lot easier to splice. In this article, I'll show you what to expect. Proper size and material components for the rig are further consideration. But Marissa and Chris Neely on Avocet saw a weather window and jumped, making their first big offshore passage the wrong way from Santa Barbara to San Francisco and loving itmostly. The most common location of chainplate failure is where one disappears into the deck and cant be inspected. How do you know when its time to re-rig? On sailboats, however, there aren't a lot of non-essential parts. How to Rig a Laser Sailboat: 12 Steps (with Pictures) - wikiHow All rights reserved. What is Sailboat Rigging? - Better Sailing Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions about your running rigging. The total maintenance cost for a bluewater cruiser will average around $3,225 per year or $269 per month. There are some question as to whether or not you should replace your turnbuckles along with the wire. You must log in or register to reply here. 1. 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. Most engines will last you about 20 years, depending on the amount of use and whether you use it properly. You mean all together don't you? What is the average sailboat maintenance cost? The installation of the engine will cost a few hundred to a couple of thousand dollars. Re-rigs - Petersen Custom Rigging This line is double braided polyester, so the cover is responsible for carrying up to 30% of the load. Standing Rigging Inspection, Maintenance and Replacement Kinks in wire is like chafe on a line. These boats have less moving parts and less critical parts. Top manufacturers of swaged fittings are Hayn Marine Rigging Products, Alexander Roberts and C. Sherman Johnson. SailboatOwners.com, 605 NW 53rd Avenue, Gainesville, FL, 32609 Its best to slacken them off, giving them a few turns each way and removing any clevis pins for close inspection before re-tensioning the shroud or stay and then locking it off with new split rings or cotter pins. Pip Hare's top tips for preventing chafe on lines, sails and hardware Contact us Look for cracks, corrosion and worn clevis pins or shackles, removing any tape and replacing cotter pins and split rings where necessary. Note wire and pin diameters and measure the wires as accurately as possible between pin centers with the rig fully tensioned. 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. . We are a proud supplier of Yale Cordage. Parts total: $600 on average 1985 Catalina 36 Cruiser for sale - YachtWorld Also, you'll have plenty of time doing odd jobs yourself, since you'll be living on the boat. WE SHIP WORLDWIDE: More Info. Why replace sailboat running rigging? - Boat and Equipment Reviews It's a good idea to replace wire running rigging with high-modulus rope, but the reality is that in most cases we can't because many masts that were designed for wire have sheaves that are: Grooved for wire. It is very flexible and easy to handle, and is still the line of choice for most applications on cruisers and club racers. ImproveSailing is compensated for referring traffic and business to this companies. Of course, if you have an outboard engine the installation price will be nothing more than a few drops of sweat, swearing, and back pain for a day or two. Come join the discussion about sailing, modifications, classifieds, troubleshooting, repairs, reviews, maintenance, and more! Every time I think Ive seen it all, my people outdo themselves and serve up the unexpected. Do you hire a pro or go it alone? However, they generally cost more than a swaged fitting; Herman says while Hi-MODs newer mechanical fittings are definitely more user-friendly to assemble, theyre twice the cost of a swaged fitting. Some riggers will recommend swaged fittings for the mast end of the rigging and mechanical fittings at the deck level: Corrosion is less prevalent at the top of the mast, and you can more easily and regularly inspect mechanical fittings at deck level, where theyre frequently subjected to salt water. If you do the work yourself, it's more something like $1,000 - $1,500. If you want to go for super low stretch halyards look at Spectra but the stretch isnt much more for a lot more bucks. The average cost of a new cruising sailboat is about $250,000. Replacing electronics won't be very important - however, your batteries will need to be replaced more often. Not all maintenance is as important. Standing rigging are the cables that support the mast. This process . Use a low stretch Dacron such as Sta-Set-X for halyards. Since each one is 34' and then add another 6-10 to be safe? The former requires someone with a swage machine to fit terminals, the latter you can fit yourselfwith care. Hello improvesailing.com webmaster, You always provide useful information. 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. This produces an easy-to-handle rope that is strong and durable. 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. The mechanical terminals most commonly used by DIY riggers are Sta-Lok and Norseman terminals. The warm trade winds in the West Indies were calling; time to go sailing. Overall condition is good with some kinks here and there. There are other wires out there that are cheaper, but theyre not guaranteed.. If you want a life raft, that's another $1,500. Our sailboat running rigging includes sailboat mainsheets, sailboat halyards, and all major sailboat lines. Now would also be a good time to change those old cotter pins and circlip rings as well. A sailboat doesn't have to be expensive if you know what you're doing. Account. A swaged fitting is a terminus thats attached using a machine called a swager. Whether you are setting up the hardware for a trapeze or trying to create the perfect mast rake before a big race with your tension guage, we at MAURIPRO Sailing will meet your Rigging needs. LUBE SAIL TRACK MATERIALS 3/2019. Do this by placing a wrap of tape 3 up from the upper chainplate pin hole on each upper shroud. For over 40 years we have specialized in manufacturing standing rigging for all of the major sailboat manufacturers nationwide. Read more on the average cost to replace a boat starter here. The actual total annual cost is $3,000 to $7,000, due to other recurring costs like docking and insurance fees.