A couple of questions re diy replacing standing rigging.

A tip on cutting rigging wire. Get a block of hardwood about 10cm x 5cm x5cm. Cut a slot lengthways to about 2/3 the way down to take a hacksaw blade - a circular saw blade thickness is about right. Drill holes through it crossways to take your rigging size(s). Buy plenty of hacksaw blades. Makes a much cleaner cut than holding the rigging in a vice and is much easier.

I've also considered turning the holes for the rigging into slots. The block would then help me cut the rigging away faster if the mast came down at sea. But its better to inspect the rigging regularly and closely to try and avoid that. Which I'm due to do this year
 
One more thing. I respect the knowledge and experience of riggers, the art as well as the science of the job. But with the strength and resilience of my oversized mast and rigging and a cheapo rigging gauge, I was happy enough setting up the new rigging myself, having measured the tensions first (all a bit slack, I thought.) Its really instructive to experiment with small changes in mast rake and prebend to alter the boat's weather helm and shape of the mainsail. I'd not be able to do that if I had to hire a rigger every time. Nor would I be able to spot which shrouds had stretched more than others (the port cap shroud, probably after a knock down in a sudden F8 squall off Lowestoft. Mast stood up, even while the crew sat down on the cockpit floor gibbering 'I don't like this. Make it stop'!)

I don't imagine my rigging gauge is as accurate as ones costing twice as much. But I'm more interested in the tensions being matched on each side and in the right ball park for a sailing cruiser. It will be a different ball game for higly tuned racers, of course.
 
I am not arguing against using someone local, but if you do decide to go with ordering the rigging from Jimmy Green or another 'remote' supplier, you don't need to send them the rigging: you can measure it yourself. (Just do it carefully and accurately!)

More recently I've employed local riggers for various reasons (though even then I gave them closely approximate measurements to get a quote), but many years ago I did my own measuring and ordered by post, and wouldn't rule out doing similarly again.

On that occasion, being short of money I raised my 22 footer's (deck stepped) mast myself, with my then girlfriend assisting, using a cunning series of ropes and tensioning of my own devising, but I found using an untried process, with a shortage of muscle power in case anything went wrong and other boats packed tightly around, very stressful.

Unfortunately, once the mast was up I then found that Jimmy Greens had made up one of the stays to an incorrect length (my measurement provided to them was correct), and had to drop the mast again while I sent off for a replacement. They replaced it without question, but never apologised for their error, which has always irked me given the trouble, delay and cost it caused me. When the replacement arrived, I paid for the yard to raise the mast to save time and my nerves.
 
differentroads said:
A tip on cutting rigging wire. Get a block of hardwood about 10cm x 5cm x5cm. Cut a slot lengthways to about 2/3 the way down to take a hacksaw blade - a circular saw blade thickness is about right. Drill holes through it crossways to take your rigging size(s). Buy plenty of hacksaw blades. Makes a much cleaner cut than holding the rigging in a vice and is much easier.

I've also considered turning the holes for the rigging into slots. The block would then help me cut the rigging away faster if the mast came down at sea. But its better to inspect the rigging regularly and closely to try and avoid that. Which I'm due to do this year
Click to expand...
Or buy a rechargable angle grinder (mine is from Aldi) and use a stainless steel cutting disc..
 
fredrussell said:
Thanks all, plenty to digest here. I won’t be tackling it till April/May I reckon, unless we get a warm spell before then.
Click to expand...


Yes, clinging onto an alloy mast is grim in the cold.

Just another thought. One of the things you can't inspect and a prime suspect for failure is the forestay and associated furling stuff. If you brought that down first and sorted it, you might have enough on your plate for this winter and do the rest at your leisure.

You might well want to inspect the whole rig though. The second prime area for problems are the mast Tee females (if you have them); here is a video that gives you an excellent example of what to look out for. Pause it at 12min 8secs:



.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Top