Cutting a rig away

[RickUSA]

I am building a new boat, with .875 inch rod rigging. Am wondering what other people are using for tools to cut away the rigging, should the need arise. Do not really like the idea of electric tools on deck during an emergency, for obvious reasons.

We do have a hydraulic pump for the mast jack. Something might be adapted to fit this.

 

[toad]

The fire services use hydraulic cutters have a talk with them,they probably have porterble cutters you can have a look at.

 

[ccscott49]

That is huge rigging, only a hydraulic type cutter could handle that, I doubt if even the explosive devices could handle anything that size. A re-chargeable disc grinder, with stainless steel cutting disc (they are special) would handle that stuff. Thats about all I would think would handle it, even the fire fighters stuff I dont think is designed for that stuff. I dont think the lads realise we are talking about 7/8 of a inch!

 

[johnsomerhausen]

Rod Stephens (of S & S) once explained that if you have split pins that are just a bit longer than the rigging screw rod, and have them opened only 10-15 degrees, you can pull them out easily with a pair of pliers.
jphn

 

[LadyInBed]

Re: split pins

That’s my philosophy as well, side cutters, pliers, centre punch and hammer. If that doesn’t work, I have some large bolt crops, but if conditions are that bad, I have a nasty feeling at the back of my mind that I wont have enough hands to use anything but the bolt crops.

 

[ccscott49]

Re: split pins

Thing is, we are talking about 7/8" rod rigging, theres no bolt croppers I've ever seen would handle that! They would have to have veeeeeery long handles!!

 

[HaraldS]

Re: shoot it !

Here is the answer.

http://www.toolova.com/english/homeFrame_e.htm

Haven't tried rod, but they say it works up to 9.5mm.

I have "opened" mine to 14mm (my cap shrouds) and tried it out on some sample. Takes two shots at the same spot, but still a lot easier than anything else.

Company is very good to deal with.

 

[ccscott49]

Re: shoot it !

7/8" is a little larger than 9.5mm, its about 20mm. Thats the point I was trying to make. So I doubt if that is the answer. Dynamite might be! 14mm cap shrouds! You must have one hell of a boat! Mine are only 10mm and mine is 57', just wondered. Mind you my bottle screws are 5/8"

 

[HaraldS]

Re: shoot it !

You are right 7/8" is a real problem. But should be possible to have a cutter built that works on the same principle, as you say, driven with little dynamite cartriges. I think whoever has 7/8" rod rigging could afford some custom work for such a cutter.

It does make my 14mm look smallish, doesn't it. Actually my boat is smaller than yours at 49 ft, but I think rigged on the safe side. My cap and lower shrouds are 14mm 1x19 wire with M24 bottle screws. That is to support a 22 meter mast carrying 120m2 sail, or a 190 m2 spi. That is what the designers (Judel & Vroljik) speced, I didn't go up a notch like on many other things.

 

[ccscott49]

Re: shoot it !

Big mast! But I still think the rigging a bit on the heavy side, still they should know what they are doing! After all they are yacht designers, I'm not. My rigging is overdone aswell, should be 8mm, but I always overdo things and I designed this rig. Very short masts, compared to yours, my main is only 14 meters!

 

[vyv_cox]

Re: split pins

I'd agree with that. Pulling out a split pin, knocking out the clevis pin, unloaded and with the boat standing on the hard is a very different matter from doing it in horrendous conditions with the mast flogging backwards and forwards, possibly with parts of it smashing down on the chainplate, dark, boat rolling .... need I go on?

A friend who lost his mast in daylight and quite benign conditions told me that it was utterly impossible to remove clevis pins. He dropped his bolt croppers over the side during attempts to cut his rigging away, but fortunately another boat lent him theirs. I have a leash on my bolt croppers to attach it to my wrist, in case of dropping it.

 

[alex_rogers]

Re: shoot it !

Could this be 7/8" circumference rod?