Premature failure of standing rigging.

[Fr J Hackett]

Could certainly do that for shrounds, but I am thinking ahead to this winter and wanting the forestay replaced, but that is contained inside the furler so has to be made in place. I can't see that being done by mail order.

Perfectly possible to do that for the forestay it's only the head that has a swaged fitting on it the rest is done with a conical wedge at the lower end I have done it several times.

 

[Sea Change]

+1 for mail order rigging. I've done it twice, both times with Z Spars.
- on my Albin Vega the mast was unstepped when I bought it. I removed the old rigging and sent it to Z Spars who sent me back a complete new set for £450 including new bottlescrews. The forestay used a StaLok swageless fitting. That was in 2010, I wonder what the price would be today...
- on my Moody 39 I had to re-rig with the mast still up, one stay at a time. I didn't replace the bottlescrews. Each stay was provided c.50cm over length, with a swaged fitting on one end and a StaLok for the other. Climb mast, bring down old stay, use it to measure up the new one, cut, fit StaLok, install. Took a few days and many hours in the bosun's chair. Total cost £1350. That was in 2021.

 

[Minerva]

+1 for mail order rigging. I've done it twice, both times with Z Spars.
- on my Albin Vega the mast was unstepped when I bought it. I removed the old rigging and sent it to Z Spars who sent me back a complete new set for £450 including new bottlescrews. The forestay used a StaLok swageless fitting. That was in 2010, I wonder what the price would be today...
- on my Moody 39 I had to re-rig with the mast still up, one stay at a time. I didn't replace the bottlescrews. Each stay was provided c.50cm over length, with a swaged fitting on one end and a StaLok for the other. Climb mast, bring down old stay, use it to measure up the new one, cut, fit StaLok, install. Took a few days and many hours in the bosun's chair. Total cost £1350. That was in 2021.

Interesting. How did your insurance co feel about not use a certified and insured professional rigger?

I’d like to think it’d be safely within my capabilities but wouldn’t want a fight with insurance co.

 

[Sea Change]

Interesting. How did your insurance co feel about not use a certified and insured professional rigger?

I’d like to think it’d be safely within my capabilities but wouldn’t want a fight with insurance co.

Fair question. It's can't honestly remember if it came up.
I've spent the vast majority of my time as a boat owner uninsured, since nobody would cover me to stay afloat all year round on a self maintained mooring.

 

[penberth3]

Interesting. How did your insurance co feel about not use a certified and insured professional rigger?

I’d like to think it’d be safely within my capabilities but wouldn’t want a fight with insurance co.

Certified? What certification and issued by whom, can you expand on this? Assuming we're in the UK?

 

[ProDave]

After a second mention of Sta Lok I had a look.

I had previously discounted them as untrustworthy. And I based that decision on experience as an electrician of terminating Steel Wire Armoured cable. Even very carefully terminated SWA does not give a very secure clamping of the wire armour and I feared Sta Lok would be as bad.

Having had a look it does indeed seem to be a very different device and one I could grow to trust. But it still looks like a great deal of care is needed, in particular you need a good clean cut of the end of the wire and then careful unwinding of the outer layer.

Definitely worth considering.

 

[Sea Change]

After a second mention of Sta Lok I had a look.

I had previously discounted them as untrustworthy. And I based that decision on experience as an electrician of terminating Steel Wire Armoured cable. Even very carefully terminated SWA does not give a very secure clamping of the wire armour and I feared Sta Lok would be as bad.

Having had a look it does indeed seem to be a very different device and one I could grow to trust. But it still looks like a great deal of care is needed, in particular you need a good clean cut of the end of the wire and then careful unwinding of the outer layer.

Definitely worth considering.

StaLok are actually stronger and more reliable than a swaged fitting.
Hi Mod are an alternative brand and some say are superior. They don't need replacement cones, which is a plus.
There are also Norseman, which I've used; I found them a little more fiddly than StaLok.

 

[Minerva]

Certified? What certification and issued by whom, can you expand on this? Assuming we're in the UK?

Fair cop, certified probably incorrect phraseology. Someone one who your insurance company would deem a competent person qualified to undertake rigging replacement is perhaps closer to the mark.