Replacing standing rigging without demasting?

[Ric]

Is this possible? A rigger I spoke to today seemed to think so.

 

[rob2]

Yes, but it's done one at a time and with halyards rigged to offer temporary support. What you can't do is get everything off so the rigger can make up a full set ready to fit. Consequently someone has to climb the mast twice for each component - firstly to remove it and a second time to fit the replacement. Whilst up there, it is your opportunity to inspect everything is in good order, it isn't unusual to find a cracked fitting, and you may as well clean and grease the masthead sheaves, too.

Rob.

 

[prv]

I suppose so - do one wire at a time while temporarily replacing it with a halyard. Not sure I'd want to be the one going up the mast in such a state, to change the top ends over, but can't actually see a problem. If your rigger is suggesting it then presumably he's quite happy.

Pete

 

[lw395]

Also depends on the rig.
It's a lot easier on a multi-spreader rig which will stay up if any one wire (or even pair of wires ) is removed. Also the loads from a man aloft are fairly trivial compared to sailing a 40ft boat, less so on a 25ft boat.
With a small boat, it is probably easier to take the rig down.

 

[Ric]

Is there a rigging supplier who can supply ready-made rigging for production boats, based on the manufacturer plans?

 

[merlin3688]

Although production boats should all be the same I don't think any rigging company would make new rigging without measuring the old rigging. Yes possible to re-rig with mast up but some rigging esp at the top of the mast has a top cap that needs removing first, also sometimes spreader ends are seized on to wires. Certainly easier with the mast down. I guess a rigger if mobile could do on site and one wire at a time.

 

[Conachair]

I redid mine by myself using norseman fittings and a coil of new dyform wire. One wire at a time. Took a couple of days from memory. Mast steps help at a lot

 

[Tradewinds]

I redid mine by myself using norseman fittings and a coil of new dyform wire. One wire at a time. Took a couple of days from memory. Mast steps help at a lot

Ditto on my main mast.
I used overlength 1x19 with a swaged eye at one end - cut it to length & fitted Staloks.
One at a time - no problemo.

Even had a little helper (on the mizzen )

Gawd these smilies are sh*t.

 

[Dipper]

I've just had a new mast on my Seawolf 26 fitted by a rigger and he told me he put it up and secured it with ropes/halyards before he secured the standing rigging which all had to be cut to length.

 

[Boathook]

Is there a rigging supplier who can supply ready-made rigging for production boats, based on the manufacturer plans?

I tried that once and I was told to to supply the measurments, as back then every production boat was slightly different.

 

[Norman_E]

It is only possible on some rigs. On my boat the lowers and the intermediates are fitted through the spreaderattachments, and the spreaders had to come off to change them, making it a mast down job.

This is the lower spreader fitting removed from the mast.