Replacing Standing rigging

[mel80]

I need to replace all of my standing rigging; it's well past 20 years old, which the insurance company aren't happy about. The current rigging is 1x19 6mm s/s wire, with solid swaged eye terminals at each end.

The boat is in the water, with the mast up. I'm after some advice about how best to go about it. I have a few options available to me.

1. Local rigger, who can only do talurit splices, and cannot crane out the mast, which would mean doing the work wire by wire. (awaiting a quote)

2. 2nd local rigger who, again, can only do talurit splices, but could send the wire away for the swaged terminal fittings and who could crane out the mast. (quote of £588 maximum for swaged terminals).

3. Measuring the wire ourselves, and ordering from an internet chandlers (jimmy green). Quote of £654 for swaged terminals, £528 for talurit splices.

We're probably going to replace the bottlescrews as well as the wire, so I imagine that we'd be able to get either type of terminal to fit (but I'll have to check that).

Does anyone have any advice? Talurit splices seem cheaper, but are they weaker and if so by how much? Also, what are peoples thoughts of doing the job wire by wire (or, at best, a couple at a time)? Too much effort? Anything else that I might have missed?

Thanks for any comments.

 

[KellysEye]

Have you considered diy with Stalok fittings? Leave the mast up and replace one piece of wire at a time.

 

[mel80]

I had a look at the stalok type systems. I can see the advantages, but they seem like quite a big initial investment (we have 18 terminals to do) and I can't be sure that we'll still have the boat by the next re-rig. I can see that it might save a bit of time, but it's going to be pretty expensive, and I'd prefer to keep costs down if possible. Thanks for the suggestion though.

 

[Boathook]

Don't know where you are based but I got a rigger and yard to do mine. Looked at the options and it cost about £50 more than stalok etc. Money well spent as they set it all up and correctly !!

 

[tangomoon]

These are the people for the rigging

http://www.s3i.co.uk/marine.php

You send it all to them they will match and send back

ask them for a quote and compare

 

[gardenshed]

option 2
rigger also takes the responsibility for accurately measing and setting up the re stepped mast.
It will also be much easier to send the proof to the insurance company that everything has been professionally replaced, no corners cut and (most likely) you'll get a year's guarantee on the completed job. For £588, this looks to me like a great deal.

 

[charles_reed]

"Every 16 years or once round the world, whichever is less". Was the advice given to me.

1. Bottlescrews need replacing, next to the wire above the swage they're the most likely point of failure. Use plated bronze, not stainless steel.

2. Don't know how large the boat is, but the prices you give appear high.

I bought caps, inners and intermediates for a 14.5m long mast for the equivalent of £280 in 2002, from Z-Spars rigging subsidiary in Perigny - their prices are about 50% of local riggers.
Hiring a crane to step the mast should be about £25, I did the re-rigging myself.
Anyone making up the rigging will need exact dimensions.

 

[ridgy]

Agree with Charles re DIY price.

I also agree with the poster that said 550ish is a good price for a personal rigger. Unless you like DIY that seems very reasonable.

Jimmy Green are expensive so get more quotes before buying online. S3i have gotten wise to the yachting market and are more expensive than they used to be but still highly regarded. I got some very reasonably priced guard rails from SeaTeach the year before last and Z Spars are supposed to be good too.

I got a new 6mm rig earlier this year from Grimsby Rigging Services for £350ish.

 

[mel80]

Charles: The mast isn't big (10m), but it has a lot of rigging: two inners on each side, two forestays and a bobstay for the bowsprit. However, I'll have another look around based on what you said. What sort of terminal fittings did you get for the £280 that you mentioned?

Thanks for all the other suggestions, I'll look into them.

 

[DeeGee]

I would advise against using Norseman fittings... sta-lock yes... if using swageless.

 

[oldharry]

[ QUOTE ]
I would advise against using Norseman fittings... sta-lock yes... if using swageless.

[/ QUOTE ] You've got me worried now, as I have a Norseman holding my forestay! No problems so far... tell us quick, before my mast falls down! /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

As far as replacement intervals are concerned, I think most Insurers look for replacement every 7 - 10 years on a cruising boat, less (?5years) for racing rigs. Which says to me that SS is probably good for 15 - 20 years on the average boat. Insurers will want it replaced at your expense, wel before any real risk they might have to pay for it! /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

 

[DeeGee]

Well, I would not be so bold as to suggest all Norseman fittings are likely to fail, but the design of the Norseman puts an expanding pressure on the 'barrel' shape which is the fitting end. Any deficiency and it will split apart. Mine failed, and I was lucky not to have the forestay go out of control. It caught up at the first hank of the hanked on storm-jib and I was able to secure it. Examination of the fitting revealed how it had just come apart under the internal pressure. Now, the replacement, Sta-Loc is quite different, and winding up the pressure securing it actually strengthens the fitting end. Hence my comment.

Please do not make the obvious comments on the 'rusty' appearance, it was end of season, and the end had been under one of those plastic covers (what you can't see can't hurt you... or can it?). I was told by Norseman that the lack of external cleaning was not responsible at all for that happened, it was a manufacturing problem. But it took 7 years to appear. I now take a lot more care of what I can't see.