Rigger or just get stays made up?

[dgadee]

I think my stays are quite elderly so am planning replacement. A rigger was going to email me a quote (he measured up) but never did. What are the advantages of using a local rigger rather than sending them off to S3i or similar? Chasing people is always soul destroying.

 

[Sandy]

You don't say where you are. Others may be able to recommend other riggers.

I spent a fascinating hour discussing the rigging and what they found before they re-stepped the mast.

 

[Baddox]

I measured our existing rigging and fitted it easily enough. There was no need to send the existing wire away, just the measurments.

 

[geem]

I have had rigging made up over the years by just sending measurements. If your bottlescrews are currently not halfway up their thread, try and compensate with your measurements. This way you get equal opportunity to lengthen or shorten the stay when you refit it

 

[ash2020]

I had my rigging made up and fitted it myself, including dismantling the roller reefing foil and installing a new forestay. That was perfectly straightforward. Then the mast was stepped by the yard when I wasn't there, using a "professional rigger" and was left with the turnbuckle very loose and only a few threads in. I got a message from the yard saying that the new forestay was too short. I found that he hadn't bothered to lift the roller drum up to do up the turnbuckle and that the forestay was in fact the perfect length. I proceeded to do the job properly myself and the rigging is now completely sound and to the correct tension, front, back and sides. I'm afraid I have been let down too many times to blindly trust "professionals". You'd be better spending the money on a decent rigging tension gauge which you can use time and time again.

 

[dgadee]

I do most things on board myself (in fact only a sprayhood by someone else) so wondered why I might need a rigger (except to chase around). I will go with measuring and sending pics of terminals should that be needed.

Thanks.

 

[LittleSister]

If doing it yourself, do check the lengths and fittings are what you ordered before trying to fit them.

For a previous boat, many years ago, I measured up and got replacements by mail order (pre-internet - remember that?) from Jimmy Green Chandlery. Only when I got the mast back up (manually, and rather stressfully*) did I discover that some were not to the lengths I'd specified, so the mast had to come down again (also manually and rather stressfully).

A couple of sailing weeks were wasted waiting for replacements, and it cost me money I didn't really have to have the mast raised a second time. Jimmy Greens replaced the incorrect length stays, but the lack of any apology stuck in the craw given the aggro that it had caused.

(* I was putting the mast up myself, because I was short of money, using a cunning and novel set of contrivances and rope work of my own design to do so. I had never seen such a system described before (nor since, except by myself), so I was very nervous it might not work as intended or one of the parts (some improvised) give way under the significant loads during the operation . There was only myself and my then girlfriend, neither particularly strong, to try to recover had things gone amiss, and some rather expensive boats parked around mine. In fact, it all worked as intended, but the stress involved, and potential damage had it gone wrong, persuaded me to pay the yard to have the mast lifted by crane once I'd got the replacement, corrected length stays from Jimmy Green, so their error cost me money as well as delay and annoyance.)

 

[PetiteFleur]

I renewed mine from a local boatyard as they were cheaper than online, and they advised some improvements which I accepted. All the fittings came from Mistley - Sta-Lok Terminals Ltd. The mast was down and I took the rigging to the yard and collected them a few days later. Good job the mast was down and could be inspected thoroughly as the mast babystay fitting was broken and had to be replaced.

 

[penfold]

I do most things on board myself (in fact only a sprayhood by someone else) so wondered why I might need a rigger (except to chase around). I will go with measuring and sending pics of terminals should that be needed.

Thanks.

Get some wire and Sta-Lok or similar fittings and DIY it; no one to chase up then.

 

[William_H]

If doing it yourself, do check the lengths and fittings are what you ordered before trying to fit them.

For a previous boat, many years ago, I measured up and got replacements by mail order (pre-internet - remember that?) from Jimmy Green Chandlery. Only when I got the mast back up (manually, and rather stressfully*) did I discover that some were not to the lengths I'd specified, so the mast had to come down again (also manually and rather stressfully).

A couple of sailing weeks were wasted waiting for replacements, and it cost me money I didn't really have to have the mast raised a second time. Jimmy Greens replaced the incorrect length stays, but the lack of any apology stuck in the craw given the aggro that it had caused.

(* I was putting the mast up myself, because I was short of money, using a cunning and novel set of contrivances and rope work of my own design to do so. I had never seen such a system described before (nor since, except by myself), so I was very nervous it might not work as intended or one of the parts (some improvised) give way under the significant loads during the operation . There was only myself and my then girlfriend, neither particularly strong, to try to recover had things gone amiss, and some rather expensive boats parked around mine. In fact, it all worked as intended, but the stress involved, and potential damage had it gone wrong, persuaded me to pay the yard to have the mast lifted by crane once I'd got the replacement, corrected length stays from Jimmy Green, so their error cost me money as well as delay and annoyance.)

Can you give us some details of your mast lowering/raising system. Always interested in anything new. ol'will

 

[srm]

Re-rigged my current boat after purchase, mast up, on the hard. No problem. Carefully measured all the wires and added 30cm. Had them made up with top swage fittings. Cut to correct length and stalock bottom teminals fitted once the wire was on the mast. A couple of days work with an assistant, but the boat has a double spreader cutter rig with short platform bowsprit.
A lot of going up and down the mast, made easy with mast steps.

 

[geem]

Get some wire and Sta-Lok or similar fittings and DIY it; no one to chase up then.

I will be re-rigging my main mast next year myself with sta-lok fittings. I have used them lots. I did the rig on my last boat with them. I did the mizzen mast on the current boat last year with them.

 

[AndrewDu]

I think my stays are quite elderly so am planning replacement. A rigger was going to email me a quote (he measured up) but never did. What are the advantages of using a local rigger rather than sending them off to S3i or similar? Chasing people is always soul destroying.

I've used S3i several times over the years and can attest to their excellent service and the quality of their work. You can measure yourself, or just send your old wires off to them and they will match them. Recommended. I have connection with them other than as a customer.

 

[dunedin]

We needed rod rigging replaced. All the old rigging was removed and sent down to Allspars in Plymouth who made up new versions to exactly the same length. More accurate than any DIY measurement.
Would be even easier with the OP assuming wires.

 

[dgadee]

I've used S3i several times over the years and can attest to their excellent service and the quality of their work. You can measure yourself, or just send your old wires off to them and they will match them. Recommended. I have connection with them other than as a customer.

I emailed them last night and they answered first thing this morning. Send outline details and they'll give me a rough price, and no problem to send stays off for measurement.