Rigging replacement Spain/Portugal?

[Kelpie]

We're aiming to set off next year to, hopefully, begin an Atlantic circuit.
We'd like to replace the standing rigging before we do the Atlantic crossing.
Any recommendations for an option for getting it done somewhere on the way through Spain, Portugal, or even in the Canaries?

We could do it before we go but our options locally are pretty limited. When I've done this in the past I simply sent the old stays away to Z-Spars, and I would do that again if our mast was down for the winter, but it's not...

 

[andyc352]

Pete Keeping do good work. They’re based in Vilamoura but will do rigging work all along the Algarve. He also came to Ayamonte(Spain) to do a rigging job for me before I left for my Azores trip. Have a look at Sailing Terceira Azores - Yacht Charter and sailboat holidays.

 

[jaba]

Clive Strickett is an excellent rigger in Lanzarote (serving Puerto Calero & Arrecife marina/yards).

 

[Yngmar]

Don't leave it until the Canaries. If anything goes wrong from there, it's very hard to turn around. If done on the mainland instead, by the time you arrive in the Canaries you've had a good shakedown sail and still an opportunity to fix any issues you've found.

 

[capnsensible]

It's a little bit of a detour into the Straits, but I've had three yachts re rigged by Shepards in Gib.

 

[Kelpie]

Would any of the above be DIY-friendly options, a-la Jimmy Green and ZSpars approach?
I like the idea of finding somewhere that is a short distance from a marina where I can easily take one shroud at a time up to someone with a swaging machine. I don't mind removing and re-fitting the stays myself.

 

[Graham376]

It's a little bit of a detour into the Straits, but I've had three yachts re rigged by Shepards in Gib.

What are their rigging prices are like, did you compare with others? Every time I visit Shephards, I feel like I've just been ripped off. Pete Keeping at Vilamoura seems very expensive these days, wanted €360 just to do a rig inspection.

 

[geem]

Have you thought about doing it yourself with Sta-lok fittings? Friends have just done their whole rig whilst at anchor in the South Pacific with new 12mm wire. You will have a far better set up once you are on swageless fittings and probably for a similar price as swaged fittings in Europe somewhere

 

[capnsensible]

What are their rigging prices are like, did you compare with others? Every time I visit Shephards, I feel like I've just been ripped off. Pete Keeping at Vilamoura seems very expensive these days, wanted €360 just to do a rig inspection.

Can't remember, I'm afraid! Dint feel like we were overcharged plus I saved one part of the labour charge by going up the mast to remove and refit the mast terminations. That was good learning for me.

 

[Graham376]

Have you thought about doing it yourself with Sta-lok fittings? Friends have just done their whole rig whilst at anchor in the South Pacific with new 12mm wire. You will have a far better set up once you are on swageless fittings and probably for a similar price as swaged fittings in Europe somewhere

Yes, had prices for rig (10mm & 8mm) sent out from UK for me to cut to length, already swaged at tops and swageless for me to fit. That option was far more expensive than supplied ready to fit swaged both ends. Doing it mast up could be a struggle as spreader end clamps are often seized needing heat and struggle to free off. Bruce no longer has facility for dropping masts, crane hire last I heard was €400 each way but I may investigate cherry-picker hire cost. Taking all that into account, it may just be better to pay someone as I'm a complete novice with rigging anyway.

 

[Kelpie]

Well I have my quote back from Z Spars, pretty much bang on budget at a whisker over £1k.
The only problem with this is that I will need to drop the mast. Not a big expense for me,but there's a bit of hassle and time involved.
I might ask them if the price would change substantially were I to order one stay at a time, or one pair. That would really string out the whole process, and leave the mast held up by halyards.

I am quite tempted to go swageless throughout, and that way future re-rigs are about a third the cost because it's just new wire and cones. But perhaps double the up-front investment.
If I had a crystal ball and knew we would have the same boat in 20 years time, I would do it. I did the same with my last boat... and sold it two years later, leaving me substantially out of pocket.

I was hoping somebody might tell me some good news about rigging being much cheaper in the Algarve, but I guess not

 

[geem]

Well I have my quote back from Z Spars, pretty much bang on budget at a whisker over £1k.
The only problem with this is that I will need to drop the mast. Not a big expense for me,but there's a bit of hassle and time involved.
I might ask them if the price would change substantially were I to order one stay at a time, or one pair. That would really string out the whole process, and leave the mast held up by halyards.

I am quite tempted to go swageless throughout, and that way future re-rigs are about a third the cost because it's just new wire and cones. But perhaps double the up-front investment.
If I had a crystal ball and knew we would have the same boat in 20 years time, I would do it. I did the same with my last boat... and sold it two years later, leaving me substantially out of pocket.

I was hoping somebody might tell me some good news about rigging being much cheaper in the Algarve, but I guess not

Have you had a look on the Jimmy Green website? You can build up your own rigging and price it. We have just swapped out the babystay to staylok and compact strand on the main mast. We have also re-rigged the mizzen using staylok. If you are sailing further afield then consider carrying a long staylok fitting so you can repair a broken strand without replacing the wire. We are fortunate that our whole rig uses eye fittings so we only need to carry a long stalok eye in 12mm and 6mm