srm
Well-known member
Agreed.
That was what I had on all my early boats. Then the "cheap and cheerful" ball connector with a curved neck appeared. Surely a straight fitting as with tangs is mechanically stronger in tension than an unnecessary curve.
Standing rigging failures.
- Thread starter BurnitBlue
- Start date
That was what I had on all my early boats. Then the "cheap and cheerful" ball connector with a curved neck appeared. Surely a straight fitting as with tangs is mechanically stronger in tension than an unnecessary curve.
Roberto
Well-known member
There are swages and swages: this lower shroud Sparcraft shell split after a few violent shock loads, the wire rope and swages were unaffected. I had it soldered (no replacements available at the time) and the boat sailed normally several thousands miles.
BurnitBlue
Well-known member
@Frank Holden also. Absolutely agree that mast tangs are better than ball connectors. BUT my mast has these T-hooks ball connectors things on port and starboard lowers and top stays. Forestay and backstay have tangs. I could not find a Sta-lok fitting except a single item they called sta lok stemball with extra former. Advice on what to use to avoid ball connectors would be appreciated.
Sea Change
Active member
What's the point of ball/T connectors? They seem ubiquitous on modern rigs.
srm
Well-known member
Only a guess, but a lot cheaper and simpler for the mast builder as only a hole in the mast and a plate riveted over it for each wire. Compare that with @Frank Holden post #39 showing pic with the through bolt, two plates to rivet on the mast and welded tangs, for a pair of wires. Of course one bolt was used for four lower shrouds, but still a lot more complicated.
BurnitBlue
Well-known member
There was a post on ybw some years ago that described a dismasting where there was no apparant reason. All rigging wires were OK, no damage to the mast. It happened in the North sea just outside a Danish port. A fishing boat was on scene to pick up the bits.
Examination pointed the blame at the yachts mast support. Deck stepped, the rotten mast post dropped the mast anough for some ball connectors to become unhooked. A slow descent under full sail. Sea was a bit choppy.
Examination pointed the blame at the yachts mast support. Deck stepped, the rotten mast post dropped the mast anough for some ball connectors to become unhooked. A slow descent under full sail. Sea was a bit choppy.
Barton Seagoon
Member
I expect lots of people following this thread have wondered how much it will cost to get their rig checked properly by a rigger. Does anyone have a typical figure for this? Please use my 32 foot monohull with 3/4 fractional rig and single spreaders as an example, if you like 
Sea Change
Active member
The only time I've ever had a rigger take a look was a quick tune up at deck level only. He would have mentioned if he'd spotted anything bad. He quoted €80, in Spain, and actually charged €50 because there was little needing done and I'd already taken the mousing off the bottle screws which sped things up a bit.I expect lots of people following this thread have wondered how much it will cost to get their rig checked properly by a rigger. Does anyone have a typical figure for this? Please use my 32 foot monohull with 3/4 fractional rig and single spreaders as an example, if you like
Mike Bryon
New member
I’ve just had a pre-purchase rig and rigging check. In fact the rigger was aloft yesterday in all this weather. £140 plus vat.
steveeasy
Well-known member
Very reasonable. An independent I guess. If you got some kind of written report then thats a good deal. Im sure you would be happy to go with someone like that for additional work if they are reasonable from the onset.
Steveeasy
Sea Change
Active member
Question for anybody who's used a rigger: what sort of qualifications would you expect them to have?
Just wondering how hard it would be to get in to this sort of line of work. I quite enjoy going up the mast...
Just wondering how hard it would be to get in to this sort of line of work. I quite enjoy going up the mast...
geem
Well-known member
I haven't had a rigger look at my boat since I purchased it in 2012. We have had the mast off and we have replaced the rig with the mast up. More than happy to do my own rig work. There really isn't much to it. No idea how you get qualified but it be a good ticket to have
srm
Well-known member
Like @geem I have always done all my own rigging work (since 1975), mainly because of living and sailing hundreds of miles from any yachting facility and always owning boats that were above my pay grade. Due to the probability of winter winds around 60N masts came down when the boats were lifted ashore so there was plenty of practice setting up rigs, my own and helping on other boats..
Some years ago a yacht lost its mast about 70 miles after leaving Praia (Azores) so came back in. With no rigger here I offered to help assemble the new mast the owner had ordered as he was very down. I spent quite a bit of time on the Selden Mast website, it is very informative, even if your mast is not one of theirs.
The point of this ramble is twofold. To encourage people to look after their own rig if they have the time, its not rocket science. Secondly, I also came across mention of training courses for riggers wanting to be accredited by Selden.
srm
Well-known member
After all the tales of woe here is a somewhat lighter incident. We were on the west coast of Norway and going alongside a small pier in a village harbour. It had one of the small island two story warehouses, with an overhanging second floor and a small protruding gable at the top. About a metre off the pier the boat juddered to a stop and small pieces of weathered wood fell on to the deck.
The protruding gable was for a hoist to load and unload cargo for the island so obviously (in hindsight) had to overhang the edge of the pier. The charter crew seemed to enjoy hoisting the skipper to the top of the mast as I ensured that we were unlikely to loose the rig on the way back to Shetland.
The protruding gable was for a hoist to load and unload cargo for the island so obviously (in hindsight) had to overhang the edge of the pier. The charter crew seemed to enjoy hoisting the skipper to the top of the mast as I ensured that we were unlikely to loose the rig on the way back to Shetland.
geem
Well-known member
This afternoon off Falmouth Harbour, Antigua. Hardly a breath of wind
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steveeasy
Well-known member
How could that possibly happen. Bizzare!
BurnitBlue
Well-known member
I have studied the possibility of changing from T-ball hooks to tangs.
If the slots are directly opposite each other then I will examine the possible use of a through bolt (stud).
Check on the mast if the slots can be modified to a circular hole then a suitable stainless steel through bolt (stud) can be passed through protruding about an inch both sided of the mast.
Too avoid crushing the mast, a stainless steel sleeve the exact internal diameter of the mast can be slid over the stainless steel bolt (stud) then with penny washers the nuts can be bolted firmly in place using the sleeve as bearing point. One hole must be enlarged to allow the sleeve to be threaded through the mast.
Store bought tangs can be bolted on the new stud ready for sta-lok terminals.
If this is not possible then i will be stuck with upper T-ball hooks with Sta-lok at deck level and that will have to suffice.
I will travel to my boat in a few weeks to decide the best way to pass a rigging inspection for insurance. Maybe extra insurance on the rig.
If the slots are directly opposite each other then I will examine the possible use of a through bolt (stud).
Check on the mast if the slots can be modified to a circular hole then a suitable stainless steel through bolt (stud) can be passed through protruding about an inch both sided of the mast.
Too avoid crushing the mast, a stainless steel sleeve the exact internal diameter of the mast can be slid over the stainless steel bolt (stud) then with penny washers the nuts can be bolted firmly in place using the sleeve as bearing point. One hole must be enlarged to allow the sleeve to be threaded through the mast.
Store bought tangs can be bolted on the new stud ready for sta-lok terminals.
If this is not possible then i will be stuck with upper T-ball hooks with Sta-lok at deck level and that will have to suffice.
I will travel to my boat in a few weeks to decide the best way to pass a rigging inspection for insurance. Maybe extra insurance on the rig.
BurnitBlue
Well-known member
My guess would be the mast step which can be a weak position on a catamaran (on the bridge deck) allowing the rigging to slacken per a previous post. OTOH would be nice to know. This, I believe, was the reason the Prout Company positioned the mast in an awkward (ugly) place far back over the Main bulkhead and strong GRP cockpit.
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mjcoon
Well-known member
I fail to follow that description, and in particular how you get a strong grip on both sides of the shell of the mast without, as you say, crushing it. What seems to be needed is the sort of fitting used in domestic situations to grip dry-wall surfaces over a wide area.
Roberto
Well-known member
The "rigger" who replaced my forestay forgot to lock the tang14mm pin with a split pin.