Standing rigging renewal

[Appleyard]

As the boat is over 10 yrs old,I guess I should consider renewing the s/rigging.As I do most work myself,I am thinking of the following plan. Firstly do the forward and back stays..The boat is wintered ashore with the mast up,so fit temporary stays,using some of the spare halliards etc ,remove the old stays and bring them back to the UK. Get new stays made up to the same size ,return to boat in spring,fit new stays and adjust as necessary. Repeat process with shrouds next time. That is the broad plan..Before I go any further is this feasible or am I flying a kite? Boat is a 35'westerly in Greece.

 

[VicMallows]

I also want to replace the rigging and do not want to take the mast down specifically to do this. However I do plan to go into the French canals which of course means taking the mast down so want to do the job before re-stepping again. My plan is to get forestay/backstay/capstays swaged at the top end and slightly overlength. Then use Sta-Lok type fittings which I can make up at leasure in the canals to the correct lengths. The added cost over swaged is not huge and will save the hassle of getting swaged ones made in France and being stuck in one place while they're made. (the lowers and babytay can easily be done afloat).

If you don't mind repeated trips up the mast though, I see nothing wrong with your plan .... some riggers do it that way.

Vic

 

[Talbot]

Use temporary stays - fine
Leave them for extended periods when there could be gales - would not be my choice. cheaper to lower the mast for the winter.

 

[BAtoo]

If it's over winter why not get the mast down and do it all in one go?? Save risk of temp stays failing and you dont have to go to the masthead, maybe also better deal for all in one go??
Can also check/re-do mast wiring/sheaves whilst its down - sods law says the sheave you use to go up on will want changing!!

 

[Guest]

Most yards will not allow mast work while out of the water! I personally do not ever go up a mast on land.

Also if you have my luck then the worst gale of the winter is forecast when you have half a rig. Saved by the speedy work of Jimmy Green. On land the rig actually has higher forces than on the water. Height above ground increase and the inability to roll. The only elastic give in the system is the hull distorting!

I would suggest the long method, of measuring it accurately. Get some light weight wire and clamps and measure them accurately in place. Then next year return with a complete new set and fit while on the water. Otherwise use one of the DIY end terminal versions and just measure approximately using a halyards to pull the measure wire to the mast top.

 

[Appleyard]

The reason I don't want to take the mast down and "do it in one go" is that there is a limit to the weight of stuff I can carry on the plane..my idea is to do the forestay and backstay this time,and the shrouds next time..that way I don't have to carry the whole lot.Also this would spread the work over a couple of years.I have no problem about climbing up the mast as often as required..as said in a previous post I bought a get up mast ladder which makes it a doddle.
Regarding the forestay..it is a Rotostay roller system..how do I take it down properly? I presume that the extrusion (foil?) is in sections..how are they joined..do I have to dismantle the drum assembly and then slide the sections off the stay ,disconnecting them as I go? New territory for me so I would welcome any advice or method/instructions. Thanks for the replies ..

 

[William_H]

James I would strongly suggest you start with shrouds. I don't believe the forestay and certainly not the backstay are as vulnerable to failure as the side stays. That includes the inners. I am tempted to say that fore and back stays don't break they have the support of the jib and halyard at the front and the main sail and sheet at the back. olewill

 

[Appleyard]

Thanks for the interesting reply Olewill..I assumed that with a roller reefing genoa on the forestay that there would be a lot more wear and tear on this,particularly as you cannot examine the forestay until you take off the reefing foil etc.
When I bought the boat last year,the surveyor suggested that I renew the rigging,but not all at one time as he reckoned that the shrouds were 100%ok,but he felt that the stays would benefit by being renewed. Any advice is welcome Thanks.

 

[VicMallows]

Regarding the furling forestay............

In the first few years of my boats life I took the roller-reefer down quite a few times for various reasons. Each time in the marina with me up the mast and one helper on the pontoon. No problems. The bend on the roller extrusion as you lower it seems worrying at first, but you soon learn. watching others, this is quite normal.

I certainly wouldn't try to separate the sections (probably 2 or 3) of the roller extrusions. It is common practice to 'loctite' them together on assembly; and they have probably corroded together to some extent anyway.

My furler (an original GUOIT) has a drum which comes apart vertically, inside which is a STALOK fitting for the forestay. With most modern furlers, the stay passes through the drum (which may be seperable horizontaly).


Good Luck!,

Vic

 

[William_H]

I have no experience with forstay with foil and roller. They are not fashionable around here. However I imagine that the halyard would provide a sufficiently strong back up should the forstay part. Backstay is more important ona masthead rig. perhaps I am prejudiced by my own backstay on a fractional rig which is quite light and often adfjusted to have no tension. But again the main sail and mainsheet would I imagine support the mast at least for a while in a backstay failure.
Of the several failures I have seen they have been in side stays in masthead rigs and when either the cap shroiud or intermediate let go under load the mast snaps off quite rapidly. Either buckling in the middle if it is an intermediate stay or snapping off if it is a cap shroud. But hey don't let me frighten you in all cases they were 25+ years old in 4mm wire (I think) on 21 ft boats. Good luck olewill