Standing rigging/Replacement Re:- Insurance

[milfordman]

A few weeks ago I put up a post:-On what is the usual life of stainless steel standing rigging. Mine is 17 years old, but has only had the mast up for 7 years. The concensus was:- check with your insurance company. I thought forumites might like to know that my Ins. Co. St Margaret's, have told me today that their policy is that there is no set time for replacement. It depends on the usage. I explained my circumstances, which include having steps up my mast which aid frequent examination of the rigging. Their attitude was thats ok and keep on with the checking.

 

[William_H]

Yeah but...... I have got a bit of old rigging wire 7x19 1/8 dia taken of a little training dinghy. It is used as a clothes line and has yet again let go. It was used for about 12 years in a regime of rigged 12 times per year for 2 hours sailing each time. ie about 288 hrs riggged.

My experience for at least smaller rigging wire is that it just doesn't like the passage of years. I would suggest that 17 years is close to its useful life regardless of life on the boat. (and I am one who is regarded as a cheap skate who won't spend money on anything unless absolutely necessary) good luck olewill;

 

[samwise]

I guess it depends where you are going and what you are doing. The conventional wisdom is 10 years on the basis that the wire may look ok from the outside, but there could be corrosion on the inside. Of course it's not just the wire, all the turnbuckles, clevis pins, split pins etc deteriorate over time. Our Westerly (1988) was still on some of the original rigging ( although some of the lowers had been replaced within the past five years) when we bought it. We were planning a four month trip down to the Med the long way round (completed last October) and felt that a complete rig replacement was the prudent thing to do. Our insurers, GJW, did not impose any conditions but in our own interests we felt that if Biscay had turned nasty we might be less confident relying on 18 year old rigging. Even if you don't replace I would think it is worthwhile to get a rigger to check over the boat as part of a preventive maintenance programme.

 

[SABREMAN]

I guess that when your rigging fails and the mast goes over the side will be when you'll get a more accurate answer from the insurers. I bit the bullet at the `10 year cruising` mark, replaced the whole rig and now sleep better at night for it.

 

[CPD]

Sabreman is right, I did the same.