Standing rigging replacement

[nicho]

We are returning to sailing after a two year sabattical from boating, and a spell with mobos. I was recently looking at a 2000 year boat, and was told by the broker to consider the cost of replacement of the standing rigging as it was still the original. He told me that many insurance companies insist on replacing the s/r on a boat after 12 years, before they will insure a boat.
Is this widespread amongst insurance companies or perhaps just one or two?

Any guidence would be appreciated please.

 

[Kelpie]

Ten years is what I've often heard. When we bought our boat we were unable to find out the age of the rigging so decided to change the whole lot.

 

[Tranona]

Keenly debated subject. No reliable evidence of life expectancy as depends on the environment, type of use and to an extent type of rig. Most failures are of fittings or due to corrosion for example where wire enters terminals. Worth having a rig survey by a recognised rigger and a report if there is no recent evidence that the mast has been dropped and inspected. Some insurance companies may impose that condition, but may well be satisfied with an inspection report.

 

[Twister_Ken]

When I bought Indigo, my Twister, she was 20 years old and there was no indication in the comprehensive paperwork that the rigging had ever been replaced. Pantaenius didn't make it a stipulation, and when I sold her 10 years later it was still with what I assume was the original shrouds and stays. So not all insurance companies insist, and not all rigging needs to be swapped out.

 

[pvb]

Entirely dependent on the insurance company. I replaced mine when it was coming up to 20 years old, anticipating that the insurers would want a survey at 20 years, but they didn't even ask for one. Many rigging failures are the result of the rigging tension being too low, allowing vibration.

 

[nicho]

OK, many thanks. I guess I'll just wait and see if there's any such stipulation before I buy,

Cheers

Mike

 

[jimi]

I bought a 95 boat last year and there was no such stipulation, I did replace the rigging for my own peace of mind though ;-)

 

[sailorman]

We are returning to sailing after a two year sabattical from boating, and a spell with mobos. I was recently looking at a 2000 year boat, and was told by the broker to consider the cost of replacement of the standing rigging as it was still the original. He told me that many insurance companies insist on replacing the s/r on a boat after 12 years, before they will insure a boat.
Is this widespread amongst insurance companies or perhaps just one or two?

Any guidence would be appreciated please.

who ws the so called broker working for

 

[TradewindSailor]

A general rule of thumb for stainless steel rigging renewal is 6 years for a racing rig due to high use, heavier loading, and smaller wires and 10 to 12 years for a normal cruising yacht .... i.e. little used and heavier rigging. The surveyor will usually advise replacement on these intervals with the insurance company insisting that the owner follows the surveyor's advice.

From personal experience for a high use cruising yacht in tropical water 12 years is too long, even for my 12mm shrouds. I replaced mine after 6 years when I found broken wires and two toggles with cracks starting across the shoulder. One of the cracks was almost invisible to the naked eye, and would have been missed if it was at the top of the mast.

 

[nicho]

who ws the so called broker working for

I'd best not say, except it was on the South Coast. I did think it was rather a strange thing to tell a prospective buyer at the time. It was a nice enough boat, but it was not what I was looking for. Nevertheless, it was not something I would be best pleased about if I was the seller!

 

[macd]

Rule of thumb replacement intervals I've heard from other's experience of insurers are 10 years for masthead rig, eight for fractional. However, as said, this is by no means universal across the industry.

When I bought a new (used) boat last year, the surveyor did the usual 'rig inspected only from deck level' thing, cueing my insurer to ask for an upper rig survey. This gave a clean bill of health*, and nothing more was requested.

* for what it's worth: short of taking it to bits and crack testing everything, you never know.

 

[jwilson]

The broker was, as always, working for the seller, but it is better to have the buyer aware of the definite possibility that a surveyor will recommend or an insurer will insist that rigging be replaced. The buyer can then make his offer with that in mind, rather than start seeking a price reduction after survey.

 

[nicho]

The broker was, as always, working for the seller, but it is better to have the buyer aware of the definite possibility that a surveyor will recommend or an insurer will insist that rigging be replaced. The buyer can then make his offer with that in mind, rather than start seeking a price reduction after survey.

Fair comment.

 

[SimonD]

My insurer takes the pragmatic view that they don't mind how old the standing rigging is, but if it fails due to old age, don't expect them to cough up.

 

[slipknot]

I also understand that many insurance company's often specify that standing rigging should be replaced after 10 years. When I bought my boat, at the time an 11 year old Beneteau, my surveyor made the 10 year recommendation. Of course my insurer (one of the popular ones) requested that I carried out the works recommended by the surveyor.
As such, you may want to have a conversation with your surveyor to ask how he will deal with the matter in his report.

 

[vyv_cox]

My boat is 28 years old, owned by me for 18 years, insured throughout my ownership by HKJ. They have never asked for a survey, nor stipulated any lifetime for any component of the boat. I replaced all of the rigging when purchased for my own peace of mind and almost all of it has been replaced at various times since then but I have not informed them of this.