But a newly cracked sheave or an exposed cotter pin can quickly shred a line that otherwise would have lasted much longer. The former requires someone with a swage machine to fit terminals, the latter you can fit yourselfwith care. MacgregorOwners.com store Usually the owners manual gives you the specifications of all the running and standing rigging. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission, which supports our community. we have provided rigging services and have specialized in running rigging. First, its easier to fix in remote places and on your own. On modern boats, chainplates are fitted outboard (right) and covered with a plate that lets water drain. The only thing we can really do is regularly inspect lines to look for wear. . But if you want the good stuff, need more fire extinguishers, plan on spending more like $600. I found some tests that some SBO folks had done many years ago on the O'Day 25's standing rigging. Redoing the running rigging on a cruising sailboat involves measuring, measuring and measuring. Normal rigging knives and hot knives are almost useless, all turning blocks and sheaves must have a diameter of at least 8 times the line diameter, old sheaves, turning blocks and other hardware will probably not be strong enough for high tech line, high tech line can cost up to $10 per foot. All rights reserved. Its common to choose to fit lighter swaged terminals at the top of a stay or shroud and mechanical ones at the bottom, where swaged terminals are more vulnerable to corrosion. Master The Running Rigging On A Sailboat: Illustrated Guide A smaller loop is a makeshift chainplate attachment you can attach it to a neighboring chainplate and attach the stay to it. Sailors' hands are busy with the running rigging most on a sailboat. JavaScript is disabled. Lastly, check your boom, starting with the gooseneck, mainsheet and vang fittings, where huge forces are applied when the rig is under load. They aren't even worn enough to require end-for ending yet. Come join the discussion about sailing, modifications, classifieds, troubleshooting, repairs, reviews, maintenance, and more! Onboard Rigging - Florida Key's Premier Rigging Service Company At least once a year, at the beginning or end of the sailing season, you should visually inspect all of your running rigging and look for signs of wear. Click here for a full walkthrough with diagrams. Here's the average cost to shrink wrap a boat. if it were wire you could get away for about half that price. Leave each line with extra length, and coil the lines up. It wears with time due to UV exposure, flogging, strain from the wind, and regular use. Did you find the answer to your specific question? Dyneema is especially susceptible to UV degradation. The deciding factor of how much will this cost exactly is whether you can simply bolt the new engine in or whether you have to adjust all other parts, including shaft logs, exhausts, electrics, and so on. Sta-Set X is an ideal. The following resources contain do-it-yourself information on upgrading and maintenance. Overall condition is good with some kinks here and there. Re-rigs - Petersen Custom Rigging Over time, UV exposure weakens the fibers and eventually, even the slightest friction will cause chafe that will damage and break the fibers of the cover. A boat in the water is in constant motion and the rigging experiences constant micro shock loads even when sitting in the slip. I dont want be a scaremonger, but standing rigging has so many possible failure points that regular inspections should really be part of every pre-cruise integrity check. The golden rule has always been never to work on a rig with the boat out of the water. Marine sailboat supplier of running rigging - halyards, dock lines and halyar=ds shackles. Skilled marine technicians charge from $75 - $150 per hour. One of the most common areas of rig failure is where the shrouds terminateboth at the mast tang or socket fitting and the wire terminal, toggle or T-ball. The fastest route to crevice corrosion is to cover the metal with plastic or leather turnbuckle covers or to coat the fittings in tape. 26' Bermuda Sloop rig will cost you about $1,000 - $2,500. The biggest thing we like to have is the history of the boat: what kind of boat it is, how its been sailed and where has it been sailed, says Jay Herman, owner of Annapolis Rigging. If you want to go for super low stretch halyards look at Spectra but the stretch isnt much more for a lot more bucks. Your engine will wear out faster, and you'll need more incidental repairs as well. But you know what is more expensive? USCG safety regulations require you to replace safety gear regularly. The screw threads and locking nuts need regular cleaning and some light greasing to prevent corrosion. But Malizia is far from the only team struggling to keep their boat in good read more, Get your ground tackle setup right, and youll sleep much easier while youre cruising. Read more on the average cost to replace a boat starter here. Small dents in either the mast or the boom are often hotspots for failure, as they weaken the form of the spar. This one didnt. Send messengers up mast for in-mast rigging - 3/2018 Dont forget the turnbuckles and chain plates. If you carry a life-raft you'll need to replace that every 12 years as well. I don't like spam - I will only send helpful content. In a tropical area, or high sunshine location, you should replace the running rigging every six to eight years. By taking on the labor yourself, you'll probably save as much as $2,000 on the re-rigging cost, he says. Your sail area will most likely also be larger, which means your sail replacement will be more expensive. Kinks in wire is like chafe on a line. Check out my guide on standing rigging here! Then we head over to Bacon Sails and Marine Supplies for a tu. It rolls the end fitting through two opposing dies and compresses the fitting on the wire so tightly that it cant pull out. Improve Sailing 14.8K subscribers In part 3 of our series on sailboat parts, we dive into two types of rigging: standing rigging and running rigging. This way you can cut the wire roughly to length and have a rigger swage the tops, fit them in place yourself and terminate the lower ends to suit. Running rigging The running rigging consists of all the lines, sheets, and so on that is used to haul and operate the sails. Cruising Boat Running Rigging Inspection - morganscloud.com All standing rigging, whether rod or wire, has to end in a fitting that attaches to the deck and mast. Let me explain. Standing rigging supports your boat's mast. Every five to six years, the mast should be pulled out of the boat so all fittings and wire or rod can be carefully inspected. As you can see, most of these costs are longterm recurring maintenance costs. Write the diameter near the hole with sharpie. Not all maintenance is as important. I have broken more than my share of components in newer boats while a lot less in older boats. How to: replace a halyard - Yachting Monthly Boom Vang. A prudent sailor should inspect his or her standing rig at least once each season and should know when the time comes to replace most or all of it. Then theres just age, and this factor as a reason to re-rig is more subject to a boats history than anything else. Sun wear and constant use will wear down the sails and rigging even more. I'm on Lake Michigan. Just a FYI. Tartan 30 - Sailing Magazine Flares have to be replaced every 42 months. To the best of my knowledge it hasn't had a trailer until last year so the mast was up through the winter. They might have swollen, so the new will appear to be a smaller gauge. As you work your way down the mast, take a glance at the mainsail track to see if its in good condition and well secured. If you use your batteries extensively, they will most likely need replacing after 3-4 years, for example, for liveaboards or full-time cruisers. When we talk about sailboat rigging, we mean all the wires, ropes and lines that support the rig and control the sails. Modelers Central guide you through the importance it adds to the beauty of your finished model. A swaged fitting is a terminus thats attached using a machine called a swager. Although rod rigging is more common on racing boats, many well-known cruising-boat builders, such as Valiant, Bristol, J/Boats and Hinckley, have rod-rigged models. For a 26' sailboat, that's just 500 bucks. Read more on the cost of antifouling your boat. When rigging the sails of a sailboat, it is important to properly prepare the boat. Sometimes it can be very obvious, but other times it is not. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. There are other wires out there that are cheaper, but theyre not guaranteed.. Put together both the pieces of your mast. First, check for cracks (usually longitudinal), particularly if the terminal looks misshapen or the stay is misaligned in any way. A stripped cover dyneema halyard is a great way to reduce the splice diameter and weight aloft for racers, however, they do have their downsides. In this article, I'll show you what to expect. OK, it isn't cheap, but it can absolutely be done on a budget. That was a case of not knowing that the worst thing you can do to standing rigging is have it loose on the leeward side, he says. This video illustrates how to change your halyard rope in your sailboat. Any requirement to re-tune the rig more often than that would point to wires been stretched beyond their tensile strength minimums. This process . Copyright 2023 Cruising World. The theory is that youve crushed it so tightly that all the wires inside have just merged into one solid piece of stainless, Madden says. Finally, rod rigging requires a particular type of terminus called a cold head that can be fabricated only with a purpose-built machine, which only a rigging shop will have. Although the hull actually read more, It was March, and Id made it through another Maine winter. The latter may indicate two things: one, that its simply surface rust, which you should be able to polish off, or two, that as the wire was being manufactured, a strand might have picked up some contamination during the process and is compromised, which is cause for concern. This was seen on a brand new boat at the 2020 Seattle Boat Show. Sailboat Rigging | MAURIPRO Sailing I am going to be getting new jib sheets with will be 7/16" for ease of handling. When the rig is tuned the wires are stretched. Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions about your running rigging. ImproveSailing is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. The worst-case scenario, of course, is that the chainplates pull right out of the deck, with catastrophic consequences. I think the owner needs to replace those but there's a Covid problem. The actual total annual cost is $3,000 to $7,000, due to other recurring costs like docking and insurance fees. Running Rigging & Cordage to Order . This was rod rigging and increased the price quite a bit. Use nylon 3-Strand for anchor, dock, mooring and tow lines or polyester 3-strand for running rigging on traditional cruising boats. Ensure you keep hold of the standing end so it doesn't disappear to the top of the mast. I would think at the first notice of a few broken strands in more than two of the wires. I won't go into detail, but I have written an in-depth article about the cost of new sails (opens in new tab). Replacing the roller-furling control line is an easy do-it-yourself job for the boat owner. But here are some things we could do out to save some big bucks: Winterizing your boat yourself can cost you as little as $50 for antifreeze and an oil change afterward. If you replace the rigging preventively, you should never experience the failure I did. Replacing the mast is uncommon, but if you're unlucky and get demasted, it will need to be fixed. The Out Haul can be simply a single line the pulls the foot of the sail toward the free end of the boom or the Out Haul can consist of an elaborate arrangement of blocks. The reason it is a scheduled item is that a visual inspection prolly won't detect defects. Let's start by getting a good overview of the different maintenance costs. . Buy some light line and run it as you would your sheets and halyards and measure that. Good question. Cruising World may receive financial compensation for products purchased through this site. I'm On A Boat- Running Rigging - YouTube That said, it is perfectly possible, though somewhat tedious, to change shrouds and stays in pairs with the mast up by using halyards and intermediate tackles to support it. Mechanical fittings can be applied using a few common hand tools by the mechanically handy DIY sailor, which is one reason theyre popular. They weigh less and take up less room. We are cruisers who sail around 500 nm per year, and are able to avoid frequent encounters with heavy weather by laying over if storms are in the offing. With a spare mechanical end fitting, wire and the proper tools, you can replace a stay pretty much anywhere. The cost of replacing the standing rigging is, on average, $4,000 every 10 years. Why do you want to suddenly replace all your running rigging? The mechanical fasteners are great in that you can terminate and then look inside to be sure its formed correctly, so you do have a way of inspecting your work, Madden says. But Marissa and Chris Neely on Avocet saw a weather window and jumped, making their first big offshore passage the wrong way from Santa Barbara to San Francisco and loving itmostly. So I've added it to the "be aware this might happen" list - but won't add it to the monthly recurring costs. Re-rigging To re-mouse the halyards, flake out the halyard, attach the working end to the mousing line that comes from the masthead, and check they are secure, before pulling back through. If you live on a boat in a location where it falls below freezing temperature (good luck!). The standing rigging consists of wires supporting the mast on a sailboat and reinforcing the spars from the force of the sails when sailing. Its imported and sold through distributors like Alps Wire Rope. Masthead sloop, single spreader, 2 cap shrouds, 4 lowers, r/r forestay, single backstay. Rigging - Wikipedia This is a very serious problem for the average sailor. Replacing your Halyard Rope - Sailboat Halyard Line - YouTube Mount the masts. The cost of replacing the standing rigging is, on average, $4,000 every 10 years. Before long this will create slack in the rig, generating bends and stresses elsewhere. How to Tune a Sailboat Mast - The Rigging Company Run the remaining standing rigging. So you don't want them on there. I agree with a general average of 20 years for replacing the standing rigging. The sheave in the halyard exit box is chipped and has sharp edges. The Rigging Company gears much of its sales to DIY sailors and is beginning an e-commerce site to cater specifically to handy individuals. There are some question as to whether or not you should replace your turnbuckles along with the wire. If the leeward shroud flops around underway, the constant flexing will weaken the metal over time and make it more prone to fail. You can take a masthead halyard from side to side to ensure that the masthead is on center. In this article, we'll break down the average prices of different sailboats by type, age, condition, and size. From knowing the parts of the sails to understanding the need for tension, I'll go over everything you need to know about rigging sails. This is some excellent information! They are all full re-rigs from 119 wire with new rigging screws (please note all examples given are for supply only): Step 1 - Hire a professional rigger with a good reputation to do a thorough survey of your standing AND running rigging. Remove old lifelines and frayed running rigging. On this eye splice, the core has herniated out of the cover. Do you hire a pro or go it alone? As a basic rule, the replacement of the standing rig should be done every 10 years, except for multihulls or regattas, and rod or composite fiber rigging. Failing to winterize it will increase your maintenance cost over time, as the engine wears out more quickly, and your plumbing and equipment will fall apart. Learn all about the dangers of failing to winterize here. The installation of the engine will cost a few hundred to a couple of thousand dollars. With chainplates its often not the actual hardware that fails, but the structure that supports them. Your boat will need bottom paint roughly every 2 years (could be longer, but to be safe, let's keep it at two). For docklines a 27 ft. boat would use 1/2 nylon: 25 bow, 15 stern, and 20 spring. Youll need about 500 feet for an average 30 footer. Regardless of what fittings you currently have the choice for multi-stranded wire rigging is between swaged terminals or mechanical fittings. On this site for example someone posted the specs for a Catalina 27 and they were bang on and agreed fully with the specs I got from the Catalina owners association. Replacing your old worn out or damaged standing rigging is a crucial requirement to insure your safety and the safety of others. Steps. With very slippery high tech line it is also possible to pull the knot through itself, and with an extra slippery line such as Yale Light its even possible to pull an eye splice out.. The average price of used sailboats is $111,000, ranging from $19,000 to $518,000. If the existing is frayed and faded - then a decision should be made to contract a rigger, preferably to x) inspect and give a written report on the condition of all the running rigging; to y) provide a written quotation to supply and fit new line; to z) provide a written quotation to replace sheeves and other running rigging components with new. FWIW, I just replaced all my running rigging on my 30' with 3/8" Sta-Set for thr halyards and 3/8" XLE for topping lift and downhaul, the halyard were wire-rope but now all rope. Just tell us the best email address to send your tips to: Improve Sailing LUBE SAIL TRACK MATERIALS 3/2019. Here's a full overview of all the recurring maintenance from most to least frequent. Usually the owner's manual gives you the specifications of all the running and standing rigging. A boat with sound supports should not require re-tuning in less than 5 years. It sounds to me that the question is when, not if you will go for new rigging. sailboats with inboard engine: $5,000 - $10,000, sailboats with outboard engine: $1,000 - $1,500, most powerboats (inboard engine): $15,000 - $35,000, small outboard engines (2-5 hp): $1,000 - $1,500, large outboard engines (100+ hp): $10,000+. 1. Selecting Line for Running Rigging | West Marine Its good enough to get you to safety and someplace you can make a more permanent repair. Riggers say very few sailors re-rig from wire to rod or the reverse, but if switching is on your mind, have a professional make a full assessment first. However, larger boats of 30 feet and up will cost considerably more. The total maintenance cost for a small daytripper will average around $1,600 per year or $133 per month. Any line that you have to handle such as jib sheets, halyards and mainsheet should be about half inch (12mm) diameter for a good grip, and jib sheets and mainsheets should be one of the softer feel products. But not just any kind of sailing. The benefits of rod are less stretch, less weight, less windage, and arguably longer life than wire, because theres less possibility for corrosion of the rod itself. (This is true anywhere there are stainless fittings by the way, so be wary of putting too much tape or tight-fitting covers on them.). Every time I think Ive seen it all, my people outdo themselves and serve up the unexpected. Sailboat Rigging: Part 2 - Standing Rigging - Sailboat Cruising Consider this a half inch diameter Samson Tech-12 (12 Strand Technora) line has an average breaking load of 33,000 pounds. For instance, Madden says, he recently had a customer whose 46-foot cutter had a rigging failure at six years. It definitely needed to be replaced. There are also a few spots where the chafe is more serious. With inboard engines, this is not something you can easily do yourself - it isn't just unscrewing a motor and screwing a new one in. JavaScript is disabled. Rigging is a significant part of building a model ship. The total maintenance cost for a bluewater cruiser will average around $3,225 per year or $269 per month. Sailboat rigging very rarely fails from being overloaded. Market Scan: Running Rigging - Practical Sailor Gas engine will last a lot less long than diesels. Inboard engine (and generator) starters cost from $40 - over $1,000 depending on the engine. If you're on a budget, you can maintain your boat reasonably well for just $1,000 / year. NEW FLAT SCREEN 36" TV IN THE V-BERTH - 2019 Replace Running Rigging, Lifelines and Engine Repairs 3/2018. How the rigging has been tuned is also part of a boats story. So youre sailing offshore and youre looking at the windward shroud thats taut, and thats not the one to worry about. Run the shrouds and attach them to the deadeyes on the hull. They also would carry a piece of wire as long as the longest stay on the boat coiled and stowed, which undeniably was sometimes easier said than done as well as spare end fittings and the tools needed to replace a broken shroud or stay. Also, you'll have plenty of time doing odd jobs yourself, since you'll be living on the boat. For instance, for an offshore bluewater boat, Madden recommends 10 years, and for a serious coastal cruiser, more like 12. The Estimated Costs of Replacing a Jibs and Genoas Sails for boats measuring 42' to 50' can cost around $5,500-$9,000 Sails for boats measuring 36' to 42' can cost around $4,000-$7,000 Sails for boats measuring 32' to 36' can cost around $3,000-$5,000 Sails for boats measuring 24' to 32' can cost around $2,500-$4,000 Replacing Running Rigging - Need Help - Cruiser Log However, they generally cost more than a swaged fitting; Herman says while Hi-MODs newer mechanical fittings are definitely more user-friendly to assemble, theyre twice the cost of a swaged fitting. Some riggers will recommend swaged fittings for the mast end of the rigging and mechanical fittings at the deck level: Corrosion is less prevalent at the top of the mast, and you can more easily and regularly inspect mechanical fittings at deck level, where theyre frequently subjected to salt water. Tensioning them will be done later in the rigging sequence. A little less than the semi-circular groove on the sheave (or pulley).Generally its not strength issue for diameter but rather thick enough to be easily handled. There is minor chafe on all sides of the line and along the entire length. The diameter of the sheets and halyards will depend on what fits the blocks that you have. For a medium-sized boat (30-50 feet), the cost will be somewhere between $2000 and $4000. Your mainsheet probably sees more use than your spinnaker halyard.Our spinnaker halyards- on a boat that races frequently- are about 18 years old, and do not need replacing. If you need to replace the mast and boom, prepare to spend anywhere between $15,000 - $25,000. The average annual maintenance cost of sailboats is between $2,000 - $3,000. When to Replace Your Running Rigging Puget Sound Rigging And if your boat is in the the Seattle area, wed love to come take a look at your running rigging. Attach as many of the rigging lines as possible to the masts, booms, and gaffs. Riggers say the question of whether to rig with wire or rod is usually fairly easily answered: Run what you brung. Opti Running Rigging Sheets Halyard Line Sailboat Kit. Hardwood would be best but we used epoxied plywood and it was adequate. For sheets, if you're happy with the length take the old ones off determine the gauge and and match them up. The 150 Genoa sheets were 35 feet each as Faster suggests but my halyard lines, which are wire and rope were only 40 feet of rope. If you want to know exactly what the USCG safety requirements are, including checklists, definitely check out my article here. This line is double braided polyester, so the cover is responsible for carrying up to 30% of the load. The theory is that it can take 10 to 15 years of cycling, but this continual motion when its unloaded is what fatigues the wire, Madden says. The cost to replace standing rigging obviously varies from boat to boat. Proper size and material components for the rig are further consideration. Marlow Ropes in the UK produce Marlowbraid. Included are halyards, main sheet, headsail sheets, and topping lift. Did you know that rope halyards are easier to handle and significantly lighter than wire halyards. Standing Rigging Inspection, Maintenance and Replacement Parts total: $600 on average Our selection runs the gamut, from economical polyester single- and double-braids to high-tech, low-stretch line made from materials such as Dyneema, Spectra, Technora, Kevlar and Vectran. I personally take stock of a pleasure boat's components and their age and will not load an older boat's rigging as much as I would a newer one. If you don't have that you may be able to find it on line or on line at your boat class owners' association. If you do the work yourself, it's more something like $1,000 - $1,500. 5 Ways To Sail Rig A Sailing Boat 2023 - CHUCKPAL Theres a rule of thumb, but it varies rigger to rigger, says Steve Madden, co-owner of M Yacht Services in Annapolis and the head of its M Rigging division. The masthead is a good place to start, and while youre at it, its worth looking closely at the mast as well as the rigging, to see if any corrosion, cracks or weld defects are evident. On the other hand, it will be very important to maintain hull health, as even small leaks will lead to condensation and mold, which is horrible for your health and living standard. Sailboat Running Rigging You don't want to have faulty sailboat running rigging. Although anyone can walk into a local chandlery and buy wire, that doesnt mean the wire is of the highest quality.