Top manufacturers of swaged fittings are Hayn Marine Rigging Products, Alexander Roberts and C. Sherman Johnson. I should have changed mine sooner than I did. You want a reliable boat, which means you'll fix anything that needs fixing immediately. You can also use sacrificial covers to protect halyards from clutch damage,. Usually the owner's manual gives you the specifications of all the running and standing rigging. read more, 2023 Active Interest Media All Rights Reserved. I use a 3D model and some diagrams. Saltwater is a lot more corrosive, and the stress on your rigging and sails will be higher. You can see that the chafe is only occurring on one side of the line, the side that comes in contact with the sheave. We are a proud supplier of Yale Cordage. Tag each line with a sticker noting which line it is. Too narrow for equivalent ropeshould be 10% wider than the diameter of the rope. After that, you'll need to change them out. The biggest problem with rigging and older sailboat with high-tech lines to control the sails is that the lines are too strong for the boat. The simple answer is to measure it. A lot of new boat owners overlook the maintenance costs of sailboats - and maintenance can get pricey quickly. Rigging is a significant part of building a model ship. Inevitably. This halyard had been wrapped around a shroud and tightened to prevent it from slapping against the mast while at the dock. For instance, the Rigging Company makes a spare-stay kit that can accommodate either wire or rod rigging repairs, Cockerill says. The Down Haul consists of a line attached to the mast end of the boom. I think the owner needs to replace those but there's a Covid problem. The average maintenance cost will be roughly $255 dollars per month for boats under 30' or just under $3,000 per year. 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. If you're hoisting the sail on land, make sure the bow of the boat is pointing towards the wind. Labor total: $1,000 on average Adhering to the minimum safety requirements shouldn't cost you more than 150 - 250 dollars every 5 years. In this article, I'll show you what to expect. Assuming you have decided to replace the rigging wire as well as a number of other components, the first decision is whether to do it with the mast up or down. Steps. 34' Bermuda Sloop rig will cost you about $3,000 - $5,000. how much fuel a sailboat uses in my article, ICC (International Certificate of Competence, Average Cost of Buying & Owning a Sailboat (With 4 Examples). On our old boat we had the Port Aft lower shroud fail while sailing. But you should think carefully before you go ahead and buy any high tech replacement running rigging. 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. 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. Click here for a full walkthrough with diagrams. Chafe usually happens gradually over long periods of time and it is only a serious problem when it goes unnoticed. Another trouble spot on keel-stepped masts is where the spar enters the deck, especially if water has leaked under the mast collar. Cracks are hard to see (use a magnifying glass), and sometimes marks that look like cracks can be left by the machine used to create the swage. Account. This line wont last long in these conditions. The easiest way to prevent line from chafing all the way through is to simply look at your line. The task of replacing the standing rigging on a sailing yacht may seem daunting but there is a procedure to follow that can make it a relatively straight forward process for anyone who is reasonably practical. 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. SKIRMISH was built for Clarence Noble in Brisbane. Theres no reason good quality rigging shouldnt last up to 20 years or so if it is well maintained and any problems that arise are sorted right away. 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. 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. 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. (Deck-stepped masts are less prone to corrosion as the foot of the mast is open to the air and can dry quickly.) Yes, doing it yourself will theoretically save money. All standing rigging, whether rod or wire, has to end in a fitting that attaches to the deck and mast. With the forestay removed, take the opportunity to fully service your headsail furling gear as well. How much does a used sail cost? 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. Just tell us the best email address to send your tips to: Improve Sailing The mast stayed up, but it sounded like a gun shot and was scary as hell. Plus, this line won't harden with age. For a small boat (under 30 feet), you can expect to pay anywhere from $500 to $2000 for standing rigging replacement. Every sailboat has an Out Haul and a Down Haul. The cost of replacing the standing rigging will vary greatly depending on the size of your boat and the location you get the job done. Wendy Mitman Clarke is currently between passages. A professional needs roughly 8 hours to get the job done. A swaged fitting is a terminus thats attached using a machine called a swager. Technical support for boat owners and maintenance yards servicing Sabre sail and motor yachts | Sabre Yachts Technical Support Contacts in Sabre's After Sales Service Department may be reached by calling 207-655-3831 or by filling in the contact form. Replacing Running Rigging on an Older Sailboat, a bowline or other knot in a high tech line reduces the breaking strength by up to 80%, for jib sheets you must increase the line size to account for the reduced strength more $$$$, an eye splice is required to attach a shackle to a halyard. A sailboat doesn't have to be expensive if you know what you're doing. That said, some sailors prefer wire over rod for a number of reasons. You can take a masthead halyard from side to side to ensure that the masthead is on center. JavaScript is disabled. By taking on the labor yourself, youll probably save as much as $2,000 on the re-rigging cost, he says. Sometimes they let you go longer if you have the rig professionally inspected, particularly if you have an electronic check carried out on the terminals and other crucial fittings. Preparing The Boat For Rigging. The total maintenance cost for a bluewater cruiser will average around $3,225 per year or $269 per month. The annual maintenance cost is $2,000 - $3,000 for most boats, but the actual total annual cost is $3,000 to $7,000. [advertisement]. [1] This halyard has minor chafe right now, but the chafe is acute and has an identifiable source. Cleat the jib off on the port side of the mast and the main on the starboard. Any requirement to re-tune the rig more often than that would point to wires been stretched beyond their tensile strength minimums. So I've added it to the "be aware this might happen" list - but won't add it to the monthly recurring costs. The fastest route to crevice corrosion is to cover the metal with plastic or leather turnbuckle covers or to coat the fittings in tape. Remove old lifelines and frayed running rigging. Your boat will need bottom paint roughly every 2 years (could be longer, but to be safe, let's keep it at two). Just a FYI. A dormant maneuver has both ends fixed at each end. Running rigging is the rigging of a sailing vessel that is used for raising, lowering, shaping and controlling the sails on a sailing vesselas opposed to the standing rigging, which supports the mast and bowsprit. . In marine environments, everything can go wrong exactly one time for it to be critical. For all of these reasons, most riggers agree that when your sailboats standing rigging approaches 15 years old, its a good time to consider replacing it. 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. Add winches and UV rays and the wear and tear can be significant so it's important to use a quality line. Then we head over to Bacon Sails and Marine Supplies for a tu. Deep cycle batteries (which are best for household functionality) need replacing every 4-6 years and will cost roughly $600. The new Dufour 37 slots in just above the 32-foot baby of the family, and it replaces the previous Dufour 360 from three years ago. When rigging the sails of a sailboat, it is important to properly prepare the boat. It was this mistakefailing to untie the read more, After four long months poised to spring into action at the first sign of the right weather window, Spindrift has announced that its record-breaking circumnavigation attempt wont be possible this year. The average cost of a new cruising sailboat is about $250,000. 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. On longer boats, you can opt for a furling-line material of more esoteric double-braids with less stretch. Lets say you ripped a tang out of the mast; you can use a Dyneema loop to create another attachment point. Check and make sure the sheaves run freely, that the bearings are not worn oval and that the retaining pins are secure. Stainless steel needs oxygen to prevent crevice corrosion, so dont overdo it with tape (left); enough to cover the cotter pin will suffice (center). If you go DIY, you will be limited to mechanical end fittings unless you hire a rigger to swage your end fittings. If the leeward shroud flops around underway, the constant flexing will weaken the metal over time and make it more prone to fail. Yes, its unlikely youll suffer a massive failure during normal coastal cruising, but it is good practice to spend a little time looking carefully at each element of your rig at least once a month, or before a cruise lasting more than a few daysparticularly if heavy weather is expected. Also look to see if there are any broken wires where the shroud enters the terminal. Theres such a safety margin in rigging. Parts total: $600 on average But not just any kind of sailing. Replacing the running rigging on your sailboat seems like it should be fairly simple, and a decade or two ago, it was. The next area deserving close scrutiny is the spreaders. If line is properly taken care of, it can last many decades. For a 26' sailboat, that's just 500 bucks. 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. A detailed rig check takes no more than two hours or so to completeabout as long as it takes to provision the boat with a weeks food suppliesonly the result of not doing it can be a good deal more drastic! They weigh less and take up less room. Sailboat Running Rigging You don't want to have faulty sailboat running rigging. It would help if we knew what your boat was! It's the best way to protect your boat in wintertime, period. Don't forget that this site will also replace your rigging. Running rigging varies between vessels that are rigged fore and aft and those that are square-rigged. Likewise, if you already have wire with fittings that accommodate your boat and mast, stick with wire. They aren't even worn enough to require end-for ending yet. Kinks in wire is like chafe on a line. You mean all together don't you? For all remaining running rigging, you can use polyester double-braid rope. Sailors' hands are busy with the running rigging most on a sailboat. That cost me $10k. If your standing rigging is . Marine sailboat supplier of running rigging - halyards, dock lines and halyar=ds shackles. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. If you want a life raft, that's another $1,500. Redoing the running rigging on a cruising sailboat involves measuring, measuring and measuring. I am going to be getting new jib sheets with will be 7/16" for ease of handling. Cut a square piece of wood about 3-4 on each side. Then theres just age, and this factor as a reason to re-rig is more subject to a boats history than anything else. The most common location of chainplate failure is where one disappears into the deck and cant be inspected. Give us a call, and we can give you a rough quote. If you want to know exactly what the USCG safety requirements are, including checklists, definitely check out my article here. So youre sailing offshore and youre looking at the windward shroud thats taut, and thats not the one to worry about. A smaller loop is a makeshift chainplate attachment you can attach it to a neighboring chainplate and attach the stay to it. They can provide a higher percentage of nominal capacity than lead-acid batteries, without shortening their life. Check out my guide on standing rigging here! The owner didnt adjust the rigging to compensate for the stretch for several seasons. . Rig inspections, rig replacement and rig upgrades is how we can help. A Bonnier LLC Company. While its often difficult to know whether, say, a swaged terminal is in good condition, there are a few common signs of possible failure to look for. 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. Generally its much better to stay with the more traditional line for the running rigging of older boats. This is a perfect example to illustrate why a thorough, yearly inspection of running rigging is important. How do you know when its time to re-rig? Check your spreaders, chainplates and turnbuckles for cracking, fatigue, missing cotter pins/rings, etc. For over 40 years we have specialized in manufacturing standing rigging for all of the major sailboat manufacturers nationwide. Of course, if you have an outboard engine the installation price will be nothing more than a few drops of sweat, swearing, and back pain for a day or two. This was seen on a brand new boat at the 2020 Seattle Boat Show. I found some tests that some SBO folks had done many years ago on the O'Day 25's standing rigging. It's a really helpful post (with a formula) if you want to know what to expect. 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. Few places on the planet have such a devoted, diverse, and downright joyful yacht racing season as the island read more, Ive never laughed so hard as I have on some of my charters, but its typically only funny after the fact. Here's a full overview of all the recurring maintenance from most to least frequent. Run the shrouds and attach them to the deadeyes on the hull. [1] 2. For an average 40-foot boat, Cockerill estimates about $100 per foot to re-rig with wire rigging ($4,000), as well as the round-trip cost to haul and launch the boat and unstep and step the rig (an additional $2,500 or so). Strong, durable lines are essential for controlling the sails on your boat without risking your own safety, or that of the sails. The November 1969 Modern Boating magazine . On a sailboat, a distinction is made between running rigging and standing rigging. This process . What would be the maintenance cost if you were on a tight budget? The golden rule has always been never to work on a rig with the boat out of the water. . With a spare mechanical end fitting, wire and the proper tools, you can replace a stay pretty much anywhere. Did you find the answer to your specific question? And although rod rigging may be able to last longer than wire, it too needs to be serviced every five to six years to get the most life out of it. 1. Perhaps a rogue cotter pin sticking out of a turnbuckle. Lifejackets have to be replaced every 10 years. Boom Vang. If you do the work yourself, it's more something like $1,000 - $1,500. So here are some tips and things to look for so that you can replace your running rigging before it breaks. 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. 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+. Installing the new standing rigging is simple for a trailer sailor after the mast is unstepped. If you have (reasonable) evidence that the PO replaced only the worst sections, it's safe to assume that the rest of the rig is getting ancient and failure prone. Do disconnect them and inspect them very carefully for cracks on a well-lit workbench. Inspect the area around tang plates and toggle fittings for cracks, preferably using a magnifying glass. we have provided rigging services and have specialized in running rigging. But you know what is more expensive? Having to hire a rigger to climb your mast to run a new halyard after the old one breaks. Running Rigging & Cordage to Order . 1. And if you get a young, strong, enthusiastic gorilla on a halyard winch, he could pull the headboard out of the sail, damage the sheave at the masthead or pull the turning block at the base of the mast out of the deck. Get all your parts together. It is comprised of fixed lines, wires, or rods that are designed to support each mast or bowsprit on sailing vessels. In the US, Sampson, New England Ropes and Yale all make a double braid dacron line very suitable for almost all the running rigging on an older sailboat. 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. Enough tape to cover a cotter pin suffices; otherwise, leave the metal open to the air. Leave each line with extra length, and coil the lines up. Gas engines run for about 1,500 hours, diesel engines run for 5,000. You should be mechanically inclined, he says, and the way to find that out is if I start talking all this technical jargon and you decide whether youre suited to handle that at all..