Rigging Inspection

[Phil Herring]

Do you regularly inspect your standing rigging? If so, do you do it yourself or hire a pro? If you do it yourself, talk about what you consider to be warning signs that need attention.

If you don't regularly inspect your rigging, do you worry about failure?

Tell us about your inspection routine to make sure your rigging has a positive outcome.

 

[JamesG161]

I do annual inspection with a LED magnifier to look for stress cracks. Also included are the cables.
One example shown, but each is labeled and dated to monitor them, year to year.

Takes a bit more to look at the mast connections.
Jim...

 

[Justin_NSA]

Another reason to get a bos'n chair or steps.
I noticed that even though my outer stays are tensioned withing the recommended specs of the wire, my leeward stay goes slack.

 

[Ken Cross]

Here in the Pacific Northwest, it's unusual to hear of anyone with corroded rigging up high. It happens, just not with the frequency of those who sail warmer waters. Having said that, regular careful inspections are always a good idea.

Personally, I don't always get the high part of the inspection done. On my 1989 Hunter, the upper rigging looked perfect last time I was up there a year ago. It just takes an effort to coordinate a look on top because I can't do it alone. Because it's a fractional rig I also need to take some extra precautions when I go above the jib halyard. This is because I don't have a line to belay me above that point. Here I tie a prusik knot directly to the mast. (I suspect this will only work on some masts depending on how slick they are. ) I usually have my son belay me. Down low, I inspect more than annually. This reminds me that I should be putting that in my maintenance log so I don't forget when it was last done.

Ken

 

[markwbird]

Fish hooks and corrosion. That is what you are looking for. I run my hands along the full lengths of all of the cables to detect broken strands, i.e. fish hooks I inspect the ends for signs of corrosion and cracks. The problem is that is not always visible. That is why we put the 10 year life on the rigging.

 

[Don S/V ILLusion]

I don't understand - why wouldn't everyone regularly inspect their rigging and all fittings (or have them inspected)?

Do people actually not make that a regular routine?

 

[rardiH36]

Also, irrespective of inspection, most recommend the standing rigging should be replaced at intervals simply as a function of advancing age. Not all potential failures can be seen. At 10 years of reasonably hard duty on San Francisco Bay, my rig is now overdue.

My personal experience: Five years into my previous re-rigging, I hired an experienced rigger to do a detailed inspection. I was at the boat to watch and listen to his item-by-item narrative. He inspected everything. Mast head to chain plate hull tabbing to the hull to the stem head fitting to the split backstay u-bolts. A few small items were flagged and were corrected. About 12 months later, while sailing in a 20kt wind, I felt a shudder and then observed my jib and furler flailing way off to port -- no longer attached to the bow. The double-jaw toggle connecting the forestay to the bow stem fitting had failed.

Later, I recalled that the rigging inspector did indeed check this part. When I looked hard at the failed toggle up close, it became apparent that a stress crack had started on the inside where it was not visually observable unless it had been dissassembled from the boat. I was fortunate that the rig did not immediately collapse. So I was able to get the boat pointed down wind to transfer all of the stress to the back stay a spare halyard tied to the Sampson Post at the bow. Pictures of the failed part and a close-up of the fracture attached:

 

[plenny7]

I just hired a professional rigger to do a full inspection of our rigging. As part of this job I'm having him provide a maintenance/inspection plan going forward of things I can do and things I should hire him for.

While he's up there, I'm going to have him replace my steaming/deck light fixture with a MarineBeam LED type, and replace the anchor light bulb with an LED bulb.

 

[jssailem]

Boat age brings with it issues. After acquisition of S/V Hadley a 1974 Cal I wanted to release the dock lines and unfurl the sails. And I did.
But I took a little care before adventuring to far afield.

1. I had a 1 year old survey provided by the broker. It was pretty useless.
   
2. I had my own experiences which gave me caution.
3. I had a friend, sailor who had helped me find the boat and we explored the Hadley for issues.

On my first sail in 10knots of breeze, I noticed groaning of the mast and rigging. There was no visual evidence of rust or broken strands on the shrouds, turnbuckles or chain-plates. Yet the turnbuckles were old and the shroud tension was soft. When I examined the spreaders they appeared to be unpainted wood. I spoke with a local rigger Bob, (known by fellow sailors as the Mast Whisperer). He did an inspection and affirmed the shrouds appeared sound but they were maybe 20 or more years old. He was not pleased with the look of the spreaders and the rig tension was not right.
This confirmed my thinking. It was time for a refit. Winter of 2016 we removed the mast. When I got to look at the spreaders, close up, my worries were confirmed. They were made of spruce. There had been no maintenance of them by previous owners and they were rotten. They compressed like a sponge.

Rigging needs to be examined on a regular basis. Certainly yearly, or after any unusual stress event (say a major storm) and definitely before you plan an extended cruise into big water (think Ocean). Standing rigging is not a one and done purchase. Like everything on a boat it gets tired and needs replacement.

There is a certain feeling of safety associated with all running rigging managed from the cockpit. But this has it's downside as well. If you don't go to the mast or fore deck when the boat is under sail you may never notice the sound of the rig or the turn of a turnbuckle that may be the beginning of a problem. I think inspection is an on going form of good seamanship. Seeing the mast & rigging while working the sails at the mast, holding the back stay as the boat pounds against the swell, pulling against the shroud as I go forward to the bow, or getting my hands on the boom while reefing the main gives me a level of confidence that my rig is ready for the conditions I am facing.

 

[NYSail]

Had a rigger look at rig before I purchased and subsequently had another rigger inspect the rigg after I bought and all came back as fine. Every year I climb my mast and inspect all the fittings and run my hand down the wires. Almost every time before I go sailing I feel the rigging to make sure all is tight and that no changes have occurred. This year I am taking down my mast and will start to replace the rig as it is 13 years old. Figure if I do it a couple at a time the bite won't be so bad.

Greg

 

[Gunni]

I have a GREAT rigger and consult with him regularly when I see things that look sketchy. Bought the boat when it was 6 year old. At 12 years an internal wiring conduit slipped down inside the mast and cut my radio coax and anchor light. I noticed the radio wasn’t broadcasting, then noticed I had no anchor lamp. The mast had to come off to affect the conduit repair and since it was 12 years, decided to do the standing rigging - down to and including the chain plates. Chain plates on a Beneteau are real simple. Built all new standing rigging, re-wired the mast, installed a marinebeam LED anchor light, new masthead antennae and some bits and pieces of the jib furler. It was pretty extensive but now I have a baseline to work with and I go sailing without wondering if the rig is up to the job.

My perspective is that Beneteau carefully engineered and overbuilt the standing rig for the loads the boat will experience at the hand of a prudent owner. I rely on their engineering and the expertise of a pro-rigger. My job is to sail the boat, observe the rig and report out if something looks wrong. Pretty simple protocol.

 

[jssailem]

I have a baseline to work with and I go sailing without wondering if the rig is up to the job.

We all need to know what the starting point is. Age of rig. Number of hours on the engine. Blisters or not. Once we know the starting condition we then can judge what has changed and what actions may be needed.
Or as @Gunni says "Go sailing without wondering if the rig is up to the job".

 

[Don S/V ILLusion]

While we read comments here by those who do maintain their rigging, the question Phil posed implies some people may not.

At least one person suggested geography rather than age, use or water (salt vs. fresh) bears on his maintenance schedule. It makes me wonder how many don't and what reasons they have.

 

[thinwater]

While we read comments here by those who do maintain their rigging, the question Phil posed implies some people may not.

At least one person suggested geography rather than age, use or water (salt vs. fresh) bears on his maintenance schedule. It makes me wonder how many don't and what reasons they have.

I think you KNOW that only a few percent do, and I think you can think of several reasons.

[I used to do NDT and refinery inspections as part of my day job]

 

[Don S/V ILLusion]

I think you KNOW that only a few percent do, and I think you can think of several reasons.

[I used to do NDT and refinery inspections as part of my day job]

To be blunt, the only reason I can think of is they are too lazy to ensure the safety of those aboard.

In a former life, I also used to do refinery and bulk storage facility inspections.

 

[dLj]

I perform dye penetrant testing on my fittings. Don't see how you can visually inspect stainless steel fittings by eye and have any confidence in knowing they are good. Hard enough with penetrant inspections.

Visual inspections are good to do, don't mean to say they aren't. I use them to know when I need to get more serious and pull out the penetrant inspection kit.

There is a big difference between fresh and salt water conditions are far as frequency. On fresh water I think visuals once a year and as long as nothing shows up, penetrant comes out every 5 years.

Salt water I inspect low end pretty much every time I'm going out for a "serious" sail. Minimim once a year top and bottom. Penetrant inspection if anything looks questionable, or once every two years.

Not sure I agree with the 10 year limit, but that depends upon the safety factor used when the rigging was originally built. I personally prefer nothing below a 250% safety factor.

dj

 

[Will Gilmore]

I can't say I have a replacement schedule, specifically. I don't really know that much about the life expectancy of my standing rigging. This thread is certainly welcome food for thought. As far as visual inspection schedules, when I'm on, near sailing the boat. For my Hobie and Mariner 19, I constantly watch her, the rig, the mast. I walk along the trailer and don't even think about it, but I am checking the state of chain plates, turnbuckles, pins, shackles, looking for rust, etc. When I raise the mast, I feel how the mast moves, the tabernacle looks and sits, if the stays are kinked or burred. When I'm sailing I look for changes in the rig's tuning, the feel of the boat when I tack. I rarely inspect as a formal process, I'm just always doing it.
If I owned a boat with no trailer, It seems like once a year, at least, it would be good to go up the mast. Use would make a difference. Long sails through varied weather, ocean sailing in big seas and high winds, constant tension versus, daily disconnection of stays would make a difference.
Any recommendations would be appreciated.

-Will (Dragonfly)

 

[Jackdaw]

I’m amazed how many sailors do not inpsect their rigging on a regular basis. We do every time we go out.

I posted this in another forum, but it belongs here too.

On the race I sailed with the couple in the other fleet on Sunday, we blew up the vang going upwind in 16 knots of true wind. The screw pin had come out of the shackle loop, and was held closed only by the strength of the stainless resisting bending. Probably had been like that all year, but in practice (the way they sail) they never load up their vang. Well I did, and it pulled apart under pressure and blew. Bang!

Had it been inspected and closed it never would have been close to its breaking strength and would not have failed. I hate to think about if that had been a mission critical part of the standing rigging. Inspect inspect inspect.

 

[Gunni]

Back when I was racing road machines at twice freeway speeds, everything got a good look every run. Perfectly good looking gear got replaced because it had seen full load cycle enough times to be questionable. For everyday road rides the inspection schedule was MUCH relaxed. Stuff wears out based on how much you stress it. Having a suspension or drive component part will ruin your day.

When I sail in a gale for a few days, or the boat takes a real beating on a cruise I give it a good look, and have the rigger with me for inspection. Having a rig go over the side offshore will ruin your day. At 10 years the manufacturers and riggers tell you that their capabilities for visual, or die inspection are marginal - you want confidence, pay for it and replace your perfectly fine gear.

 

[jssailem]

My friend is having to replace the 7 year old rod rigging on his new to him boat. The Lloyds of London underwriter decided 7 year old rigging is no longer worthy of insurance.