new rigging and other cost estimates...

[tom]

I have several things i want to do with my 25' Hunter, including replacing halyards; need info on having it done with mast up or waiting until post storage in the spring (she REALLY needs them...) installing a roller furling jib,and new paint all around.Can anyone give me an idea On the amt of $ I'm looking at per job? You may have guessed, I am NOT very handy at maintenance.

 

[John Allison]

Help It Is

Sail Net In their latest catalog has 5/16"x65' Halyards priced from $59.95 to $79.95 depending on quality. I replaced mine several years ago with the mast down (boat on the hard for winter storage) but it can be done mast up by end splicing the old and new together. If you think they will fail, do it now.A good roller furler (and this is not the place to cut cost) for the H25 will run close to $1300 for the unit itself. If you purchase it through a dealer who will install it add another $200 to $300 in cost. Then there are the sails to be modified for the furler (luff tape and sun screen) at an additional $200 to $300.As far as painting goes, that is so area dependent. But, if you are not going to do it, make sure you get someone who knows what they are doing. Cheap jobs look cheap and do not last.Hope this helps.

 

[John]

Talk about blind prices!

TomGiving an estimate is tough enough when one can see everything that need to be done but can be very difficult with out a better understanding of what need done. Have your rigger give you an estimate for the roller furler and the halyards and ask for details in the bid. You can also get an estimate from several yards on the painting you need done.Replacing halyards is fairly easy to do with the mast up, as long as you follow two simple rules. "Make darn sure you secure the old halyard to the new halyard before trying to use the old one as a pull rope, and make sure you put stopper knots where you need them so the free end does not race up the mast."I usually cut off the old eye and then sew the eye end of the old line to the butt end of the new line. This allows me to pull the new halyard in behind the old. I also securely clip or tie the eye to a solid object. I hate going up the mast to chase a loose halyard.A second trick that also works is to use a large paper clip. Unfold the clip into an S, and thread one end through the old line after you cut off the eye and thread the other end throught the butt of the new line. Use a couple of turns of riggers tape or vinyl electricans tape to secure the open ends of the paper clip so they will not snag anything and then pull the old line out and the new one in.List price of 5/16" StaSetX is .79 per foot (3/8 is 10 cents more per foot) plus $20 for the eye. You can usually find a cheaper price than this but this gives you a starting point.I cannot offer an opinion on the roller furler as I have not replaced tho one I have. I know it can be done with the mast up by using a spare halyard as the fore guy while work is done on the furler. Still you best bet is to contact a rigger who can give you a good estimate on this work. Fair Winds.

 

[Steve Dion]

You can do some of this yourself.

Tom:You can re-do your halyards yourself. There are several good sources for halyards. You can cut off the shackles and have the vendor re-splice them for you. You can either sew the ends of the halyards together or use my paperclip method (see this link) http://www.sailboatowners.com/upload/display.tpl?folder=Dion73112378230&fno=17. The halyards are usually the price of the line and $12-20 per splice.For your size of a boat, I think I would go with the CDI unit. Find a rigger in your area that can install it for you. I think you can get a CDI unit for about $400-500 + installation and misc materials. I would think that 3-4 hrs. to install.If you boat is not painted, I would look at some of the alternatives. Once you paint, you need to be very careful on what you use to clean the boat. I would look at Polyglow or Island Girl products before ANY painting (if it has not been painted before).