Rigging question

[Manny]

I currently have my mast down and I was wondering if it is okay to coil the shrouds and stays? The mast is sitting on top of the boat and the rigging is definitely a tripping hazard. Is there a minimum diameter? Is it possible to damage the wire by coiling it too tight? If a kink is created will that compomise the integrity of the wire?Thanks,Manny

 

[Rob Morton]

Coiling wire

Coiling your wire will be fine. It will kind of let you know how it likes to be coiled. About a two foot cirlce I think. I'd use zip ties to tie it and then clip it open come spring. Right now its all over the boat not coiled up. A kink in the rigging will affect the wire. We had one backstay get kinked and I had to have a new one made. Kept the old for a spare though. Rob MortonS/V Euphoria

 

[Moody Buccaneer]

No problem

Coil the wire in as big a coil as you can store easily. As you go smaller, the risks of kinks at the ends of the swage fittings gets higher.As far as kinks go ... yes, always best to replace kinked wires. However if the wire shows no marks (stress risers) and the wire is lightly loaded ... like a backstay I would probably not worry too much.Randy

 

[Hipockets]

Medusa Shrouds

I would not coil stays because despite minimal risk of kink damage, it is more convenient to group and wrap shrouds down the supporting structure of the mast. I spent months under boat-layed mast with 1/4inch shrouds while resurfacing decks and cabins and could not imagine shouldering past individually coiled impediments. You may not be resurfacing your decks but you might want to clean them this winter. Stainless coils need individual support especially if heavy turnbuckles are involved. Coils trap grit and leaves and ice. You are wise to have considered variables. Chafe and mast rub should be a consideration and bundled groups are easier to control than coils. Grouping shrouds and wrapping in long strips cut from auto or bicycle tubes or garden hose will protect the mast and offer flexible durable absorbancy. Good luck.

 

[Moody Buccaneer]

I missed that ...

I was thinking that the standing rigging was coming off the mast and off the boat for storage.If you are storing the rig with the shrouds still attached, hipockets has the right idea. Run them down the rig, if the rig is keel stepped you should be able to keep them taut (the mast is longer than the shrouds except maybe the backstay).If they are a tripping hazard, they are asking to get damaged, trice them up! I'm so used to stripping masts, coiling the rig and hoisting the coils into the rafters of the shop that I never thought about on mast storage.

 

[Manny]

I have them laying on the deck

I have the shrouds and the back stay laying along the deck but there are still some curves on wire (I don't want the turnbuckles hanging over the transom). I have a roller furling for the jib which is tied along about every six feet. The shrouds are actually in pvc pipe, a previous owner had put pvc on them to protect the jib?Moody, what is a "stress riser". I was down today and was looking at the rigging. It looks like a kink may have formed on one of the lower sections of the back stay (probably due to not paying attention during the lowering the mast).I'm thinking of taking it for inspection to see it has been damaged. I hate to ask but has anybody used West Marine's rigging service? It seems like there retail prices are high, I'm wondering if there rigging charges are high also.Thanks for all the info!Manny

 

[Moody Buccaneer]

Stress ...

If the wire got kinked and what ever did the deed left a mark (nick or dent) in one or more strands, that mark will tend to concentrate stress and the wire is likely to fail there. If it is just a mild over-bend kink and you cannot see a mark when the wire is under tension again, I wouldn't worry too much. If the wire is kinked right at the swage, I'd be very cautious about reusing it. Wire is most apt to fail where it enters the swage anyway, adding a kink there is cause for concern.