Rigging Quote

[dlochner]

The Chesapeake can certainly get choppy, especially in your area with the water being pretty shallow.

Consider installing a Tricolor light instead of an anchor light. This will give you an anchor light and running lights at the masthead. Masthead running lights can be used at night while under sail. The downside, the light will require some additional wiring.

 

[Scott T-Bird]

Marinebeam makes a combo anchor/tricolor light that only requires the typical 2-wire setup for an anchor light. I have it on my boat and it is a very bright anchor light. I have to admit that as a tricolor, the colors bleed quite a bit in the transitions. With the mast down, he can easily add additional wiring for separate anchor / tricolor. But he doesn't have to if he selects this product. I endorse it. I endorse a tricolor particularly for his location on the Chesapeake due to the shipping traffic.

Smart LED Tri-Color, Anchor Light, and Strobe

Smart Switching LED Tri-Color / Anchor / SOS Strobe Light, aqua signal, sailboat, hella, mast, perko

store.marinebeam.com

 

[jssailem]

It is a challenge. The tri-color on the mast helps to stand out to vessels like commercial shipping. The problem is most boaters are looking at the water level for other boats. The Tri-Color light escapes their view.

My solution is to have both. Nav-lights on the hull for when I am out of the commercial shipping lanes and the Tri Color on the mast when I am crossing or next to the commercial shipping lanes.

ColRegs say you can use one or the other.

 

[Windpilot]

I did similar to my 99 410, Tides track, all instruments and cables, radar etc, don't forget the amplified omnidirectional TV antenna, ( lol, works great though).
Added a furling inner staysail also.
I think it was around 22k for everything complete, it adds up but the add ons are really good the have. You'll love Tides track and knowing your rig is like new is peace of mind.

 

[Tally Ho]

+1 for the Tides Marine Strong Track. I added one when I got a new main sail a few years ago and went with a full-batten main.

The hardware is excellent and heavy duty. I can raise the sail in about 1 minute (using my winch drill) and the sail falls easily when I drop it.

I am not sure what (if anything) needs to be done to your mail sail though….check on that.

Greg

 

[dlochner]

I am not sure what (if anything) needs to be done to your mail sail though….check on that.

The Tides track uses proprietary sail slugs. The existing slugs need to be replaced. Wear a hard hat when dousing the mainsail.

 

[Ward H]

Another Tides Marine Strong Track fan here. I've had it on my boat a few years now and feel it was money well spent. @Tally Ho suggested a stack pack be paired with the Strong Track which I also did.

I have the Marine Beam Tri-Color Mast Head light @Scott T-Bird mentioned. This light has been working great for several years despite spending a week or more in the rain with the lens off a few years back. I got to the boat one day and the lens was sitting in the cockpit. Apparently it came loose from vibration and fell off the light. What are the odds of it falling into the cockpit and staying there????
I had the yard re-install it and it's still good.

@jssailem has a good point about being sure to run both deck level mast head nav lights.

 

[jaysweet]

Good to hear that so many of you were happy with the Strong Track. I haven't gotten the quote yet, and as always: price is a factor. I'd need to either have all new sail slugs sewn on to my existing 21yo main, or go for a new sail entirely, which is more expense. Still, I might do it. The rigger thought well of the system. I did ask him about UV degradation, and he said basically "yeah, they do get crazed/cracked after a while, but usually work fine despite that". He really liked how solid the SS sail slugs were, and said "don't worry about getting enough with your order, since just about everyone (riggers/sail makers) that works with these has a ton of left-over slugs from past projects". Interesting to hear.

 

[jaysweet]

I'll probably pass on the masthead tricolor. I never sail at night, and the bow pulpit tricolor works fine. The majority of my sailing is in a part of the Chesapeake where the ships have to stay in channels, so if I don't stay out of their way, I'll get run down. I've also read that the deck-level tricolors might be more visible against the dark water for recreational power boats, vs. being lost in the shore lights. Don't know if it's true, but it makes sense to me. "Small" power boats are probably my biggest collision risk. Anyway, it seems like 2/3 of sailboats just have the deck-level tricolor.

 

[jaysweet]

You'll love Tides track and knowing your rig is like new is peace of mind.

Yep: somehow, it actually feels good to be spending all this money to maintain the rig properly. Like I'm buying a very small part of a brand new boat...

 

[dLj]

I'll probably pass on the masthead tricolor. I never sail at night, and the bow pulpit tricolor works fine. The majority of my sailing is in a part of the Chesapeake where the ships have to stay in channels, so if I don't stay out of their way, I'll get run down. I've also read that the deck-level tricolors might be more visible against the dark water for recreational power boats, vs. being lost in the shore lights. Don't know if it's true, but it makes sense to me. "Small" power boats are probably my biggest collision risk. Anyway, it seems like 2/3 of sailboats just have the deck-level tricolor.

I agree with that decision. A mast head tricolor is really only best when off-shore.

I see in your signature you are in Pasadena - where's your boat? I keep mine on Gibson Island.

dj

 

[jssailem]

bow pulpit tricolor works fine

I hope your bow pulpit light is a "Bicolor". Red/Green. The third light (white) must be positioned on the stern of your boat.

 

[jaysweet]

I agree with that decision. A mast head tricolor is really only best when off-shore.

I see in your signature you are in Pasadena - where's your boat? I keep mine on Gibson Island.

dj

I'm in White Rocks Marina, in one of the many Rock Creek(s), but this one is in just inside the wide mouth of the Patapsco. I seem to recall you used to be just across the way, before your recent Atlantic crossing?

 

[jaysweet]

I hope your bow pulpit light is a "Bicolor". Red/Green. The third light (white) must be positioned on the stern of your boat.

You're right, of course. It's a red/green on the bow.

 

[dLj]

I'm in White Rocks Marina, in one of the many Rock Creek(s), but this one is in just inside the wide mouth of the Patapsco. I seem to recall you used to be just across the way, before your recent Atlantic crossing?

Good memory! Yes, I used to be right across from you at Old Bay Marina. I moved to Gibson Island mainly due to the Boatworks shop there - a fantastic boat shop. They have excellent technical folk there and a marine supply store that is about the best I've seen.

dj

 

[jaysweet]

So I got the boat launched on 6 April (earliest in many years) and motored down to Annapolis to get the newly refurbished mast stepped again on 17 April. I ended up replacing or upgrading pretty much everything:

completely replace standing rigging
all new wiring
masthead anchor light
combo steaming/deck light mid-way up the mast
VHF antenna
Raymarine anemometer (I supplied)
topping lift
in-boom outhaul
refurbish Furlex roller furler
roller furling line
Tides Marine SailTrack (formerly strong track)

For those who are curious about price (I would be), here's the toll, MD state tax included:
$6075 standing rigging, incl. labor
$3686 SailTrack, all other rope/wiring/lights, incl. labor
$591 crane + 1-day dockage (to marina: November)
$608 crane + 1-day dockage (to marina: April)
$629 Raymarine wind transducer (I purchased online)

$11589 total

Just to note, this includes a couple of upgrades: the SailTrack and the deck light. I also had to pay a sailmaker to change out the sail slides that came with the new SailTrack. I decided to hold off on new sails, since I wanted the mast to be up in its final configuration before ordering them. I'll probably get new sails in a year or two

I was happy with the work, and with the decision to pay someone else to do it. The only glitch came when they thought we were all done and the VHF didn't work. It took them about 2 more hours to figure out the problem, which was apparently the soldered coax fitting inside the cabin at the base of the mast. They had a young guy up in a bosun's chair for well over an hour, doing conductivity tests and resoldering. But in the end, it worked out, and I got a transmission from down in VA (which is quite a ways away).

 

[Tally Ho]

+1 for the Tides Track system.

But you will need new slides on the sail too.

Greg

 

[jssailem]

Congrats @jaysweet. No looking forward to hearing sailing stories.

 

[jaysweet]

Congrats @jaysweet. No looking forward to hearing sailing stories.

Thanks, John. I certainly hope to up the sailing this year to justify all this maintenance! I'm not retired yet, but just started part-time work (5/8 time) as a sort of transition, to make more time for sailing, boat maintenance, house maintenance, etc.

 

[Scott T-Bird]

That's a big chunk of money but you had some very substantial work done that improves the boat significantly and none of it was work that you could not do alone without a huge investment in time. I'd say it was well worth it and hopefully you will soon enjoy the fruits! Good for you to bite that bullet. The standing rigging alone is critical for your well-being.