Standing Rigging/Taking down the mast - help a newbie out...

[lovetorenovate]

I guess I'm way over my head in this boat purchase (1986 Hunter 34), perhaps I should have heeded the warnings about buying a sailboat. It's now too late. Let me start by saying we had a survey - a very bad one. We've been dealing with many issues since buying the boat this July - most of those issues are manageable (we knew we had virtually no electronics, sails in so-so shape, cosmetic issues, etc). However, today I hired a guy to climb the mast to install a new windex, some bird spikes and take a look at my non working anometer. He very quickly came down and showed me this photo:

He said he's really surprised our mast didn't come down. The plan is to replace all the standing rigging. So a few questions:
- Has anyone done this recently and have a ballpark of cost? The rigger has suggested we strip the sails, the boom, etc to keep the cost down.
- What other projects should we do while the mast is down?
- How do I know if I have a mast compression post issue? I haven't seen any issues... but I don't know for sure.

Thanks in advance!
Amy

 

[SailormanDan]

Hi Amy,
Sometimes I think I'm not so much in over my head, but in over my bank account.
I'm looking at pulling my mast next spring or so and started looking at what I might need to do. The first half of the list is stuff I am planning on and the second section is some other stuff that I just threw in, I may look at sheaves if needed, but won't really know that until we get into it.
Estimating cost of rigging is a pain, you have to price out each part and the labor for each, I'm around $800 on the high side for my 1981 Hunter 27, I'm sure yours will be more.
I can't help you with the mast compression post, what to look for is here on the site, I know I ran across it as I was looking for ideas on "what to do while the mast is down", but it didn't register as a problem I have, so it didn't stick in my head.

What I'm planning on:

• labor to pull mast & re-rig it
  
• New rigging (& lifelines since I'm making a trip to the rigging shop)
  
• replace Antenna wire and bracket
• Re-do wind vane colors w/ reflective stuff - tabs only for cost
  
• Replace lights on mast (I had problems putting a new replacement lens and LED bulb in my existing bow nav light, so I'm thinking brand new units for the mast lights and switch steaming light to a combo light)
  
  • LED anchor light
  • LED combo Steaming&deck light/wiring/switch, etc.
  • Mast light guard
• Boom vang
  
  • Garhauer Mast plate - less expensive, but will need drilling out - sits under mast
    
  • or Boom Vang swivel - won't need to install mast plate, but more expensive
• Look at jiffy reefing in boom while it's off & rig
• Look at topping lift & understand

Other things to consider:

• replace running rigging
• replace sheaves for running rigging
• Add other lines to lead aft to cockpit
• Rig spinnaker crane
  
• paint mast (cheaper) or powder coating (pricier) (Mine is white & scratched from shackles)
• ??

Hope this helps, I'm not an expert in a lot of this, but there is a ton of info on the site if you sit and sift through it all.
Dan

 

[alexco38]

did you get a survey?

 

[lovetorenovate]

I did.

 

[splax]

Amy,
I have replaced my compression post, due to a botched repair by a previous owner. If your boat has not had the compression post replaced, it needs to have the work done. There is a strong H34 community here, so look at the owner modifications for the H34 on this site, and ask questions of those who have done the work. Send me a message with your e-mail or phone number and we can discuss what you are seeing.

 

[25yearslater]

Hello Amy. I just finished a complete rigging replacement last year. About $800 give or take. The single biggest cost is the turnbuckle bodies. If you can re use yours that saves many dollars. If you want the shiny new ones then the cost jumps quite quickly. All of this is a moot point if your tangs and chainplates are cracked or are sporting elongated or oversized holes. The cost for these gems will skyrocket the price. Check all your internal connectors for whatever is electrical inside the mast. Check both continuity and voltage where appropriate as it saves time and cost later. Bad connections can knock out various mast lights quite easily. Good luck on your project.

 

[Whitley]

I believe the original supplier for the H34 standing rigging was made by Seco South out of Florida.
http://www.secosouth.com

I called them last year to get quote for my H34 year 83. The estimated line cost with all new shrouds, turnbuckles and hardware was $2300. ( Can't remember if that included shipping)

They recommended for me to wait until I had the mast off before placing an order for the kit, to verify all measurements. I have not done this yet, but plan to do it this spring. Will do the compression post from the top down mod as well. search H34 owner mods. I have not had the stress cracks in my cabin top, but know there are soft spots in the compression posts at the bottom (water intrusion). I also prefer the strength of a 2" stainless tube/square post.

My local marina will charge $1/per ft to unstep mast, $70/per hour per man. estimate at 1.5 hrs 3 men (I can be one to them to reduce cost). and crane fee to unstep or step. When stepping there will be an additional tuning rigger labor at approx. 2 hour. I estimate removal to be about $450. Removing all possible items will reduce costs. Sails , halyards, boom, ect. The more you do, the less time they spend.
I plan to replace all wiring in mast and lights. So I will have them just cut them.
Also there is a charge of $1/per day for mast storage on lot. they provide the stands.
I figure it will in the $5000 range for a complete rigging change.

Things to keep in mind. Would be sheaves replacement, topping lift, upgrade mast lighting. adding Lazy Jack lines, any work needed done to the furler, any cabinet repairs needed around the stainless rod coming from the standing rig plate to the plate in the bottom of the hull. This will hopefully be he only time you have the mast down, so do it right.

As to your questioning as to whether you should have purchased a sailboat. I look at it this way. I have never drank, smoked, or purchased "new" cars. So this is what I spend my fun money on. Most people won't/don't tell you, but plan to spend 3 to 5 thousand per year to maintain a boat kept in the water per year that you own it. if you don't spend that much then your winning, not disappointed.

Contact me thru private message if you want to talk on the phone. I am new here too, but have owned my h34 for several years.

Oh, if you have not made or have on one, get a hatch cover over your companion way right away. The water coming in cost me a bundle.
Good luck, and Merry Christmas to you.

Alan Whitley

 

[dcalif]

Amy,
I replaced the standing rigging when I bought my '85 this year. I didn't do the work myself and the rigging was one of several items on the list. Hard to break out the exact cost 'cause we did a lot. I figure the rigging with labor, tuning, etc. was about 2000-2700.
The boat hadn't been sailing in years and the survey showed no issues with the compression post, and we looked closely. So, we merrily sailed for six months or so with our new rigging. Then one day, I looked up and discovered compression post is going. If you're compression post isn't showing signs of issues, it will at some point. I should have just replaced it when I did everything else. Suggest you consider it. Best of luck.
dan.

 

[Charlie98117]

Hi Amy, I was wondering if you have made any progress with your rigging project. Typically a standard boat survey excludes standing rigging so the fact it was not noted is not surprising. I was worried about my 30 year old rigging so I got a rigging specific survey and was told mine is still OK. I also go a quote from Seco South for $2077 plus shipping but based on the survey I will put it off for a while. Your photo appears to be a fitting at the spreader which often show problems first b/c people tend to cover them with guards that trap moisture. That is to say your problem may be limited to a couple fittings but all things considered it's probably best to replace everything while you are in the mode. Be sure anyone you hire to do the work is familiar with B&R rigs since all the diagonal cross bracing has to be tensioned on the ground to create the mast bend.

The compression post is another issue. I have the telltale bulge on the forward side of the header so I know there is an issue. My rigging is on the slack side but I'm hesitant to tighten it up fearing it would place more stress on the header and worsen that condition. Compression post replacement from the top side scenario (you can find in the H34 owner modifications section) is on my list of things to do sooner rather than later. Some voices here have said they've had a slight bulge for years and it hasn't become worse, others have bigger problems. If you don't see anything out of order with the beam then I'd say you're good in that area.