Our lower shroud parted at the upper terminal on our O’Day Mariner. Very odd. Clean break right at the terminal. No cracks at the swage. No rust, no kink or bend. What would cause this? I have no idea how old the stay is as we purchased the boat used. Makes me very nervous about the remaining stays. How often do folks replace their stays?
Stay failure
- Thread starter brhoads
- Start date
Consensus on replacing standing varies between fresh and salt water. For fresh water 15-25 years and salt water 7-10 years. I would consider 15 in fresh water to be the maximum.
Regarding your boat, I would say a full replacement is a prudent suggestion.
George
Regarding your boat, I would say a full replacement is a prudent suggestion.
George
Former O'Day Mariner owner here. This isn't unique to Mariners, but I had something similar happen to me that your photo reminds me of. The cause: a combination of standing rigging that was loose and keeping the boat on a mooring.
All that bobbing at the mooring flexed the improperly-supported mast, leading to rigging failure. Nobody got hurt but I ended up buying a fresh set of stays and shrouds just to play it safe. For the Mariner about 10 years ago I think I paid about $600.
And I learned a lesson: I've kept my standing rigging sufficiently tensioned ever since.
All that bobbing at the mooring flexed the improperly-supported mast, leading to rigging failure. Nobody got hurt but I ended up buying a fresh set of stays and shrouds just to play it safe. For the Mariner about 10 years ago I think I paid about $600.
And I learned a lesson: I've kept my standing rigging sufficiently tensioned ever since.
That explanation seems plausible. My boat is on a mooring for several months. The instructions for tensioning the rig seems quite vague to me. I’ve never been sure of the difference between “just hand tight” and “taunt.” Vague to say the least. Having the Loos gauge tension settings would be helpful.
The remaining wire doesn't look corroded. I would look more to cyclic loading and work hardening. Especially since the failure occurred at the end of the swage where flexing would occur. Nevertheless it's time for new standing rigging.
But you usually have stay failures at the lower terminus due to water accumulating there. "Usually."
But you usually have stay failures at the lower terminus due to water accumulating there. "Usually."
Basically, rigging should be taunt enough at rest that the mast does not move as boat rocks in the waves while moored. You don't want it "bar tight", but you don't want to see the rigging loose while moored. While sailing, the leeward shrouds may go slightly slack, but rig needs t obe tight enough to keep mast from visibly moving. If you grad any piece of the standing rigging while boat is moored, and pull it towards you it should feel tight and you should then see the mast flex in that direction as you sight up the spar.
Sorry, hard to really describe/explain, I've been sailing all my life (over 60 years now) and I can tune my boat's rig by instinct...... so, hard to explain! However, experience leads me to believe that this was not a "sudden" failure, I suspect that cable was flexing and breaking strand by strand. My Widgeon's forestay had a single broken strand at the top swage one spring when I inspected it prior to launching, luckily, I live about 45 minutes from D&R Marine (aka: O'Day Parts) and it was only a slight detour to stop in on my way fro mhome to out cottage the next week and I was able to pick up a new one. I have not broken and standing rigging on my DS II yet, but have had the Cb lifting cable break from fatigue a few times!
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Anytime I buy a boat with unknown rigging, I replace it. Lake Michigan can change on a dime so I need to know that the rig will get me home safe.
I just replaced my a lower shroud on my son's Mariner. I pulled my Mariner out past his and bent the turnbuckle post and kinked the wire. I ordered swageless fittings, top fork and lower post (the threaded part the goes into the top of the turnbuckle). Swageless fittings are nice because you can install them with just a pair of wrenches and a file to deburr the cut end of the wire. You can also disassemble them for internal inspection periodically, or reuse them with new cable.
I ordered extra fittings to replace my backstay, which I haven't done yet. Pretty easy DIY operation.
-Will
I ordered extra fittings to replace my backstay, which I haven't done yet. Pretty easy DIY operation.
-Will