When To Replace Running Rigging?

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Nov 10, 2010
20
Hunter 356 Jefferson Marina
Is there any good rule of thumb or guidance on when to replace various running rigging short of you want a clean look or it's chafing? Looks like my new to me 356 still has much of the original lines.
 

Alan

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Jun 2, 2004
4,174
Hunter 35.5 LI, NY
If the covers are in good shape you could clean them in a bucket with some fabric softener. Reversing your halyards is a good way to extend their life but if you are using double braid dacron halyards this would be a great time to change to a low stretch line for better sail shaping. Using a low stretch high modulus line allows you to downsize your halyards which reduces friction making sail raising and lowering very much easier.
I switched the stock 7/16" halyards on my boat to 3/8" making sail raising a breeze and reducing halyard stretch which is a real problem for sail shape.
 
Jun 2, 2004
5,802
Hunter 37-cutter, '79 41 23' 30"N 82 33' 20"W--------Huron, OH
I asked a similar question recently( http://forums.hunter.sailboatowners.com/showthread.php?p=828770&highlight=rigging ). Never really got an answer. And like Alan says I think the lack of chafe and the condition of the cover has convinced me to keep the ten year old rigging. I am amazed at what you can spend on rope. I have five halyards(cutter) times 100' times $xx starts adding up. Not to mention the sheets.
 
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