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Standing Rigging Replacement?

Posted: Thu Feb 06, 2020 12:28 am
by jerry
Looking for any opinion or if anyone has had experience in replacing the standing rigging? I have one of the older J/109 #44 that is going on 17 years old. I just had the boat in the yard for new bottom paint and inspecting the standing rigging, primarily the turnbuckles. After many years of tuning the rig up and down, the turnbuckles are worn as are the terminals on the shrouds. After discussion at the yard, the wear and tear, they are suggesting the complete replacement of the turnbuckles, backstay, shrouds, forestay, and Harken furler. While the mast is down to also replace sheaves. As I'm still planning to keep her for a while, is this overkill? Necessary? Best to start with all new rigging? I will be getting a second opinion from another rigger, but just curious if anyone has undertaken this project. I have no idea what the life expectancy of the rod rigging should be.

Thanks in advance,

Jerry Woodfield
S/V Shada
J/109 #44

Re: Standing Rigging Replacement?

Posted: Thu Feb 06, 2020 6:59 am
by Vento Solare
Probably not bad advice. I had a rig inspection in 2015 with the mast down. The shrouds were all reterminated because they had been peened rather than loctite when originally built so had to be cut off. If they ends can be disassembled rather than cutting off, they may be inspected and if good, reterminated. It takes about 2 rod diameters to re terminate, so any discontinuos bends at the spreaders will shift upwards. This will require new rod if that happens. Thus the shrouds were replaced. If they could have been inspected without reterminating, they could have been reused.

Re: Standing Rigging Replacement?

Posted: Sun Feb 23, 2020 5:01 pm
by TSweather
Hi Jerry, While I fully agree with what Bill said above, unless the threads are damaged/compromised your rigging is likely fine. You could dye inspect for cracks on all visible surfaces, but otherwise it is more durable than most expect. Our boat #41 came from that same production run as yours out of TPI and the rigging was done by friends of mine at Hall. Their advice on the topic of will it need replacement just due to normal usage was that it could almost be considered a lifetime part. This was part of why the decision was made to peen the fittings upon assembly. Not sure if this applies to all boats and rigging done at different facilities, though I trust the info regarding specifically the boats built in Warren, RI with rigging done in Bristol.

If I were planning a circumnavigation or going exploring in the Arctic, maybe I would do it regardless, but just figured I would share the answer I had recieved on that topic.