Standing Rigging Replacement Question

Mike · **Joined:** 09 Jul 2008 12:51 **Posts:** 251

For those of you that have replaced your standing rigging.....

It seems obvious that you would need to unstep the mast to do this BUT did any of you replace your standing rigging while the mast was up ? if so how did you accomplish it ? a shroud/stay at a time ?

Hate to spend the $800-$1000 to unstep the mast...

jvoelxen · **Joined:** 21 Oct 2006 15:36 **Posts:** 268

Wow. Where do you keep your boat? I pay about $300.

Mike · **Joined:** 09 Jul 2008 12:51 **Posts:** 251

I keep her along the Gulf Coast and the places that do mast stepping are few and far between,,,, basically choices are Mobile and Pensacola. starting at around $800 for someone that knows what they're doing.... There are other marinas that do it but it's a very uncommon sideline for them... which scares me. .. but they are only a BIT cheaper.

Mike · **Joined:** 09 Jul 2008 12:51 **Posts:** 251

As luck would have it I found a rigging company in Pensacola that will come to my boat and measure everything and then order it. Once the rigging comes in they promise a one day retrofit at a marina in Pensacola. Even better... they are an authorized dealer for Miami Rigging. I'll report on the results and cost after it's done.

Timshel · **Joined:** 29 Dec 2010 10:24 **Posts:** 191

Local to me its usually $4 per mast foot. Mine is at present on deck,this week I took the headstay out of the furler foil as it is impossible to inspect and its age is unknown ! Shipped it to Rigging Only in MA to be copied but with a Sta Lock at the top. One less thing to worry about.

WayneH · **Posted:** 14 Mar 2016 18:22

Just had my boat done last year. The rigging company did all the stays with the mast up and the boat in the water. One day job. But the oil spill down at Galveston kept us away from home for a week.

puffcard · **Posted:** 19 Mar 2016 13:27

I've done mine in the water, without unstepping the mast twice. Just do one at a time and for the head stay and back stay, set up a spare halyard as a temp stay to keep the mast from being so floppy. Sailing Services in Miami is the very best at building rigging, great service and workmanship. I've also used Rigging Only in Mass for my lifelines and one set of lowers, they are a good company. Just don't let the local sail shop do in, none have the best equipment, and the swag looks like a banana and has a roll seam.

conch · **Joined:** 21 Jan 2010 12:57 **Posts:** 168

I'll second "puffcards'" recommendation of Sailing Services (Miami): David Weir is a sailors' sailor and is exceptionally knowledgeable.

KentB · **Posted:** 21 Mar 2016 15:24

We had our boat shipped to us in Toledo from Maryland. We knew just from visual inspection, and the years of service on salt water that we needed to replace the shrouds. We had them all done the winter we got her (she arrived in late-October 2014). Our local sailmaker gave us a good deal and shipped the old shrouds to a place in New England (no, they didn't disclose who the rigger was).
We stepped the mast ourselves at the local sailing club. It was quite an ordeal because the mast was almost too tall for crane. One tip: have some cardboard and or carpet handy to hold between the bottom of the mast and the bulkhead wall of the head... just in case it goes out of alignment, and scratches the $&%@! out of your paneling.
It did go without incident. And I have to say that if you are in calm water and light winds, I see no reason to worry about having your spar up for a short while with no shrouds.

What I would recommend is doing the lowers and uppers at different times. One set or the other will support the mast easily with no sailing load on it. Additionally, use of halyards would be a great way to limit excess sway or movement if there is an issue. It would certainly be a good precaution.
8 Shrouds total and they are pretty good size. I seem to think it was around $1700 but I might have been as high at $2500... as I am going from memory here.
The new turnbuckles were so shiny they made the rest of the boat look bad. Rolling Eyes

Mike · **Joined:** 09 Jul 2008 12:51 **Posts:** 251

Update on standing rigging...... I just had my forestay ($345 Schaefer Compatible) and backstay ($300) replaced. The riggers did this with mast up.

Total cost of forestay and backstay rigging- $645
Labor - $673

I can take my time to replace the rest and will do it myself.... the estimate for the rest of the rigging is as follows:

Upper Side Stays - 5/16 - Length 45.48' estimated cost - $585 total
Aft Lower- 1/4 - 24.75' cost- $290 total
Fwd Lower- 1/4 - 24.65' coat- $290 total

So,,,, to replace all rigging, labor and rigging should run me around $2483.00

Tartan37.com

Standing Rigging Replacement Question

Who is online