Standing Rigging Replacement

[Jon Arck - Past C34IA Commodore]

Hi, Everyone

Our 1997 C34 MK II (Tweety Bird, #1346 in San Francisco Bay) has seen pretty hard use in her 10 1/2 years, being sailed at least 40 times a year (often more than 50) in fairly windy conditions, and until 2 years ago, we raced (well, that's what we called it) once a month for most of the year.  While we've only averaged a couple of 2-day trips outside the Gate each year, we're planning to increase it and add some mid-week sailing, adding quite a few more days to our average.

I'be been thinking about replacing the standing rigging for several months, but have heard a lot of conflicting advice.  Catalina recommends replacement every 7 years in cases of hard use, whereas some of my fellow fleet members have had theirs for over 12 years.  I had the rigging inspected and was told that it looks okay, but that you can't always tell and that I should replace it.

I'm inclined to do so, but would like some other members' comments (Ron, I'm sure that you MUST have something to say on the matter).  Postponing the almost $3000 job ($2500, plus I expect some additional work will be required when the mast is upstepped and inspected) probably isn't worth the risk in losing the rig and someone getting injured or the boat incurring possibly serious damage.

Maybe how long members have waited before replacing their standing rigging would be a good monthy survey question.  Also, whether they replaced lifelines at the same time.

Thanks and good sailing,
Jon Arck

[Footloose]

I have been wondering for some time if there is a different schedule for replacement between salt water and fresh water.

[Ken Juul]

We did our 1990 last year.  Catalina is the cheapest place we found to get the new rigging, including shipping to the east coast.  The ends looked fine, but when we untwisted the lay mid cable I was amazed at the amount of "black dust" that was present.  The black dust is the product of the strands working/rubbing against each other.  I know there is a word for it, but can't recall it.  The boat was all salt water, has at least one trip from NC to the Bahama's.  Glad we did it when we did, no worries now for another 10-15 years.  Plan on rewiring the mast and replacing the anchor light if you haven't done that yet.  The UV's cause the lens to crack, ours was open to the elements with standing water in the socket.

[Jon Schneider]

Jon, one thing you might do is to have a competent rigger perform a dye test on the deck-level swages and toggles, rather than just go with an "aw-shucks-they-look-good-to-me" evaluation.  Also, you know about the Kleenex test, right (i.e., running tissue along the wire to see if there are any micro-meat-hooks).  That said, from what I understand, the wire almost never breaks, but the fittings are vulnerable.  The conventional wisdom (which I usually oppose, but in this case I'll go along with it) is that if the lower fittings are okay, the uppers will be fine, since water tends not accumulate in them.  Personally, even with hard use, 10 years doesn't seem like an issue yet, but if changing it will make you feel comfortable for another 10 years, why not? 

You might also consider (and this is really bucking conventional wisdom) doing the replacement in a piecemeal fashion.  Your forestay is the must vulnerable to corrosion and wear because it's buried inside the furler (right?)  I would swap it out (along with the double-jaw toggle at the masthead, which you can get from Garhauer for $14) with Dyform wire to really maximize the strength under foil.  You should also have the stemhead fitting dye tested.  You might also have the backstay (again with the upper toggle, but also the triangle) replaced.  I would (and will) upgrade the 1/4" bridle wires to 5/16" to match the strength of the rest of the wire.  I know that a rigger (along with Catalina) will tell you that a portion of the stress is divided between the two halves of the bridle, but I think -okay Stu and the rest of you engineers, here's your chance to skewer me- that the longitudinal stress caused by leeward bridle pulling down on the windward side of the bridle actually accentuates the stress.  For stage two, do the upper shrouds, and then years later do the lower shrouds. 

My two pence -I'm going for the added value of British Sterling ;)

[Ron Hill]

Jon : Sounds as though you mind is made up on you "10 year" rigging.  2008 - 1990 don't come out to 10 years by my math !! 
If you do not believe that a double 1/4" cable is at least equal in strength to a single 5/16" cable, there is no use of my wasting words to diswade you.
Spend freely as the economy needs to be stimulated.
BTY, the failure in a swedge is usually inside where only Xray will detect the fatigue.  Cracks and "fish hooks" are a easy visual check. 

[Stu Jackson]

'Been said that standing rigging is just like reefing:  "If you're thinking about it, it's time to do it!"

If I had ours to "do over" I would replace the swages at the base of each shroud with a Norseman or Staylok fitting.

[Jon Schneider]

Jon : Sounds as though you mind is made up on you "10 year" rigging.  2008 - 1990 don't come out to 10 years by my math !! 
If you do not believe that a double 1/4" cable is at least equal in strength to a single 5/16" cable, there is no use of my wasting words to diswade you.

Ron, I think you're confusing the two "h-less" Jons.  My boat is indeed 18 years old, but Jon Arck's Tweety Bird is only 10.5 years, and he's the one asking for advice.  Regarding double 1/4" wire strength, I do believe (actually can pretty easily do the math) that on a linear basis, it is stronger than one strand of 5/16" wire.  So, if calculated with the stress equally applied on each side of the bridle, the two sides are in fact sharing 50% of the strain, but if you think about a heavily-heeled boat, I believe that stress on the windward bridle strap will be both from the upper part of the stay as well as tangentially from the leeward bridle pulling against the wire's natural desire to straighten out (versus simply sharing the burden). The operative word there is "believe," and I certainly do not have the technical capability to actually run the stress numbers, so, therefore, I will err on the side of caution.  I must admit that I also don't believe most experts when it comes to theorizing stress (including engineers and psychiatrists).