Rigging usually fails without warning. So the decision to renew rests not on a failure but on a rig survey, the wire's age and how the boat is used.
What the decision rests on
- Terminals
- Checked under a 30× loupe for hairline cracks; one cracked terminal puts the others of the same age in question.
- Wire
- Broken strands, rust staining and distortion.
- Age and use
- Fatigue comes faster on long-passage and charter boats. Many insurers ask the rig's age; with older rigging, renewal or a detailed rig survey may be required.
- Tension
- Values read with the tension gauge, and port-starboard balance.
Mast and fittings
- Mast step: corrosion between an aluminium mast and a step of a different metal.
- Spreaders: tip fittings and roots.
- Masthead: sheaves, pins and stay fittings; seen only by going aloft or with the mast down.
- Deck fittings: chainplate penetrations and their backing below.
The renewal sequence
- Unstep the mast. All fittings and the masthead inspected on the ground.
- Measure. Wire lengths and terminal types taken from the existing rig.
- Renew. Wire and terminals; spreader tips, pins and sheaves if needed.
- Deck side. Chainplates and sealing.
- Step and tune. Tension set with the gauge.
- Sail trial. On both tacks in a breeze; tension checked again afterwards.
Why rigging is judged by age
Stainless wire and terminals often fatigue with no visible sign. Wire loads and unloads thousands of times in every sea and every upwind leg; over time that repeated load creates unseen cracks inside the material. So a rig is judged by age and use as well as appearance. Many insurers require renewal, or a detailed rig inspection, past a certain age; policy conditions are read with that in mind.
Check points
- Hairline cracks or rust weeping at terminal necks.
- Broken strands in the wire.
- Bent turnbuckles, damaged threads and the state of split pins.
- Corrosion and water ingress at the mast foot and deck.
- Spreader and tang attachments to the mast.
What renewal covers
Along with wire and terminals, a re-rig reviews turnbuckles, split pins and, if needed, chainplates. If the mast is unstepped, masthead fittings, sheaves, lights and cables, antenna and wind instrument are checked at the same time. When renewing cables inside the mast, leaving a messenger line for future cables saves work later.
Tuning and the first season
After fitting, tension is set with a tension gauge and the values recorded. New wire beds in a little on the first passages, so tuning is checked again during the first season.
Records
The renewal date, wire and terminal types and tuning values go into the handover file; the record is the proof of the rig's age for insurance and at sale.
Chainplates
Chainplates carry the rig's loads into the hull and are often hidden behind linings. Where they pass through the deck, leaks can corrode them unseen; a re-rig is a good time to inspect or pull them.
With the mast down, cables inside it are seen too. Their connections at the mast foot often corrode; moving them clear of water reduces later faults.
The junction box and cable entries at the mast foot can be renewed in the same job; the extra cost is small and it prevents a fault that would otherwise mean unstepping the mast again. Doing everything at once is the economical way.
A tidy mast foot is easy to inspect every season.