Anyone replaced standing rigging at berth?

[Windswept]

Yes we rerigged in the water in Opua NZ in 2018. Picked a calm day replacing one length of standing rigging at a time; worked a treat with no need to instep the mast.

Thanks heaps for your input Iolea! btw; Looked at your profile? So Googled you and found blog. Nice! and looking forward to the same. As you can see I have also been (sailed to Perth W. Australia) from Phuket Thailand to Perth for the Americas Cup back in 85/86. Fun to the extent, it took me 7 years to leave, smile.

More Fairwinds!
Don & Gloria

[Iolea]

Yes we rerigged in the water in Opua NZ in 2018. Picked a calm day replacing one length of standing rigging at a time; worked a treat with no need to instep the mast.

[Windswept]

We wanted to keep our mast up for a couple of reasons. One, the mast had been down recently so it didn't need other work. Second, it is a Hood mast with ini-mast hydraulic furling, so it is heavy and costs much to pull. Third, it is painted and inevitably pulling the mast means scratches. So, since it is fairly easy to replace the rigging with the mast up, that was our choice.

We did pull it a few years later when we repainted the hull.
Cheers
Burt Preston
Exuberant
H44 - 83

Roger! Kind of figured it was along those lines. Hydraulic, nice! The only reason I would have had to pull this stick, would be (anal) to paint the last bit of the step, (around pin area) where I have now painted (two part epoxy) from the engine beds to the chain locker. Best!!

[burtpreston]

We wanted to keep our mast up for a couple of reasons. One, the mast had been down recently so it didn't need other work. Second, it is a Hood mast with ini-mast hydraulic furling, so it is heavy and costs much to pull. Third, it is painted and inevitably pulling the mast means scratches. So, since it is fairly easy to replace the rigging with the mast up, that was our choice.

We did pull it a few years later when we repainted the hull.
Cheers
Burt Preston
Exuberant
H44 - 83

[Windswept]

We used Mack Sails in Stuart FL.to replace our standing rigging. They normally pull the rig, but we talked them into leaving the rig up. They measured the rigging one day in about 1.5 hrs. Then they came back with the finished shrouds and it took them about 2 hours to swap out each piece one by one. The only problem was the forestry which was over 20 years old at that time and did not want to come apart easily. They took it back to the shop leaving the boat with the jib halyard serving as forestry.
Completed the whole job for under $5,000, 5 years ago.
Burt Preston
 Exuberant
H44-83

Burt, curious why you talked them into leaving the rig up? Price.... seems about right... 5 years ago. Seems to me it would be a bit more 2020! I priced my wire at 1/2" (made in USA) at $1500 bit more for the 10mm, plus new wedges. I will have a proposal next week from Sailing Services, Miami for the total rig.... lengths slighty long so I can make the final cut and install Sta lok's at the bottom. Best!

[joel]

Burt
That's a great price!

[burtpreston]

We used Mack Sails in Stuart FL.to replace our standing rigging. They normally pull the rig, but we talked them into leaving the rig up. They measured the rigging one day in about 1.5 hrs. Then they came back with the finished shrouds and it took them about 2 hours to swap out each piece one by one. The only problem was the forestry which was over 20 years old at that time and did not want to come apart easily. They took it back to the shop leaving the boat with the jib halyard serving as forestry.
Completed the whole job for under $5,000, 5 years ago.
Burt Preston
 Exuberant
H44-83

[Windswept]

I applaud your creativity and commitment to the project, but the question still lingers of why not pull the stick?  Having recently done my 51,  you are looking at ~$10,000 give or take, and something you are only doing every 10-15 years.  In my case,  it was a good time to rewire the mast, and put new sheaves blocks in.  I also drilled out the sheaves and put in ruon lubricated composite bushings and all new forecheck and spreader lights.  But if doing it in situ,  I would suggest using a piece of amstel to measure each one out and just put tape indicators and the termination points?  And then cut your new rigging.  I had all mine swagger and used Haynes fittings.  Some of the larger turnbuckle were I believe around $750, but they were beefier than the OEM.  I did have to fabricate some 316 as shims to fit some of the chain plate pins, so I bought some 1 inch stock and spent some time on a lathe at work.  Schaffer has recently entered the market and thet can custom fab stuff if need be...really good folks there.  If you have SSB,  the back stay fittings for my wire size was $2200 each for the ones I licked, so I opted  for a G and M detachable for $400.  Perfectly calibrated and 4 less connections on a critical piece of hardware.  Good luck and keep us posted.   This may be a good approach next time I do it...but WOW!  I would really need to see the benefit since dropping the mast is a small fraction of the total cost.  Good luck and following...thanks.

Howdy Wurzner and thanks for the input.... well I'm not foreign to pulling a rig....been there done that (not on this boat). Matter of fact the only reason I pulled rig, I had to go under a bridge before the yard, LOL. Second boat...was off Singapore on a mooring buoy. Replaced all rigging one at a time. That said, having worked in the oil patch for 15 years, being aloft is a piece of cake for me. And, to top it off....the local yard here has this poxy looking crane/boom that they use off the yard hoist. I don't know....looks a tad scary to me! Needless to say, not sure if they would even attemp this rig....even if I let them!!

Eric below....has it down and was nice chatting with him on the phone (thank you again Eric) , descibing his technique. Mind you...not for the faint of heart, Not (easy peasy)...but, diffinately do able.

Regarding sheaves... I visaulize no existing problems there as main sheave, is in mast furling. How many times has the main sail dropped and went aloft again. I would imagine not often....to warrant replacing my sheaves. Same for headsail.

Price point.... I would think (for my situation) would be considerable due to yard time. When I pull out, I'm in there for better than a week as I do my own work...this time I will be adding a 3D transducer as well as forward scan, add the mast time on top of that, not sure I could even endure the punishment. Bottom line, for me... heading for the South Pacific and beyond,  I will know it's done right!! and that my friend, is worth it's weight in gold!

Thanks for the heads up! Fairwinds...

Windswept H46 #028

[wurzner]

I applaud your creativity and commitment to the project, but the question still lingers of why not pull the stick?  Having recently done my 51,  you are looking at ~$10,000 give or take, and something you are only doing every 10-15 years.  In my case,  it was a good time to rewire the mast, and put new sheaves blocks in.  I also drilled out the sheaves and put in ruon lubricated composite bushings and all new forecheck and spreader lights.  But if doing it in situ,  I would suggest using a piece of amstel to measure each one out and just put tape indicators and the termination points?  And then cut your new rigging.  I had all mine swagger and used Haynes fittings.  Some of the larger turnbuckle were I believe around $750, but they were beefier than the OEM.  I did have to fabricate some 316 as shims to fit some of the chain plate pins, so I bought some 1 inch stock and spent some time on a lathe at work.  Schaffer has recently entered the market and thet can custom fab stuff if need be...really good folks there.  If you have SSB,  the back stay fittings for my wire size was $2200 each for the ones I licked, so I opted  for a G and M detachable for $400.  Perfectly calibrated and 4 less connections on a critical piece of hardware.  Good luck and keep us posted.   This may be a good approach next time I do it...but WOW!  I would really need to see the benefit since dropping the mast is a small fraction of the total cost.  Good luck and following...thanks.

[Windswept]

Sent! I think?

[snailor]

I checked my notes. Our rigging was original and was 12-mm. Bottom terminals are definitely Sta-loks
Intermediate (D2) was 8 mm and upper (V2/D3) is 10 mm.

If you send me your email I can send you a chart of what we bought.you

[Windswept]

Roger on the above. My delima at the moment is...my original rigging is metirc (12mm). The only replacement wire I can find (made in the USA) is 1/2".  My sta-loks (bottom) were for 12mm wire. I'm trying to find out from Sta lok....if they have cones/wedges that are imperial to match the 1/2" new wire.

Sounds like your bottom terminals were/are Norsman. I'm thinking you had the same issue with cones/wedges?

What did you use for T-bolts sweges  (at top) to match the Selden (T-bolt receive points)?

Did you use USA wire? If so, do you have a link?

Am I having fun yet?

Thank you for the help!!

[snailor]

Don,

We simply used a spare halyard for the temporary cap shroud - set up with one temporary 2x4 wooden spreader with a carpeted t-pad nailed to the base and then duct taped to the mast. The halyard was attached to a mooring cleat and set up tight with the mast winch.

It would be very difficult to do any of the upper shrouds without removing the spreaders. Remove both upper and lowers panels together makes the whole thing go pretty quick. The spreaders are attached to the mast with clevis pins and were easily removed and replaced. I made a wooden clamp and webbing harness to lift the replacement rigging to the masthead using the boom lift halyard.

The main rigging was 1/2 1x19.

The cones are parts inside your Norseman fittings that must be replaced when you reuse them. Norseman doesn

[Windswept]

We replaced our standing rigging on our H-46 #34 two years ago with the rig in. I had the replacement rigging made up by Sailing Services in Ft. Lauderdale. They swaged the t heads on and left me some extra to cut to final length and re-install our existing Sta-lok terminals. The lowers and back stay are pretty easy. To do the uppers I rigged a temporary spreader and stay on each side and removed the whole side - spreaders and all - lowered it to the dock - switched out the old with the new and hoisted it up the the masthead and then reinstalled both spreaders. The intermediate is a little trick too because there is no adjustment. It needs to fit exactly to achieve the proper pitch on the spreaders.
The head stay is challenging too with the roller furler but again I rigged a temporary stay, detached the whole head stay and lowered it to the dock where I switched everything out. Make sure you get the exact cone for the Selden furler sta-lok as it is specific to their fitting.

The boat was in the water and along side a nice solid concrete floating pontoon so I had plenty of room to lay things out. This is essential. The whole thing took several weekends but it all worked out and the rig is still standing by after more than 6,000 miles of cruising.

Very nice Snailor....just what the Dr. ordered! Couple of Q's.... Why did you remove your spreaders? 2. Do you have a pic of the temp spreader you made? Regarding that temp spreader....do you think it was ablsolutely necessary? Also, how did you attached temp. shroud to top of mast? = rolling log hitch?

Temp. shround....I was thinking, log hitch at top (just below mast head) then use a line up and over top of mast to secure temp. shroud from possibley slipping down. At the bottom of temp shround, use come along attached to toe rail.(maybe multi points).

Understand top shroud is fixed length and must take care to make same size. Thanks!!

What material did you use for Temp. shroud?

T-bolts & cones.....Selden?

What size is your rigging....12mm & 10MM

Thank you big time!
Don

[snailor]

We replaced our standing rigging on our H-46 #34 two years ago with the rig in. I had the replacement rigging made up by Sailing Services in Ft. Lauderdale. They swaged the t heads on and left me some extra to cut to final length and re-install our existing Sta-lok terminals. The lowers and back stay are pretty easy. To do the uppers I rigged a temporary spreader and stay on each side and removed the whole side - spreaders and all - lowered it to the dock - switched out the old with the new and hoisted it up the the masthead and then reinstalled both spreaders. The intermediate is a little trick too because there is no adjustment. It needs to fit exactly to achieve the proper pitch on the spreaders.
The head stay is challenging too with the roller furler but again I rigged a temporary stay, detached the whole head stay and lowered it to the dock where I switched everything out. Make sure you get the exact cone for the Selden furler sta-lok as it is specific to their fitting.

The boat was in the water and along side a nice solid concrete floating pontoon so I had plenty of room to lay things out. This is essential. The whole thing took several weekends but it all worked out and the rig is still standing by after more than 6,000 miles of cruising.