rigging question

[sailingtime]

In what might sound like a bonehead question but this will be the first year that I will have a boat on the hard with the mast on. It seems to me that it is not a good idea to be fully tensioned all through the winter but it also seems to be a not too good of an idea to have sloppy rigging. Is there a happy compromise?

My previous yard required that I remove the stick of my old boat removed in order fit his lift.

[DwayneSpeer]

If in doubt, leave it alone. Most any boat should be able to hold their rigging indefinately.

[RichH]

If the boat has an aluminum mast .... leave the rigging ALONE.

The aluminum has a higher 'coefficient of linear thermal expansion' than the stainless steel wire of the rigging .... and in COLDER temperatures will shrink MORE (about 1.4 times more) than the stainless wire, thus automatically 'unloading' the tension is the 'whole system'.

ALUMINUM: 12.3 X (10^-6 in/in oF)
300 SERIES STAINLESS 9.0 X (10^-6 in/in oF)

Aluminum expands or contracts about 1.4 times more than 300 series Stainless due to 'thermal' changes.

[sailingtime]

thanks, interesting to know

[JimsCAL]

A bigger issue is chafe of the running rigging. Just go through a yard in the winter when the wind is up and listen to the halyards slapping and rubbing. Some people (usually racers with hi-tech lines) will pull them out and leave light messengers to pull them back in the spring. I usually just attach them at the bow pulpit or some other point away from the mast to avoid slap and chafe.

[Sabreman]

A bigger issue is chafe of the running rigging

We remove all our running rigging, each fall. We wash the lines in mild detergent and flake them to dry. After a few days, we coil all the lines and store them in the attic until spring. This procedure doubles the life of our lines. We typically get 8-10 years out of our lines before needing replacement.


The whole procedure is easy and fast to do. This way, each line is inspected 2x a year.

[sailingdog]

Originally Posted by JimsCAL

A bigger issue is chafe of the running rigging. Just go through a yard in the winter when the wind is up and listen to the halyards slapping and rubbing. Some people (usually racers with hi-tech lines) will pull them out and leave light messengers to pull them back in the spring. I usually just attach them at the bow pulpit or some other point away from the mast to avoid slap and chafe.

This will still allow the lines to chafe at the mast exit slot...