To replace rigging or not (yet)... that is the question...

[patrickstickler]

The standing rigging on my newly aquired old boat is from 2001, so it's getting on in years, and I'm wondering whether it's time yet to replace it or not, as I'm planning on some longer trips this season (Finland to the UK very likely).

Cosmetically, the rigging looks good, even great, but of course, one never knows what lurks below the surface.

Here are some shots of the forestay, which is representative of the lot:






How does one know it is likely time to replace a stay?

[JiffyLube]

I'll be interested in hearing replies to this also.

[Frogwatch]

Get a 10X magnifier and inspect where the wires go into the fittings carefully. Look for tiny cracks. In the fitting on the upper right, is that a crack from the round hole going down diagonaly? For peace of mind, I might replace the fore and backstay.

[Frogwatch]

In the third pic, it does look like a crack. If it is, replace it.

[treilley]

Do a dye test or have a rigger do one. Not difficult. Cracks will show up more easily.

[celenoglu]

If you did not clean the wires before shooting the photos, they look OK. The first early detection is rust on the connections. The easisest method to detect cracks is with a magnigfying glass. I normally use 40x. It is something like a portable microscobe.

Normally rigging failures start after 10 years and increases the age increase.

[bwindrope]

The previous posts have good ideas to check for cracks, and I've also heard the use of cotton balls is useful as they will snag when rubbed lightly along the fittings if there are cracks or meat hooks in the wiring.

For me though, having replaced all my rigging a year or so ago, I found it easy and straightforward and worth doing as a prophylactic. I believe I have heard 7-10 years is a good lifespan in typical, non-tropical conditions. It is not terribly expensive, really, considering the consequences of failure.

My philosophy on these sorts of things relates to the ratio between my anxiety and the actual risk/consequence of failure. Some things really weigh on my mind, and even though they may not be about to fail, it is worth replacing them just to stop thinking about it. So, if you are worried about your rigging, and have heard or had bad experiences with failed rigging, you may want to just do it as it is fun and gives peace of mind. If not worried about, you may find reassurance from not finding cracks to let it go another year or two.

Quick story: Friends of mine on San Juan Island took their Ranger 33 out for a sail, already being somewhat concerned about the age of their rigging, and had their headstay snap off while under sail in 20 knots of wind. Quick moves and luck kept them from losing their rig, but they immediately replaced it all, and used Colligo Marine gear to be one of the first in the NW to have Dynex rigging. Don't know the long term happiness with that though.

[knothead]

As others have mentioned, use a scotch pad to remove the surface corrosion and then inspect the fittings with a magnifying glass.
Here in Florida where I live, rigging commonly lasts 12 to 15 years. Often people push it much further. Your rigging is just over 10 years old and the climate is much gentler on rigging in Finland than the subtropics. I would think that unless you see some actual damage or discover some cracks in the swages, you are fine for quite a few more years.

[casey1999]

Originally Posted by knothead

As others have mentioned, use a scotch pad to remove the surface corrosion and then inspect the fittings with a magnifying glass.
Here in Florida where I live, rigging commonly lasts 12 to 15 years. Often people push it much further. Your rigging is just over 10 years old and the climate is much gentler on rigging in Finland than the subtropics. I would think that unless you see some actual damage or discover some cracks in the swages, you are fine for quite a few more years.

My question is if I keep a good inspection of my standing rigging and I see no problems, should I still replace say every 15 years? Does the amount of miles on the rigging also come into play? I am located in Hawaii and climate is very harsh here. Due to high surf and trade winds rigging is always coverd with salt. I try to rinse as oftern as I can spraying with a hose as high as I can.
Aloha

[knothead]

Originally Posted by casey1999

My question is if I keep a good inspection of my standing rigging and I see no problems, should I still replace say every 15 years? Does the amount of miles on the rigging also come into play? I am located in Hawaii and climate is very harsh here. Due to high surf and trade winds rigging is always coverd with salt. I try to rinse as oftern as I can spraying with a hose as high as I can.
Aloha

My business partner is a racer. He has rod rigging and when he was racing regularly, he replaced the rigging every five years. So yes, using the boat hard will wear the rigging out quicker. Larger stresses more often will cause problems sooner than a boat that is used only periodically. Wire rigging is a little easier to keep an eye on than rod and will usually give you plenty of warning before a catastrophic failure.
That said, corrosion is the real biggie. I would recommend that you don't push it beyond 15 years. Especially in someplace like Hawaii.
I know of no manufacturer of wire or terminals that doesn't recommend replacement before 15 years.