35 year old standing rigging - but rigger says it's ok

[knothead]

Originally Posted by SchockT

Not in my world! Go for a walk through the average marina and see how many boats have standing rigging covered in corrosion like that! I certainly don't see that, and if I did I would be concerned about the rest of the rigging, including the Nicro fittings! (And it is true, I dislike nicro fittings for that application, but maybe that is just me!)

Your world is limited.

[knothead]

Reading my last post, I realize it sounds rude. Sorry.
What I mean is that in a lot of places in the world, that rigging and the extent of the surface corrosion would be of little concern. But I do rigging in Florida and you live in B.C.
I absolutely believe you when you say you don't see that kind of corrosion very often in your local marinas. But you live in a cold northern climate. In Florida, a moderate amount of surface corrosion is pretty normal.

[boatpoker]

You have to face facts. Nothing lasts forever and stainless steel frequently corrodes from the inside out often with little or no visible external indication. 35yrs is pushing your luck regardless of your location.

[Tree]

Northern climates...... some amount of a slower deteriation of your standing rigging.

Second thought... do you know if its had some amount of time out of the marine environment? (stored on the hard for example)..... My point is, years are only one measure.

Your 35 years could have been hard service ..... or who know what. Inspect it and then inspect it again.

Many things can go bad on a boat. Don't obsess about every little thing that can go bad. If you do...... You will never sleep again!

Age is only one measure.

Just my opinion...... and yes, I have an older boat that I trust and enjoy!

[casey1999]

If there are so many unknows with how long SS wire rigging will last (some say 7 years others say 10), why don't rig builders build rigs that have backup stays and shrouds. Say use a double back stay rig and always have lower forward and aft shrouds. On the bow always have the forestay as well as an inner forestay. Maybe add some running back stays to boot.

Seems to me we put a lot of faith in a single strand of wire. A wire that no one really knows if or when it will fail. And a wire that if it does fail, could bring the entire rig down.

Also, I believe the older wire and fittings were of higher quality than much of what is made today. So that 35 year old rig may be in better shape than what a new rig made out of inferior stuff would be. To bad rigging materials do not have somthing like a UL label stating that it has met minimum quality and strength characteristics.

[bratzcpa]

I was the poster in that "other thread" about the NicoPress fittings.

Yes, I have decided to replace the standing rigging when I bring it in for the winter (next month). It will cost me a single "boat buck" ($1,000) to do it. The 'insurance factor' is worth it for me. I'm fairly new (compared to many of you out there), and absolutely need the boat to support me and what predicaments I put us into.

Next year, we have a huge trip on the calendar (2 months in the Bahamas). This is the culmination of years and years of planning/saving/preparation. Take a chance on losing the mast in the 'gulf-stream-crossing' due to a sudden squall and 39 year old rigging?? . . . 'hell no'.

Just my two cents worth (lol, that's about all I have left after upgrading everything!!),
mark

[SVTatia]

Originally Posted by celenoglu

Rig failure is a probability. The risk starts to increase at ten years and increases by time. 35 years is really long but your rig seems to bypass the probabilities in 25 years of time. Your rig might still hold for another 35 years but to be on the safe side is better.

Does rigging come with an expiry date?

The number of years by itself is meaningless. I would think that the defining factors are how, where and how much the boat has been sailing, no?

[Squidd]

Does it matter if it's fresh water vs salt and northern (4-5 month season) vs year round and stored down and indoors during the 3/4 year off season...

My rigging is 34-35 yrs old and in seriously looks like new condition.... I take it down in winter, rub a nylon over it no snags, super clean, no corrosion, no discoloration...I eyeballed the fittings each end (sorry no nuclear irradiation) and they look sharp...what I would expect to see if I opened a new package..

I'd have a real hard time condeming it by age only...

[casey1999]

Originally Posted by SVTatia

Does rigging come with an expiry date?

The number of years by itself is meaningless. I would think that the defining factors are how, where and how much the boat has been sailing, no?

I would tend to agree.

What I do not understand is why sail boat rigging has a life span according to riggers. All other rigging lifting equipment (like cranes, hoist, and rigging equipment used by construction contractors) does not have a useful life span. Its life is determined by visual inspection of the equipment and cables, splices and compression fittings. Contractors do not throw rigging equipment away due to age, it is disposed of when a certain amount of broken strands or cracks in the crimp coponents is visible. We do not restrand the golded gate bridge after a certain time frame, it is only done after visual inspection shows we have a problem.

[Brent Swain]

Bottom ends will be far more likely to deteriorate than the top ends. If the boat has lived most of its life in a marina, there is little chance of the rigging having deteriorated much. If it had tens of thousands of offshore miles on it , that would be a different story.
Boaters get scammed into changing their rigging on locally only cruising boats, far to often. You are lucky to have found an honest rigger, who will tell the truth, rather than try scam you into hiring him to relplace your rig.
Sun and rain have no effect on good stainless.
Bahamas is not a long offshore voyage, nor are any of the West Indies.