Standing rigging

[bigjeff]

What's the advantage or disadvantage of rod rigging vs traditional wire rigging

[labatt]

Biggest disadvantage of rod rigging is that there is really little way to tell whether it needs to be replaced. When it goes, it goes. There's really no way to tell if it's fatiguing other than to x-ray. In addition, if you hit it the wrong way and it bends or kinks, you have to replace it. The primary advantages of rod rigging are less stretch and reduced windage. On the other hand, when you replace rod rigging you can often reuse a lot of the end fittings.

[svindigo]

I'm those more expert than I will weigh in any minute but...
Advantages: Strong, light.
Rod is lighter for a given strength than 1x19 I believe.
It has less windage (thinner for a given strength).
Disadvantages: $, repairability, predictability or inspectability.
It is more expensive, harder to find in far away places and is harder to inspect for impending failure (I'm told).

For those reasons you generally see 1x19 on most cruising boats vs rod although that's not a universal rule. I think the go fast types are looking away from rod and at UHMWPE now.
Ike

[sailingdog]

One other thing... carrying spares on a longer cruise is almost impossible with rod rigging, but not with wire rigging. It is often a good idea to carry a piece of rigging slightly longer than the longest piece you might break and the Sta-locks to fit it. Then, if you do have a piece break, you can swap an replacement in.

[AjariBonten]

Originally Posted by sailingdog

It is often a good idea to carry a piece of rigging slightly longer than the longest piece you might break and the Sta-locks to fit it. Then, if you do have a piece break, you can swap an replacement in.

Hey SD; if you had a rod-rigged boat, couldn't you still have an emergency spare piece of wire rigging as you suggest? Not as a permanent replacement, but as a "fix it to get me home" deal?

Or, are they different enough that they would be incompatable even for a short period?

Fred

[Giulietta]

I only use wire.

One of the main reasons is rig tuning flexibility, and the fact that my mast can move up and down with a jack I have at the base that allows me to increase shroud tension on the go, without the need to stop. I have all scaled down and know what tension does each centimeter of mast movement correspond. This would be harder to do with all rod. (unless its Carbon fiber).

In my case we didn't know where the whole thing would end up, and tuning intially called for wire, and i have a quite thick rod, to allow me to sail ion harder winds..

With rod, its ok once you know where you want things, which was not my case, and having to re- rig was not worth it.

Here's my wire rigging.

[max-on]

Originally Posted by Giulietta

I only use wire.

. . . and i have a quite thick rod, to allow me to sail ion harder winds.

bwahahahahahahahaha !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Giu, how thick is your rod, and can you make a video illustrating how it helps you sail in harder winds!!!

[TrueBlue]

Wire is great . . . that is, until you shred your hands into a bloody pulp on an invisible meat hook.

[sailingdog]

Part of the problem is the terminal hardware is very different, so in many cases it would be difficult to substitute wire for rod.

Originally Posted by AjariBonten

Hey SD; if you had a rod-rigged boat, couldn't you still have an emergency spare piece of wire rigging as you suggest? Not as a permanent replacement, but as a "fix it to get me home" deal?

Or, are they different enough that they would be incompatable even for a short period?

Fred

[sailingdog]

But TB, the meat hooks aren't invisible, especially once you get blood all over them.

Originally Posted by TrueBlue

Wire is great . . . that is, until you shred your hands into a bloody pulp on an invisible meat hook.