5 Things Sailors Over 50 Should Never Ignore

[dlandersson]

5 Things Sailors Over 50 Should Never Ignore - I'm replacing my standing rigging this weekend

[Be Free]

Same here.

Next Thursday it will be 15 years since I purchased my boat. Over half of that was spent completely in fresh water but I'd already decided that this year it would get new standing rigging. I check the rigging (almost) every time I raise the mast and there are no signs of any damage but I figure it is time to change it in any case.

Checking the rigging on our boat is easier since many of them are kept on a trailer where the rigging is very easy to check. Even those who keep the mast up for long periods of time can lower them easily to check the rigging.

Start at the fittings at the top of the mast and work your way down. Any corrosion or rust, no matter how slight, should signal that it's time to replace the rigging. If you see any rust on the outside of your stay or shroud you can be sure that inside that wire rope there is a lot more.

After you have visually checked a section of rigging, take a white rag and slide it over the area you've just examined. The rag will catch on any broken strands, even ones that were too small to see when you were looking for cracked fittings and rust stains earlier. Replace your rigging even if you only find one broken strand. It's important that you do this after looking for the rust so that you don't wipe off small stains without seeing them. Check your (hopefully still white) rag for any rust stains that were hiding in the crevices.

Any bent, or deformed chainplate, stay adjuster, or turnbuckle must be replaced. They are not meant to be bent or twisted and you can't see what damage has been done inside. The same goes for all of the pins and shackles. If you can see wear on them it is time to replace them.

On the plus side, our boats are relatively light and have a very conservative sail plan. Our rigging does not take that much strain and even though it looks light compared to larger, heavier boats it is more than sufficient. A single broken strand or a slightly bent turnbuckle probably won't cause an immediate failure but it might. Don't ignore warning signs. Rig failures are rare but not unheard of on a MacGregor. You really don't want to be in that very exclusive club of those who've managed to have one.

[dlandersson]

Ditto

Next Thursday it will be 15 years since I purchased my boat. Over half of that was spent completely in fresh water but I'd already decided that this year it would get new standing rigging. I check the rigging (almost) every time I raise the mast and there are no signs of any damage but I figure it is time to change it in any case.

[Be Free]

An interesting coincidence...

When I've caught up on the current postings and have some extra time I read through older posts. I'm currently in early 2015 and came across this one today. A member had his mast snap at the spreaders when one of the shackles at the top of his stay cracked due to corrosion. The shackle was original equipment and eight years old.

viewtopic.php?t=24278

[OverEasy]

Hi Be Free!

Good pointer on first observing then wiping cables with a soft rag to ‘catch’ any broken or fretted wires.
I’ve always found it much less painful (and accurate) than getting a wire stab in a finger or hand!

While our cables are simple wrap cables where one can see the outer surfaces of the strands, some larger cables have an interior core which remains out of view. This is where looking for any rust staining is really important.

Best Regards
Over Easy

[Be Free]

I learned the "rag" trick from my uncle Buck (no resemblance to John Candy ). He and his father were crane operators and inspecting wire rope (and cables) regularly was something they were very familiar with.

You are right about the construction of our cables. The larger ones (technically wire rope rather than cable once you get above 3/8") will have a multi-layered core with the outside strands similar to our cables. Even though we have no core strands we can still only see roughly 1/2 of the surface of the individual wires that make up the strands so checking the rag for rust stains after wiping the cable is important.