Re rigging. Use old turn buckles or all new.

[mfw]

The rigger has told me that they only change the turnbuckles every 2nd re rig. Just wondering what your thoughts on this are?
It is a 17m ketch so has a lot of rigging. About 20 years old. But still looking like it would be good for another 10.
Insurance won't cover the rigg. I was thinking that they may not cover any of the original parts if they are not renewed?
Thanks Mick

[Uncle Bob]

Originally Posted by mfw

The rigger has told me that they only change the turnbuckles every 2nd re rig. Just wondering what your thoughts on this are?
It is a 17m ketch so has a lot of rigging. About 20 years old. But still looking like it would be good for another 10.
Insurance won't cover the rigg. I was thinking that they may not cover any of the original parts if they are not renewed?
Thanks Mick

If you'r happy with the track record of the rigger, I presume that you have either prior experience with him or know others that have, then I would follow his advice. He will, when all is said and done be providing the materials and expertise, and a receipt detailing his involvement with your boat, presumably an invoice and receipt for the replacement of the standing rig and all components so the insurance will be as happy as. They don't actually come and do a complete detailed inspection.

[44'cruisingcat]

If you consider terminals such as Sta Lock, you re-use the terminal as well as the rigging screw.

This gear seems to be very highly thought of.

[El Pinguino]

My rig looked good for another 10 years when the mast fell down at 8 years....

My view? Change all the turnbuckles at every second re-rig ( or third depending on how often you do your rigging).... mine were all changed last time round ....2nd re-rig... 20 y.o. gear. ( everything was changed after the mast fell off in 1994.).

This means next turnbuckle changeout on my boat will be in 2034.... don't think it will concern me...

[bailsout]

As far as I know my old bronze Merrimans have never been replaced. 52 years. Wood masts. SS chain plates worry me a bit. But I don’t race. And I never have everything up over 20 knots. Herreshoff 28 modified ketch with cutter rig. Wood.

[daletournier]

I went through this same thought process when I was changing my rigging.

I did replace the turnbuckles due to alot of filings created while undoing them. They obviously hadn't been lubed for many years by previous owner and were quite tight to undo, hence the filings. They were most likely ok but I figured for the cost I'd rather be sure, piece of mind thing.

You could dye test them. A dye test kit is approx $50.

[Cheechako]

If there is no apparent damage or bending etc, I'd reuse the turnbuckles. You could have them Flourescent penetrant dye inspected for peace of mind.

[nhschneider]

We re-rigged our main mast when we were in Thailand and I never considered NOT replacing the rigging screws. But not only did we replace the rigging screws, we also replaced the chainplates and mast tangs.

I guess a lot depends on what kind of cruising you're doing: If you remain coastal then I suppose it would be reasonable to assume that if a problem developed, you could find a port where repairs could be made. On the other hand, if you intend to complete inter-ocean passages, you might want to consider a more thorough re-rig plan.

As we crossed the Indian Ocean, we were hit by several very intense squalls and it was a relief to have confidence in our rig, despite the fact that it was pretty uncomfortable at times.

Fair winds and calm seas.

[sailcrazy]

When we re-rigged in Phuket, in 2011, our (factory original) rig was 22 yrs old. The boat had never been out of Asia, so it had 22 yrs of tropical salt water and humidity/wx exposure. Our rigger replaced everything....except the turnbuckles; they were fine, and still are today. Aside from the headstay that we found somewhat unraveled (a roller furler issue) nothing looked bad....except the chainplates. They had been designed with too little metal on top and the sides, and because of that-and the fact that the pins used were ALL to small for the holes (so a point load)-every one of them showed signs of stretch. We redesigned them, had new ones made, and reinstalled the new ones. As I mentioned...no problems since!

[Seriously Slow]

We had our rig checked by a rigger last summer. He said re-doing the rig would be a good idea but he did not see anything notable wrong. Our boat is a 1995 with original rigging. Hurricane Irma did us a favor. A stud in a shroud turnbuckle had some corrosion inside and broke. We planned to replace the rig anyway but Irma beat us to it. The lesson to me is... turnbuckles are not THAT expensive and even if the boat was hardly ever used in its' previous life 20 years is too long for the rig. Incidentally, that was the only damage to the boat. It is a 45'.

[er9]

Originally Posted by Cheechako

If there is no apparent damage or bending etc, I'd reuse the turnbuckles. You could have them Flourescent penetrant dye inspected for peace of mind.

Magnaflux good for this?

[Benz]

If they are stainless, then replace them. Crevice corrosion is not to be trifled with. If they are bronze, as long as nothing is visibly bent or damaged, they're probably fine.

[rognvald]

I agree with Cheech. I did a re-rig on my boat 10 years ago and kept the solid turnbuckles and replaced those that were marginal/bad. Mine were all chrome plated bronze. I have never felt a lack of confidence when we sail offshore. Personally, I have only marginal confidence in most riggers and have encountered many who were first-class scoundrels if you were a new initiate to sailing. This, however, is not a condemnation of ALL riggers. Most sailors never leave sheltered waters. They rarely sail in waves over 4 feet or winds over 20 knots. It's your money. It's your call. Best, Rognvald

[billknny]

Originally Posted by mfw

The rigger has told me that they only change the turnbuckles every 2nd re rig. Just wondering what your thoughts on this are?
It is a 17m ketch so has a lot of rigging. About 20 years old. But still looking like it would be good for another 10.
Insurance won't cover the rigg. I was thinking that they may not cover any of the original parts if they are not renewed?
Thanks Mick

Like most things on boats the right answer is: It Depends. In this case, What are they made of?

If they are made of stainless, I replace those with every rerig. I might go every other if I was being cheap, but not for an offshore boat sailed in warm salty water. That's the safe, conservative answer. Actually, the real answer is replace the stainless turnbuckles with the bronze they SHOULD be.

If they are bronze, or chrome plated bronze... they might last forever. Fatigue, work hardening, and stress cracking is not a problem with good bronze.

[hellosailor]

Don't presume anything with your insurance. Always ASK in writing (email or paper) for specifics and try to cross-check your printed policy on that.

AFAIK bronze turnbuckles may last "forever", the problem with stainless steel is that it is susceptible to crevice corrosion and sudden failure. So if you want to keep the stainless fittings, you really want to either crack check them (MagnaFlux or dye check) or have them x-rayed. A machine shop or a firendly underemployed vet can help with that. With all the work that may involve,many folks would just replace them and keep the insurer happy.

What your insurer covers, and how they devalue it over time, should be vaguely suggested in your policy. Often in cryptic terms in tiny print, all uppercase and way too wide for easy reading. That's done intentionally.