Replacing standing rigging... reuse toggles?

[CaptainGrey]

Make sure the swageless fittings will fit between the tangs and the ast at the upper ends.

[GILow]

Originally Posted by CaptainGrey

Make sure the swageless fittings will fit between the tangs and the ast at the upper ends.

Good point!

[tmcdonagh]

Consider synthetic line like Corrigo Dux. Roughly same price and you can install and maintain yourself. Spares take little room and way less weight aloft.

[CaptainGrey]

Re-rigging classic square-riggers at Mystic Seaport involves lots of synthetics aloft. The weight is closer to the original hemp, and weighs far less that the galvanized wire it was replaced with.

[Jon Hacking]

Originally Posted by GILow

… Just to be clear, I will be replacing everything... Matt

Matt, nobody has really discussed turnbuckles. It seems that many folks don't know the difference between CUT thread & ROLLED thread turnbuckles.

When you replace your turnbuckles, make sure you get ROLLED thread turnbuckles. Cut thread turnbuckles can form micro-cracks at the bottoms of the threads, & the cyclic nature of our rigging loads on passage can make those cracks propagate across the shaft of the turnbuckle. This happened to a sister-ship of ours.

See our Turnbuckle page for more, including how to tell which type of turnbuckle you have.

[bletso]

Originally Posted by Jon Hacking

Matt, nobody has really discussed turnbuckles. It seems that many folks don't know the difference between CUT thread & ROLLED thread turnbuckles.

When you replace your turnbuckles, make sure you get ROLLED thread turnbuckles. Cut thread turnbuckles can form micro-cracks at the bottoms of the threads, & the cyclic nature of our rigging loads on passage can make those cracks propagate across the shaft of the turnbuckle. This happened to a sister-ship of ours.

See our Turnbuckle page for more, including how to tell which type of turnbuckle you have.

Good and valid point!

[GILow]

Originally Posted by Jon Hacking

Matt, nobody has really discussed turnbuckles. It seems that many folks don't know the difference between CUT thread & ROLLED thread turnbuckles.

When you replace your turnbuckles, make sure you get ROLLED thread turnbuckles. Cut thread turnbuckles can form micro-cracks at the bottoms of the threads, & the cyclic nature of our rigging loads on passage can make those cracks propagate across the shaft of the turnbuckle. This happened to a sister-ship of ours.

See our Turnbuckle page for more, including how to tell which type of turnbuckle you have.

Interesting article. Unfortunately I am buying my turnbuckles sight-unseen.

They are the Hamma Regatta series open body turnbuckles and toggles with Searig swageless studs.

Maybe someone here knows how these are produced?

[Rumbline]

After 20 years, I'd replace the chainplates too. I've seen two rigs go over the side that had new standing rigging due to a bad chainplate.

[GILow]

Originally Posted by Rumbline

After 20 years, I'd replace the chainplates too. I've seen two rigs go over the side that had new standing rigging due to a bad chainplate.

A nice idea but a bit tricky on a Swanson. The bottom halves are glassed into the hull for the lowers and the main chain plates are bolted to a huge steel hoop that is built into the hull and supports the mast

But I have replaced the bolts that clamp the top and bottom bits together and the bolts that hold the main chain plates to the hoop.

The chain plates themselves are massively over engineered and have been carefully inspected but it’s hard to worry about them once you pick them up. There’s just so much metal in them. Bronze in the case of the lowers and stainless for the uppers and intermediates.

Fingers crossed but I am trusting the degree of over engineering to protect me.

[seagypsy50]

Unless you're the sort of person who loves playing roulette..... NEVER re-use ANY stainless parts that are under tension, and are important for your safety. To do so is foolhardy in the extreme. I come from an aviation background including the International Society of Air Safety Investigators for almost 30 years, and understand STRESS CORROSION FRACTURING very very well. It's killed thousands of people over the decades, and we understand its process well. You CANNOT tell simply by looking at an item if there is internal stress corrosion underway and sadly you'll probably only find out that there was, during a 70 knot blow - exactly when you suddenly wish that this warning was indeed heeded.

Peace of mind and your life are worth more than the few extra dollars you'll spend ensuring that all the stainless parts at each end of your wire (or ROD RIGGING - which fails in exactly in this way) are replaced every time you renew the wires..... As with anything, it's only as good as the weakest link.

In aviation we have rules about replacing anything that might lead to a critical failure - BEFORE that happens! The very same attitude needs to apply to any vessel going to sea, especially for something as critical as your rig!