Standing Rigging Maintenance

[boatman61]

If your getting mechanical fittings to replace the swaged bottom ones go the whole hog and get new wire and top fittings as well.. your unsure of the age of the existing rigging so do it all one by one using the old wire removed to measure up your new one.. if anything go up a size with the wire.
Follow the advice on the forestay.. keep it swaged.

[Jim Cate]

Follow the advice on the forestay.. keep it swaged.

What is your reasoning on this, Boatie? And, FWIW, many furler systems supply or require a mechanical fitting on the lower end, and that kinda rules your suggestion out.

Jim

[El Pinguino]

Originally Posted by hellosailor

"the actual wire [is] seldom an issue"

Go tell that to any rigger any manufacturer of rigging wire, or any boatbuilder. They must all be badly misinformed liars and thieves, because they all will guffaw at your idea. Mostly while you're still standing there, although a few might wait until you've left.

I did suggest to a rigger once that long wires could be shortened and put back where a shorter one would suffice...

His response?

'Buzz off, new wire is where the profit is ...'

[double u]

very elegant solution & as a spare:
CTX14 Swageless Compression Extenders - Petersen Custom Rigging

[Jon Hacking]

It's difficult to spot all flaws from an inspection while the rigging is standing. When inspecting my lowers in '82, going over them thoroughly in a bosun's chair by sight and touch, I found a single broken strand in each one, so I replaced them both. But when I got them on deck, I found over a dozen cracked or broken strands in each. I don't like throwing away $$ any more than the next guy, & I'm not a professional rigger, but now I tend to replace my rigging every 10 years or so.