Fixed Rigging Maintenance: Stay Away from the Unpleasant Surprises

Rigging is the general name of the equipment used to sail a boat, including the system of ropes, cables, and chains. Sails, halyards, and sheets form the running rigging. Mast, stays and spreaders constitute the fixed rigging. No matter how mobile they are, boom and sail furling systems are also parts of fixed rigging. Another fixed piece of rigging that is often forgotten because it is not visible, but is equally important, is the stay mounts which are at and hidden below deck level. With their worn and torn running rigging parts, -sheets, halyards etc- sails begin to reveal their troubles.

It is impossible for a sailor who takes care of his boat not to see the problem of a halyard yelling 'take care of me'. Let's say he didn't see it. The trouble caused by a broken halyard is not that big. Except for exceptional cases, we search for a halyard on top of the mast for a few hours, if that doesn't work, we replace the sheet with a new one and continue on our way. However, The situation with fixed rigging is very different from running rigging. Loads are much heavier, equipment is much more expensive, damage-related problems are much more insidious, and inspections and repair services are much more difficult.

Fixed rigging life and fatigue

For example, let's take two identical boats of the same make, size and model, the same age. Let's use one of these only on weekends. Let's say our job, our marina, and our nature are suitable for this timeplan. Let's say 20 weekends a year; Let's sail for a total of eight hours, four on Saturday and Sunday. Let's sail hard, let the boat travel 40 miles per weekend. Total in season is 800 miles, about 160 hours. Then come summer, let's go down south, how nice! Let's do this for 400 miles using four weeks of annual leave. We will not travel or sail every day during our annual leave. Let's say that four hours of daily use in summer also amounts to 80 hours. In other words, we went to sea for a total of 110 days a year, and sailed for 240 hours. Is it too little? How happy is the one who lives more. Did we exaggerate too much? So, if you cannot spare half of the above time for the sea and your boat, I suggest you re-evaluate your sea-life decisions.

Let's continue the example; Let's take the other boat this time. Let's prepare it for the long haul or permanent life on the boat. For this plan, 500-900 kilograms of extra loading will be required. Ultimately, this weight increase will also be reflected in the rigging. Then let's go out to sailing with our boat. Let's spend a third of the year traveling at sea. During 120 days, travel, socialize in the ports, read, swim, fish, whatever. However, unless the sailing takes nearly a day, the places visited will not be enjoyable. That makes 2,400 hours. If we add 10% for the excess loading, it would be equivalent to more than 2,600 hours. Let's also say that we were caught in a storm while we were at sea, and then we saw the harsh side of the sea. If we call this 5% extra fatigue, it took 2,700 hours.

What happens to the same two boats in two different uses at the end of the first year can be so different. Rigging wear is almost (perhaps a bit exaggerated, but) one is more than 10 times the other. One is 240 hours and the other is 2,700 hours.

In rig wear, age is not the main consideration for possible general risks. Boat usage time and conscious use are essential. While a 25-year-old boat that has not been used much has an almost problem-free fixed rigging, it can be observed that the rigging of a boat that has been used a lot at sea but has never experienced problems such as grounding, collision, etc. has seriously worn out since its fourth year. Grounding, collision, an unintentional faulty gybe, repeated broaching, etc. may create extra wear, damage, and risks regardless of age, as they will create unusual stresses on the fixed rigging.  By the way, rigging fatigues of a racing boat are the exception, I don't get into them at all.

Problems of Rigging

Let's split this into two. The first is the problems that will occur over a long period of time due to age fatigue.

While 12 millimeter diameter steel wire was used in boat riggings of similar size 25 years ago, we see that it has become thinner to 8 millimeter diameter in modern production. So what changed to make this happen? Are our boats less durable now than before? Of course no. Materials have improved a lot compared to the past. As construction techniques progressed, the boat began to become lighter. Thanks to evolving rigging designs, stays were reduced. In addition, it has been understood that the engineering safety factors that were applied excessively in the past are unnecessary with the developing technology. Thus, the boats were produced with the same durability but lighter. It is obvious that boats are much faster now than they were 25 years ago. Not only have the rigging elements become thinner, but as we mentioned, the boat has also become lighter. In short, it is a fact that we are faced with more efficient designs.

Going back to the topic, material fatigue is one of the main rigging problems. Metals that bend under load become tired, crack and break. For example; As the boat lurches, we see that the foretstay and the sail on the forestay furling attached to the top of the mast swing forward and backward together. During the beam reach sailing, we see the same swaying to the side. Another factor in material fatigue is poor mast and rigging adjustment. For example, very tight lower forestays and very loose backstays cause the pole to break at the spreader level as a result of continuous front-back movement to the top of the pole - that is, above the first spreader. The mast and rigging must be adjusted correctly; Correct pre-tension loading should be applied to the stays.

Fixed rigging adjustment is not a weekend hobby, it requires conscious technical service. After the adjustment, the rigging should be checked during the trial upwind sailing under at least 15 knots of wind with the sails fully open. Since we do not try to bend the mast as much on cruise boats as on racing boats, unless there is a major adjustment error, mast breakage is unlikely. This statement should not mean that the mast cannot be broken on a tour boat. Masts generally topple and break due to the breakage of the lift, wire and sidestays or the collapse of the mast base.

The eyebolt points at deck level and below, which we call sidestay mounts, where the wires holding our mast are attached, are generally ignored. The stays of the rig are renewed with all their accessories, but they are attached to the existing eyebolts. Here's a potential problem. And if this risk turns into a real problem, rest assured that it will appear at sea when you least expect it. Another issue is that the attachment points of sidestays to the deck always cause problems. Over time, these connection points begin to absorb water due to the gaps between them and the deck. Stagnant water leaking and trapped in these gaps enter into chemical reactions with stainless steel, damaging the structure of the material unexpectedly and causing wear, cracking and ruptures. During periodic checks carried out in such critical areas, if a rust flow or yellowing begins to appear around the sidestay connection points, they should be dismantled and checked. If we are sure of its durability after cleaning, its reassembly must be done with waterproofed sealing material.

On boats, the mast may end at deck level, in which case there is a support piece in the cabin, sometimes within the walls. On older boats, this support part may be made of black steel or aluminum. The support piece, which rusted and lost its strength due to the water in the bilge, caused the mast to collapse towards the cabin. The owner was complaining about the sidestay needing to be tightened after every sailing and the cabin doors getting stuck. In recent years, we no longer encounter this problem on new boats. However, in older boats, if the mast goes directly into the bilge, we may encounter serious problems such as corrosion etc. in the slot where the mast sits. These mast bases are places that need special attention.

Let's say you run aground by motor or sail. The ground was rocky and the sea was wavy, so it was most probably a hard-hitting and damaging grounding. Most likely the keel hit the ground. Due to its speed before the impact, the boat was first shaken due to the amount of kinetic energy it carried, and then it was able to lean to one side to be able to stop. Meanwhile, the keel transmitted the impact shock it received from below to the base of the mast located just above it by stretching the boat hull inward like a diaphragm (5-10 mm). This shock impact brought a load towards the top of the mast through the mast profile, but the stays somehow absorbed this shock. Nothing broke. The mast is still standing, but the truth is that there was an extraordinary shock. If the grounding was slow on sand or mud ground, it would be a situation that we would not attach much importance to. However, if we grounded on a rocky sea, especially with an old and tired rig, our rig requires strict control from the mast slot to the top of the mast, from the mast connection point to the stay mounts. Accidental Jibe is another problem. If we do not have a boom brake or safety rope equipment, the rigging again will experience serious shocks. At such times, boom breakage, breakage and cracks in spreader end connections are not very unusual situations. Another issue is the collision of two boats. Even if the rigging of two colliding sailboats does not collide with each other, it can somehow create excessive tension on the stays, and the colliding boat does not necessarily have to be a sailboat. Especially if the poles hit each other, a good check is definitely required.

Let's say there is a smaller boat tied up next to us at the marina. When this boat is exposed to a strong side wind, it may lie more in place than we do, hit our rigging momentarily, and cause hidden damage up above, out of sight. We should try to moor our boat among boats of similar length and weight as much as possible in marinas with a risk of strong side winds. Since the leaning frequencies of similar boats will be similar, although this leaning may cause excitement, they generally do not cause problems. If we have to tie up next to a smaller boat in such a risky place, ashore stem between two regular astern stern boats. In this way, we move our mast away from the side boat masts on the front and rear planes and prevent the possibility of damage.

So, in what order and how will we do all these checks?

If our boat is new and has a warranty, the authorized technical service is an expert in this field. Unless an accident or damage occurs, the rigging can be used without any problems for the first five years by routine visual inspection and adjustment.

Five years later, with an expert technical service, from the top of the mast to the bottom without removing the mast; top halyard rollers, top connection points, spreader bottoms/ends, stays' connection points to the mast profile, jib & mainsail furling systems, bearings, swivels should be checked in detail.

For a 40-50 feet boat, this job takes at most three to four hours, with an 'expert' climbing to the mast and on the deck, two people pulling the expert to the mast. The task of hoisting an expert to the mast also requires serious responsibility. Beware of!

In the tenth year of the boat, it is recommended by experts to dismantle the mast, remove some equipment from the mast and perform NDT (Non-Destructive Test) tests on the necessary parts in more depth by using computerized imaging techniques such as ultrasound and x-ray. This tenth year is also the right time to remove the sidestay mounts from the boat and check for corrosion, cracks and deformation. Thus, many parts such as bushings and pulleys are seen to be worn at this stage and are replaced before they cause trouble.

In its 15th year, your boat should have reached 3,600 sailing hours with weekend and summer use, and wires and stays should be renewed with a budget of approximately 4-7% of the boat's current value at 15 years old. Many insurance companies now require this renewal in much shorter periods.

We have bought or will buy a second-hand boat: If we have not completed the purchase yet, it is essential to have a survey done by experts in order to calculate the cost. The decision whether to remove the mast for this survey reporting is a matter that must be decided by looking at factors such as the current condition of the rigging, its age, and the past use of the boat. Rigging inspection is an integral part of pre-purchase condition and value assessment surveys. In this way, when buying your new boat, you can get to know your boat better and gain serious information for a reasonable service fee. It should not be forgotten that sailing with a defective boat and paying more for the boat than its value will negatively affect the buyer for a long time and even spoil his enjoyment.