Cool new video from Greek sailor Jim Bennett on his Joyrider TV YouTube channel. Jim and crew overcome South Carolina surf and a broken shroud on a Hobie 16.
Jim must be Joe's brother 🤣Â
Glad to see the re-worked BeachCats site up and running. Now get your boat out Damon!!
Ok, so this begs the question of what is the safe longevity of SS wire standing rigging if sailed in salt vs sailed primarily in fresh waters.
What should be the warning signs of rigging that should be replaced other than fish-hooks forming?
I've been primarily a fresh-water sailor with my cats, and never have seen any signs of corrosion at the swage terminals. However, my new-to-me F18 C2, having two sets of standing rigging, both sets show about the same amounts of 'brown' in the wires directly at the swaged terminals. This cat was sailed primarily on the Chesapeake.
I've seen some mention of using dyneema for standing rigging. Any experience with that?
-doug
However, my new-to-me F18 C2, having two sets of standing rigging, both sets show about the same amounts of 'brown' in the wires directly at the swaged terminals.
That is the most likely place for a wire rope to break, at the terminals. There is a lot of poor quality stainless steel out there, top quality marine SS shouldn't show any rust at all.Â
Glad to see the re-worked BeachCats site up and running. Now get your boat out Damon!!
Glad you found your way back here!
I've seen some mention of using dyneema for standing rigging. Any experience with that?
-doug
Lots of experience using that on the A. I wouldn’t do it on a Hobie or F-18.Â
I've dismasted my H16 twice due to broken shrouds...both times at the upper swage. Perhaps there was some evidence of corrosion deep in there, but I didn't see it either time. The first time it happened, the rigging was 10 years old, so that became my limit. The second time it was nine years old (of course). I primarily sail in fresh water but do get to the Gulf a few times each year. Also, we have mast up storage at our local club, which I expect makes a difference. During a blow, the masts on boats with loose rigs will flop around, sometimes wildly and violently. I try to keep my rig tight to mitigate those repetitive load cycles.
There seems to be some concensus that, if you don't know the age of standing rigging on a new-to-you boat, replace it. Could very well turn out to be cheap insurance. In my two cases (both in the Gulf), there was no further damage or injury and we were not far from shore. Otherwise it could have been a really bad scene.
I keep the old set in the sailbox so that I can easily do a temporary replacement when required...that's especially handy if you're on a beach vacation (which occured in August) or at a regatta. I've even loaned the older bridle wires to a friend so that he could complete a regatta when his broke.
Jerome is spot on regarding this. I would replace the standing rigging including the bridles. I likewise, have had a shroud fail, and it was in the worst environment, and I lost the rig. It failed inside the hydraulic swag . . . I have a picture of it somewhere. There was no visible corrosion, rust, etc.I've dismasted my H16 twice due to broken shrouds...both times at the upper swage. Perhaps there was some evidence of corrosion deep in there, but I didn't see it either time. The first time it happened, the rigging was 10 years old, so that became my limit. The second time it was nine years old (of course). I primarily sail in fresh water but do get to the Gulf a few times each year. Also, we have mast up storage at our local club, which I expect makes a difference. During a blow, the masts on boats with loose rigs will flop around, sometimes wildly and violently. I try to keep my rig tight to mitigate those repetitive load cycles.
There seems to be some concensus that, if you don't know the age of standing rigging on a new-to-you boat, replace it. Could very well turn out to be cheap insurance. In my two cases (both in the Gulf), there was no further damage or injury and we were not far from shore. Otherwise it could have been a really bad scene.
I keep the old set in the sailbox so that I can easily do a temporary replacement when required...that's especially handy if you're on a beach vacation (which occured in August) or at a regatta. I've even loaned the older bridle wires to a friend so that he could complete a regatta when his broke.
I've been using synthetic standing rigging for several years and I love it. First few minutes the first time I sailed with it shocked me. I never realized how much SS wire rigging stretches when sailing. For me it was a game changer. If you go that route don't use just any UHMWPE, but a product that is made for standing rigging . . . elongated stands, pre-stretched, and treated. Have a professional rigger make them, who will settle the splices and load/set the rope (and the shrouds will be an exact length match).I've seen some mention of using dyneema for standing rigging. Any experience with that?
-doug
You can see the product if you look in my album here (it's the dark charcoal color in the pics): Philip's rigging
https://archive.thebeachcats.com/pictures/picture.php?/5256/category/325
https://archive.thebeachcats.com/pictures/index.php?/category/325
You can see that I have added a sacrificial cover on the shrouds and forestay at the mast hound. I have had zero issues. I remove the rigging and store it when I store/trailer the boat.
I've built hundreds of sets of synthetic rigging for A's, Weta's, I-20's, Corsairs, and my Reynolds 33. Â The Pro's are that it is 1/10th the weight of stainless rigging, doesn't corrode, and is easily inspected. Â The Con's are that it susceptible to chafe, slowly contracts when not under tension - meaning you step the rig, tighten the shrouds, wait 10 mins, and tighten them a 2nd time before sailing. Â If you are racing a lot, I recommend replacing your standing rigging (stainless or synthetic) every 5 years. Â It's a lot cheaper than replacing your mast or injuring yourself/crew. Â Keep in mind that the Hobie Class Rules and F18 Class rules require wire rigging. Check your class rules to see if synthetic is allowed.Â
 Keep in mind that the Hobie Class Rules and F18 Class rules require wire rigging. Check your class rules to see if synthetic is allowed.Â
Right. Yesterday I read the F18 class rules and they indicate that SS rigging is required.
I *believe* that the two previous owners of this C2 purchased rigging that came from AHPC (Goodall Austrailia) through Red Gear Racing. On both sets, there's a little bit of brown staining on the wire just at the eye swaged terminal. Obviously the boat requires new rigging all the way around.
Who knows where AHPC procures their wire from... could be asian sources (lower quality?).
I was looking at Murrays rigging offerings. Any other rigging source suggestions in the States who provide quality materials and service?
I've fabricated my own flying-wire rigging on a couple of my hang gliders, but we don't use swaged terminals, merely Nicopress sleeves and thimbles.
-doug
I see replacement recommendations as X number of years often, how about gauging the number of times sailed or number of hours sailed? I mean if you only go out once per year I would expect it to last longer.Â
I go out about once per month and keep my rigging unstressed in a garage the rest of the time. It feels like it should last longer than typical because of that, or maybe my sailing is typical?
I see replacement recommendations as X number of years often, how about gauging the number of times sailed or number of hours sailed?
That would sure make sense, but much harder to keep track of. Big difference in wear and tear between, for instance, a boat kept near the water mast up and used often in salt water, to one that is sailed in fresh water occasionally and stored in a garage. (my grandmother the English teacher would be appalled by that sentence.)
Also big difference in the consequences of failure between sailing in a small lake with with help available and worst case you drift to the wrong shoreline, and sailing in the open ocean. We have members who do things like sail to the Channel Islands in the Pacific Ocean, and others that sail in what many would call a small pond.Â
It's kind of like when the passenger asked the airline pilot how far they could make it after the engines failed in mid-air. His answer...
All the way to the crash site.
@cat-scratch - Being on the coast and previously owning a rigging shop, I found the biggest issue is the vinyl coating deteriorating the wire. I will heavily suggest to anyone to cut the vinyl off; even if sailed in fresh water. It has gotten where the yacht clubs do not allow vinyl coated lifelines for offshore races.
The bottom fitting also suffers from having the saltwater sitting inside the fitting and corroding... I assembled my swage fittings with a polysulfide when I swaged them... aiming to keep the water out of the fitting... After sailing, I will soak my shrouds in fresh water for a few days and then spray them with WD-40. I know someone will pipe up and suggest Dyneema rigging to not have to do that.. Correct, one doesn't have to worry about corrosion with Dyneema but they have to worry about snags and UV deterioration. In the summer, I launch the beater cat every Wednesday night from a boat ramp... So, rig is going up and down every week on gravel and concrete... The wire is more durable... I have always rinsed the boat and trailer very well so it's no big deal.Â
@cat-scratch Our riggers in the Kemah area all use 316 SS wire... I'm not sure what Murray's uses but I know Tom would be able to tell you. The two I use are Hayes Rigging and Stix n' Rig'n. Our distributor, Blackburn Marine only sells 316 SS. I know some of the riggers more inland will use 304 SS. You will typically get a bit of rust stripes with the 304.