Although rig tune can best be observed while sailing, dockside tuning by an expert will serve to keep the rig in your boat. Rig tune should be checked yearly. In many cases, shrouds can be adjusted while conducting the rigging inspection and provides useful information about condition of the turnbuckles as well. An expert should be able to tell at the dock if your rig tune is within acceptable limits for the boat’s intended use. It’s important to note that tighter doesn’t always mean safer, let alone faster, but proper rig tune will help the safety as well as performance of your boat. We always tune a boat according to the conditions in which it is usually sailed. Here on the bay, those conditions are usually windy. An important tip we give to customers is to sight up the backside of their rig while sailing upwind in a blow. If the rig is out of column by more than the width of the section, it usually means the tune should be improved.
When to Change Rigging
For recreational users, we feel that wire rigging should be changed as soon as failure signs are noted or if wire and components are over 10 years old. These failure signs range from cracks in the swage fitting to pitted and broken strands in the wire. Both wire and fittings have improved in the last two decades in quality of construction and materials used. 316 grade stainless wire has a longer safe lifespan, and 316 swage fittings should be more resistant to cracks. From time to time, a wire less than 10 years old has failed, but this is rare and often due to contributing factors. The new 316 grade wire is slightly more expensive than it’s counterpart 304 grade, and carries a slightly lower breaking strength. Therefore, it is important to size it correctly, and we often use a simple engineering formula to check our work. Rod rigging should be changed and/or re-headed where possible every 7-8 years under average use. Checking for poorly toggled rod is key in determining how urgently it should be serviced. Rod doesn’t really corrode, it crystallizes and becomes brittle. We recommend turnbuckles be changed every ten to twelve
years, or right away if they’re imported from |
Rigging Issues Often Overlooked |
The physics of running rigging. All the control lines should
be run cleanly, be of proper size and purchase for the job, and be a pleasure
to use, not a tremendous burden. Nothing stands out and screams to us like
poorly thought out sail control systems.
Also often overlooked are the lifelines. When one of these things break, somebody usually goes swimming. Those big patches of rust peaking out from under the PVC cover spell trouble. We replace lifelines every 5 to 7 years depending upon condition. |
Recreational boat upgrades |
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Jib furling is by far the most popular upgrade we sell and install for the recreational user. They key is to 1) outfit with the proper unit and 2) have it installed properly so the system works all of the time and fits the boat as well as the type of sailing you’ll be doing. Low to non stretch color coded line and all rope halyards are great improvements. You’ll never know how nice it is to get rid of those old wire halyards until you try it. Most of the rope we sell nowadays is nonstretch/ composite cored. Using this line keeps sails properly trimmed through a wider wind range. Color coding lines clearly helps identify which line is which, and novices are quick to release the “red one” as opposed to the (insert name of control line here) when things get hectic. Wire used for halyards is also very heavy in comparison. Eliminating as much weight aloft as possible reduces the pendulum effect while sailing, and also increases righting moments. In the future, everything will be composite, and everyone will sail better and more comfortably. Ridgid Vangs are popular to eliminate the need for a boom topping lift flapping and slapping the mainsail. The vangs we sell most (Hall Spars) are really light, beautiful, come with heaps of purchase so you can actually trim under load, and are pretty easy to install. What a concept. They also lend an element of safety by keeping the boom up when someone accidentally releases the boom topping lift. The solid vang is designed to hold up both boom and sail if sized properly without any additional support. They also help with sail shape in lighter winds by opening the leech of the main (when released, the spring or air pressure pushes the boom up). Running control lines/deck layout design is an overlooked element that makes sailing a lot more fun. It’s all about ergonomics, and if done well, can make a huge difference. Changing out old hardware to new, light, modern and free running blocks, clutches, cleats, self-tailing winches or adding a new system like a backstay adjuster or cunningham can make heaps of difference. It also helps novices learn to become better sailors by supplying the tools to do so. Good Mainsail cars or slides: Lots of boats out there are
plagued with poor sail slides and have trouble hoisting their mains. A good
track system makes a world of difference getting that sail up and down. Some
aren’t that expensive, and still work great.
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