from Frank Reinecke
The rig consists of a large number of components, each of which plays a literally load-bearing role. Even a damaged wire or a missing split pin can cause the mast to break. Regular inspection of all components is therefore an important prerequisite for safety at sea.
There are no fixed specifications for the inspection. However, the points that can be reached from the deck can be checked in passing: Are the cotter pins correctly seated in the tensioners and bolts? What do the terminals look like? Are there any noticeable signs of rust? "Mast breakages are frighteningly often due to lost bolts," says rigging expert Sören Matthiesen from Seldén importer Gotthardt in Hamburg. He advises checking the components that can be reached from the deck as often as possible.
A thorough inspection of all components should be carried out at least once a year. Ideally on a horizontal mast. When the rig is upright, inspection and maintenance are much more complicated, but this should not be an excuse.
Calm weather and a harbour without swell are good conditions for a rig check using a bosun's chair. A magnifying glass and a cloth with polish are also helpful, but more on that later.
Corrosion and changing loads are responsible for the ageing of the rig, so the more often the boat is sailed and the more the rig is loaded, the more often the components should be checked. The following intervals can serve as a minimum guideline.
- For all yachts: once a year - rig maintenance and inspection with the mast upright
- Regatta yachts: once a year - rig care and inspection of the laid mast
- Cruising yachts: every four years - Rig maintenance and inspection on the laid mast
- Weekend and holiday yachts: every eight years - Rig maintenance and inspection on the laid mast
For weekend and holiday sailors, we recommend a comprehensive inspection and cleaning at the end of the season. If damage becomes apparent, there is still enough time for repairs before the next season.
The first step to a safe rig is maintenance
In northern Europe, natural rain is usually enough to prevent salt deposits, but the situation is different further south or in the Caribbean. There, regular washing with fresh water and a little soap is the order of the day. This removes salt and dirt under which damage can hide. Special attention should be paid to rust film. It occurs even on rust-free materials and is generally harmless, but can also be a sign of deeper corrosion or cracks. Rust that cannot be easily removed with a polish is highly likely to indicate damage! These areas must be examined carefully.
For the layman, this means a thorough visual inspection. Of course, there are also non-destructive testing methods such as X-ray and ultrasound examinations. However, they are hardly practical for mobile use on board, which is why even experts and professional riggers primarily trust their eyes and fingers.
There is only one method that can be used to detect hairline cracks: Dye penetrant testing, also known as the red-white method, can be used to visualise the smallest defects in the material. Diffusion colour, developer and special cleaning agents are used. The necessary chemicals are easy to buy. However, experience is required to interpret the results. An expert familiar with the method should therefore be consulted.
Rig control below deck
However, every owner and skipper should be able to carry out a conscientious inspection. The first inspection takes place below deck: The first thing to check is the puttress-deck connections and the fittings on the forestay and backstay. Below deck, it is usually necessary to remove fixtures in order to get a clear view of the putt-putting connection with the hull structure.
No damage or rust must be visible. Rust must be examined as it may indicate cracks. The cause of rust must also be found and eliminated. Leaks or condensation are possible causes. In a salty environment, even condensation can lead to pitting. "Beams weakened by corrosion are particularly treacherous, as they lead to the sudden failure of the puddle. Pitting often occurs in the threads," says Seldén expert Matthiesen. The following therefore applies: If the traces of corrosion cannot simply be polished off, an expert is required.
The deck opening for the connection between the pütting and the hull structure is a sensitive area due to the constant load. Even if it remains dry below deck, moisture can penetrate the laminate.
Rig check on deck
The second check is carried out on deck: If present, all shroud protectors must be removed. Rust spots must also be checked here for their cause. The threads of the shroud tensioners should be lubricated with high-pressure grease or Teflon paste so that the threads do not seize up and remain easy to move. All bolts should be checked for hairline cracks or damage, as should the toggles and shroud tensioners. The tensioners are often made of a chrome-plated bronze alloy, but chrome flaking off is usually only a visual defect.
Particular attention must be paid to the transition from the rolling terminal to the wire rope
On the one hand, the greatest forces act on the stationary goods in the lower area. Secondly, the risk of galvanic corrosion is greatest at this connection. As the dirt from the wires runs off downwards with spray and rainwater, these points are susceptible to contamination and flash rust forms quickly.
On deck, it is advisable to check on one level. This means looking at all the jibs first. Then the toggles and the threaded terminals with shroud tensioners, the terminals and the stainless steel wires of the shrouds and stays. This is the best way to identify differences that indicate possible damage.
All connections with toggles, eyes and bolts must not have any noticeable play. Oval holes indicate wear. The corresponding fitting must be replaced. Keyword cotter pins: Ring cotter pins should not be used to secure bolts and tensioners, as they can easily bend open. In addition, cotter pins with the maximum diameter should always be used. Corroded or already used split pins should be replaced whenever possible.
Checking the wires
A cotton swab is recommended for checking the wires. If you run it over the wire, the slightest damage to the surface becomes clear as it pulls threads out of the cotton wool. Broken card wires can also be felt by hand. This usually results in a small but clearly perceptible bump on the wire, often around 20 to 50 centimetres away from the terminal.
The forestay and backstay absorb the greatest forces of a rig. Many boats have a furling system with an aluminium profile on the forestay, making it almost impossible to check the wire running inside the standing rigging.
The profile must be removed for a complete check. The upper end of the wire is particularly critical. If too little forestay tension is applied, the wire can be compressed there and card elements can break. The furling system itself benefits from regular fresh water rinsing. Depending on the manufacturer, the ball bearings may need to be regreased.
In most cases, the backstay has a backstay tensioner. This must be checked for function during the rig inspection. Maintenance should be carried out in accordance with the product instructions. For example, Seldén recommends one greasing per season for mechanical backstay tensioners with angular gears.
On the mast, all fittings accessible from the deck, the boom and the rod kicker are checked. Neuralgic points are all contact points of stainless steel and aluminium. Noticeable white corrosion and small cracks in the aluminium are a sign of fatigue and overloading. Then there is a need for action. The base of the mast is often forgotten - corrosion problems can easily occur there due to blocked drainage, especially with through-pipes.
The running rigging, including the diverters, should also not be forgotten during the rigging check
In addition to general wear and tear, dirt and salt, the sun also contributes significantly to ageing. As a result, the blocks not only lose their breaking load, but under heavy loads they can also become so deformed that the cordage slips between the sheave and the side part. Jammed in this way, the halyard can no longer be moved, which can lead to very critical situations. Other alarm signals include deformed shackles. They are a clear sign of overloading of the guide link. Do not just replace the shackle, but also adjust the dimensions of the block.
Travellers and trim rails should also be rinsed regularly. The usual plastic ball bearings run dry and should only be lubricated with dry Teflon spray. Caution: Greasy lubricants or silicone sprays bind the dirt, which increases wear.
The attachment points of the boom and rod kicker must be checked for play. If there is too much play, the connection can be damaged under dynamic load, for example in heavy seas or by a killing sail.
The sheets and traps can also be cleaned in a washing machine. This washes out dirt and salt crystals and makes hard lines soft again.
The third phase of the inspection is carried out on the standing mast: A tried and tested procedure for the inspection is to start at the top of the mast. All attachments such as Windex, lighting and antenna are checked there. Then it is the turn of the stays and dropouts. Special attention should again be paid to the contact points of the stainless steel fittings and aluminium mast. White efflorescence is a sign of inadequate insulation. The affected fittings should be dismantled and checked as quickly as possible.
The individual checkpoints on the way down:
- What does the transition from the terminal to the wire rope look like, are there any dents, dings, loose cardeels or hairline cracks? This inspection is carried out for the forestay and backstay at the masthead, as well as for all shrouds.
- Check the wire ropes metre by metre with the cotton swab.
- What do the counter plates of the terminals on the mast look like, are any cracks visible?
- Are toggles or eyes on terminals knocked out?
- Are the bolts tight and are they fitted in the right direction?
- Are there no fuse pins and what is their condition? Tap them off!
- The spreaders and their attachment to the mast: Is there any damage or corrosion, and are the spreaders at the correct angle to the mast?
Despite all the checks and value-preserving measures, how long the standing rigging will last depends on how it is used and the sailing area: Is it sailed comfortably and reefed early or is the performance required for a regatta? Is it a holiday boat or is the yacht chartered out and used frequently? The higher the salt content, the greater the risk of corrosion, especially when heat and a dry climate are added.
Seldén cites 20,000 miles as an indication of the service life of the stationary goods
Damaged components must always be replaced. Shrouds must be replaced in pairs. New and used material stretch to different degrees. If only one side is replaced, the rig can hardly be trimmed straight. Stays, on the other hand, can be replaced individually.
Without recognisable damage, it is more difficult to determine the right time. Manufacturers and riggers talk about 20,000 to 60,000 nautical miles or 5 to 25 years - both very wide ranges.
Since 2017, insurer Pantaenius has required new customers to undergo an inspection after 15 years or to replace the standing rigging after 25 years and also keeps statistics on rig damage suffered by insured parties.
"Since we started demanding an inspection of old rigs, the number of mast damages has decreased by 33 per cent across all age categories. If we only look at yachts between 10 and 20 years old, the positive effect is even more pronounced at around 43 per cent. In view of our claims statistics, however, a review of the standing rigging after 15 years is not only advisable when taking out a new insurance policy. According to our data, yachts in the 10 to 20 year age category have a disproportionately high risk of mast damage. Our branches in the UK and Australia work with even stricter guidelines. Here, the percentage share of mast damage in the total claims volume is on average around 50 per cent lower," says Dirk Hilcken from the insurance broker Pantaenius.
There are various options for renewing the standing rigging. If you have a Seldén rig, you're in the clear. The mast manufacturer assigns each rig an individual number. The dealer can use this number to order the stays in their original configuration. However, this assumes that nothing has been modified on the rig.
If the rig is no longer in its original condition or comes from another manufacturer, riggers come into play. As a rule, they use the old material as a template and produce new stays on this basis. This is the safest way as, in addition to the lengths, it is also clear which terminals need to be used. Even if the T-terminals all look very similar, they differ in detail. Terminals and retaining plates must therefore come from the same manufacturer. Mixing the products usually results in point loads on the terminal and breakage.
Some riggers also offer measurement sheets with explanations to record the length of the old stays. It should be clarified exactly which path the tensioners have and whether a correction for age-related stretching is included. Otherwise the new material cannot be fitted or it becomes too long after a short period of use.
When selecting a supplier for the material, it is important to ensure that manufacturer certificates prove that all components are produced in Europe and that the stainless steel material used is 1.4401. Experience has shown that the risk of corrosion increases with unknown sources. In addition, breaking load data must be available for all components.
Tensioners are available in open and closed design. If closed models have been used at the shipyard, it is advisable to convert to an open model with the same breaking load. The open design means that moisture cannot accumulate and there are fewer corrosion problems and any damage can be recognised earlier.
A rod rig is not the best choice for sailors with long-distance ambitions. The solid stays have a higher breaking load, which means they can be thinner and the rig is lighter. With proper care, they also last longer than wire.
However, the necessary maintenance work includes replacing the cold-forged heads, which can only be done by specialised companies. Wire is a better option than full-service marinas. It can even be processed with Norseman or Sta-Lok terminals without a rigger.
When setting the mast with new wire, it must be trimmed carefully. As the fresh wire stretches differently than decades-old material, old markings or noted distance measurements are no longer valid.
"The wires stretch about as much in the first few weeks as they do in 15 years. The trim should therefore be checked after about four weeks," says professional rigger Ole Büßen from Anker-Yachting in Kappeln.
Brief materials science
Most yachts are equipped with stays made of stainless steel cable with rolled-on terminals. The rope construction used is so-called 1x19 wire. It consists of two layers of carding, seven inner and twelve outer layers, which are twisted in different directions. This prevents the rope from untwisting. The disadvantage is that the outer and inner card cores rub against each other under load and the surfaces of the wires inside the rope are stressed.
In Europe, stainless steel with the material number 1.4401 or AISI 316 is recommended for stationary goods. In addition to chromium and nickel, this material also contains molybdenum and its composition provides the best protection against pitting, stress corrosion cracking and intergranular corrosion. Nevertheless, corrosion problems can occur. The transition from the wire to the terminal is particularly susceptible. The salty sea air contains chlorides. If the surface of the stainless steel is damaged by stress, chloride ions penetrate and pitting occurs. If tensile stresses are added to this, stress cracks occur through the grains of the material structure.
What is particularly tricky is that the damage is not recognisable from the outside. Details on the possible types of corrosion of stainless steel and the influence of the alloys fill entire specialised libraries.
The material composition cannot be recognised on freshly rolled steel, so you should insist on proof of the materials used and their origin. Brand manufacturers generally check the material composition of the stainless steel very carefully before ropes or fittings are produced from it.
