"Wayne.B" wrote in message
...
On Tue, 3 Jan 2006 11:34:39 -0000, "News f2s"
wrote:

I'm aware that the Oyster was about twice the displacement of
the
Beneteau, so the inertia stresses on the Beneteau rigging would
have been higher (all that bouncing around!).

=============================================

Perhaps not. The most important predictor of rigging stress is
righting moment (resistance to heeling). A boat with a higher
righting moment can carry more sail for a given wind strength,
and
consequently has higher rigging loads.

Good point. I was assuming that fatigue was the main source of
rigging failure, driven by cyclical stresses. Of course, if you're
cycling around a higher stress, that matters! I also noted that
the inner forestays were the weak points on both boats. It worked
from slack to 'twang' while pitching to windward. Not a scientific
observation, but interesting.

BTW, sorry about the senior moment - the Oyster rigging was 18 yrs
old . . .

JimB

On Sun, 01 Jan 2006 19:58:48 -0500, DSK wrote:


I'm surprised some of the tangs don't have elongated
holes... bet you've replaced pins a couple of times...

Yes, I carry spares and replace many cotter pins per year and some
clevis pins as necessary. Others are in (visible) good shape. There's
nothing currently that's elongated save for a slight deformation on a
chain plate. I've replaced a couple of bolts there and I believe that
improper tightening was at least partly at fault.

33
years would make me nervous, but the expense of replacing
standing rigging would also make me hesitate.

Yeah, it's a biggie...probably between $5,000 to $8,000 Cdn.

IMHO there's no reason to replace standing rigging without
some indications from proper inspection.

Which I try to do. I also know the history of the boat, me being the
fourth owner in the same club, and knowing that it hasn't been raced
since the early '80s, just conservatively cruised on the Great Lakes.

Which is not to say there might not be a major problem I can't see. So
I've started to save for the season (in the next three or four) when I
have everything redone, the spreaders remade, the sheaves and internal
halyards replaced, and I myself will cut out and reglass the entire
forward bilge/mast step area.

The fact that I also sail conservatively and yet regularly take the
boat out in heavy air gives me some confidence, as does the generally
overbuilt qualities of an Ontario Yacht make of a C&C design from just
before epoxy got expensive. G

R.

On Tue, 3 Jan 2006 11:34:39 -0000, "News f2s"
wrote:


So, thinking about all the rain we have in W Europe, my opinion
(untested) is that the fresh water issue is probably secondary
compared to the design issue.

I agree with most of your basic premises. Both for reasons of inertial
dampening (resistance to roll) and sheer strength, I favour "upsizing"
the mast and the standing rigging for ocean-going boats.

Obviously, for a club racer, keep it as light as you can work with,
because if it's too horrible for your class, you're unlikely to be
even out there.

R.

On 2 Jan 2006 17:30:17 -0800, wrote:

My 28' S2 was out of the water and the mast was down and I had no
intention of replacing the rigging even after 20 yrs cuz it looked ok
even on close inspection. However, I read an article in the BOATUS
insurance mag about rigging cracks so I got out my 10x magnifier and
looked even closer. Damn if I didnt find a crack in a SS fitting. I
looked more and used very fine sand paper to remove some brown stains.
Under these stains were cracks and the stains were where the SS had
become non-SS in the cracks. About half the fittings had cracks (20
yrs in salt water in FL). Next, i tried dye testing which showed
nothing even on the known cracks. Took the fittings to work where I
have more sophisticated equipment and looked at the fittings under
various Mag. Tried to grind out the cracks but they went all the way
through so they were real. I replaced all the standing rigging and
lifelines.

I doubt one out of ten recreational sailors would take an inspection
that far. The fact you did has probably saved you a nasty and
potentially dangerous episode.

Who carries bolt (shroud) cutters aboard? I do.

R.

rhys wrote:
On 2 Jan 2006 17:30:17 -0800, wrote:


My 28' S2 was out of the water and the mast was down and I had no
intention of replacing the rigging even after 20 yrs cuz it looked ok
even on close inspection. However, I read an article in the BOATUS
insurance mag about rigging cracks so I got out my 10x magnifier and
looked even closer. Damn if I didnt find a crack in a SS fitting. I
looked more and used very fine sand paper to remove some brown stains.
Under these stains were cracks and the stains were where the SS had
become non-SS in the cracks. About half the fittings had cracks (20
yrs in salt water in FL). Next, i tried dye testing which showed
nothing even on the known cracks. Took the fittings to work where I
have more sophisticated equipment and looked at the fittings under
various Mag. Tried to grind out the cracks but they went all the way
through so they were real. I replaced all the standing rigging and
lifelines.


I doubt one out of ten recreational sailors would take an inspection
that far. The fact you did has probably saved you a nasty and
potentially dangerous episode.

Who carries bolt (shroud) cutters aboard? I do.

R.

I do.

Gaz

"Gary" wrote in message
news:%oBuf.128055$2k.22470@pd7tw1no...
rhys wrote:
On 2 Jan 2006 17:30:17 -0800, wrote:


My 28' S2 was out of the water and the mast was down and I had no
intention of replacing the rigging even after 20 yrs cuz it looked ok
even on close inspection. However, I read an article in the BOATUS
insurance mag about rigging cracks so I got out my 10x magnifier and
looked even closer. Damn if I didnt find a crack in a SS fitting. I
looked more and used very fine sand paper to remove some brown stains.
Under these stains were cracks and the stains were where the SS had
become non-SS in the cracks. About half the fittings had cracks (20
yrs in salt water in FL). Next, i tried dye testing which showed
nothing even on the known cracks. Took the fittings to work where I
have more sophisticated equipment and looked at the fittings under
various Mag. Tried to grind out the cracks but they went all the way
through so they were real. I replaced all the standing rigging and
lifelines.


I doubt one out of ten recreational sailors would take an inspection
that far. The fact you did has probably saved you a nasty and
potentially dangerous episode.

Who carries bolt (shroud) cutters aboard? I do.

R.

I do.

Gaz

I do also.

--
"j" ganz @@
www.sailnow.com

Me three.

--

Roger Long

I am just a techi geek with lotsa cool toys for doing this kinda thing.
In spite of costing a bundle, it was fun .

"Gary" wrote in message
news:%oBuf.128055$2k.22470@pd7tw1no...

Who carries bolt (shroud) cutters aboard? I do.

R.

I do.

Gaz

I carry both - the boat came with bolt cutters; the first new item I bought
for the boat was cable cutters. In the course of doing some salvage on some
boats which were chopped up in the yard, I had an opportunity to use my bolt
cutters, which were at the boat, and not the cable cutters, which were in
the storage bin at home. Lots of work...

I don't want to have to clip the last few strands with dykes/lineman's
pliers or anything else, all of which I have, but which aren't needed with
cable cutters...

L8R

Skip, hoping never to use either in anger

--
Morgan 461 #2
SV Flying Pig KI4MPC
http://tinyurl.com/384p2 The vessel as Tehamana, as we bought her

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you
didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail
away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore.
Dream. Discover." - Mark Twain

On Wed, 4 Jan 2006 10:52:27 -0500, "Skip Gundlach" skipgundlach at
gmail dotcom wrote:

I had an opportunity to use my bolt
cutters, which were at the boat, and not the cable cutters, which were in
the storage bin at home. Lots of work...

==================================

It sure is.

As one who has had to jettison a mast and rigging on a dark and stormy
night, I can tell you with a great deal of assurance that the quickest
way to ditch the rig is by knocking the clevis pins out with a drift
pin and hammer. The mast was threatening to punch a hole in the side
of the boat and speed was of the essence, as they say. After knocking
out all the pins, cutting the electrical cables and giving it the old
heave ho, it still refused to go down. I looked around to see why and
found the tack of the jib was still attached at the bow and holding
the whole thing up. A quick slash with a box cutter knife and it was
gone.