Ty Standing Rigging Check & Replace Option

[Skeep]

Anyone in the Group have experience with sending your rigging - in for a professional's check and validation?

I am looking at he possibility of doing this with Rig Rite as the options I have locally are limited. And, like automobiles, it's good to return to the source of a design rather than to chat with West Marine about it. And not that West Marine is uninformed, but if you're gonna ask about a Cape Dory, you might as well ask those who supply the vessel habitually, in my thinking.

This surfaced to me as perhaps a "need" rather than an option in that me, like many of you, inherited our vessels. As part of my ongoing maintenance on Baggy Wrinkles, I discovered a small clevis pin at the top of my fore-stay which was simply inserted, not spread or locked back at all. Incredulously, I had not thought to examine every clevis pin on my rig--my mistake indeed. Yet this sent me a whirling about my rig picking it apart for anomalies. And I found broken strands on a lower shroud, and a few bends of this and that. What might not bode well, I may or may not see. I'm not a professional rigger.

After taking my standing rigging off, bringing it home and measuring it, I come to find out more anomalies. The Manual says one thing and my shrouds say another. And yet, they have made their duty well so far. But, as a curious george, I feel the need to fix a few things I don't like about the turnbuckle barrels and to make right those things which are not to standard.

Yet too, one has to wonder if a previous owner over the past 41 years may have had the impulse to do some sawing at the foot of the mast perhaps, or vice versa? I have no idea. I arrived at a bit of flummox and determined that my best bet might be to coil the stainless steel and send it up to Jamestown, or Rig Rite, or....?

Have any of you run into such a perplexing destination and found your way home? Would be humored at least, to read of your discoveries and hope they are less interesting than mine! And it is Wintertime, a time to be at least bavarde if one cannot sail!

[Jim Walsh]

Skeep,
You don't want Rig Rite, you want Rigging Only http://www.riggingonly.com. Give them a call and ask for Danny. He does all their rigging and is a pleasure to deal with. He made my replacement lifelines and did all of Steve Laume's standing rigging. We are both pleased with his work as are many others I have run into over the years. I chose to do all of my own standing rigging and just bought the 1X19 wire and Sta-Lok fittings but that's not for everyone. I just enjoyed the project over a New England winter a few years ago.
Rig Rite is to be avoided

[RLW]

Skeep...

I bought Caral about a year ago, and knew the rigging was tired. I didn't do anything about it at the time because I was preoccupied with other aspects of the project. When I got around to launching I found one of the turnbuckles taped, and when I removed the tape I found broken strands of the wire!

West Marine is not my favorite chandlery, but we have one of only two (I think) full rigging shops that WM operates right here in Newport County. I've had a few things done for our other boat and so I have a bit of a relationship with their staff, so I hustled myself down there and asked for an emergency replacement of the affected shroud. They were so accommodating that I told them I would be back after mid December haul out to have the rest of the rigging replaced.

I sailed her a bit gingerly last fall; working jib only, reefing early, and wondering how I would handle a complete collapse should I experience one. I too had bent fittings and apparent corrosion, and seeing how nice the replacement shroud was, I couldn't wait for a fresh start.

During the holidays I read on this forum about RiggingOnly. I admit to being a bit cynical about WM, so I emailed RO for a quote. Surprisingly it was within a couple of bucks of WM! Inasmuch as WM bailed me out just days before my scheduled launch, and the fact that I told them I would be back, I coiled up all of my wires (including the new shroud), printed the specs out of the CD manual, and dropped it all off at WM and told them I didn't need it until March. A week later I got the call, and I now have a complete set of standing rigging for a little north of $400. In my mind, confidence in the rig...is priceless!

[tjr818]

...West Marine is not my favorite chandlery, but we have one of only two (I think) full rigging shops that WM operates right here in Newport County. . . .

WM would not be my first choice, however the only WM full rigging shop that I have seen was in Alameda, CA and it was a first class operation. That doesn't help me much in STL, but I am looking for a replacement forestay and Rigging Only will be my choice.

[Skeep]

Jim, Tim, Rich, indeed and agree all.

The Rigging Only operation looks great up front. Couldn't sleep at 3am so emailed them for further instructions on how to proceed.

I did call Rig Rite yesterday and I felt as if I was intruding on their schedule. One passed me to another who haplessly decided to give me their shipping address for a shroud fix. Yet, after the phone call I felt I had disturbed their private operation. I passed on any further action. Seems they are habitually irritated with customers, or perhaps just me, LOL.

The process of getting the rig on our Ty's into standard is like trying to get a teenager off to school. One wonders if it will ever happen in our lifetimes.

I will certainly relay this journey as the next step unfolds before me.

[Markst95]

Another vote for Rigging Only. Went there on a Friday afternoon and they had me a new shroud in about 15 min.

[Dan McNece]

Skeep,

Shortly after buying my Nor'sea, I took all the rigging to the house, measured and ordered a roll of wire and some hi-mod fittings from Rigging only and replaced it all myself. It was WAY over due for it.

Worked out well and happy with what I got. Much easier than I expected.

[bottomscraper]

Another vote for Rigging Only. They did all the standing rigging for our previous boat and all of the lifelines for Mahalo. On Mahalo I used all Sta-Lok fittings that I installed myself. I purchased the fittings and wire from Rigging Only also. All my dealings with them have been excellent.

Oh we also purchased our Profurl furlers and Tides Marine Strong Track from them.

[harveyr933]

I'm in agreement with all those who support Rigging Only. Two days ago I dropped off my old lifelines for replacement...the old ones were showing discoloration under the vinyl coating and was advised to replace them. 24 hours later, I got an email saying my order was ready to be picked up. Adding to my surprise was the low cost of the repair...about 1/3 of what I was expecting. Of course they've got a customer for life.

Bob Harvey
Sandwich, MA

[Dick Villamil]

I have used Rigging Only and would not go anywhere else - they are honest, helpful and fair in their pricing.