Three riggers three opinions

[Bosco]

Sometimes too much advice can cause ones head to explode...!

Here is the question...A CAL 34 which is contemplating an Atlantic crossing in the coming year. The current standing rigging is OLD ( the boat was a hurricane boat) but passed its last inspection by a rigger we trusted but who is sadly no longer an option to use...So we thought new standing rigging would be not a bad thing and asked several local riggers for quotes on new standing rigging.

The first suuggested going up a size in wire...

The second suggested PBO...

The third sugessted switching to metric wire but to keep more to the same sizing (IE replacing the 1/4" with 6MM etc.

I really like the idea of going with a synthetic but the terminals on the PBO makes for a VERY expensive package and it makes me wonder if there is a more shall we say marlinspike alternative to the synthetic that makes sense for an older classic plastic boat...

Having lived and built a couple of boats in Europe the idea of switching to metric makes a lot of sense as imperial bits are harder than hens teeth to find..Right now I am in St Martin so could go either way easily...But that brings me to the question of oversized wire or not.

[Bob Pingel]

I would replace the rigging based on it being OLD, the boat being in the tropics, and that you are comtemplating going offshore.

First off, use the "right" strength rigging for the boat. Oversized wire is not a good thing. You can determine the right rigging by using the methods described in Brion's book.

Second, you will be constrained by the existing clevis pin fittings on the boat and spar. This will constrain the choice of wire size and metric vs non.

I would not recommend PBO for your boat and use. The costs are still extreme and I don't think weight aloft is a big factor for your boat. I recently did a headed PBO backstay for a raceboat, and the cost was 4-5x greater than what it would have been with 1x19 and staloks.

I would start by running the numbers per Brion's book. From there I would gather up all of pins sizes and see how they map to the wire sizes. If everything lines up, you are good to go.

I'd inspect the chainplates and tangs etc for any corrosion, damage, etc while you are at it.

I like mechanical terminals vs swages for a variety of reasons, especially in the tropics. StaLoks are my tried and true favorites, but the Hayn terminals look interesting.

Bob

[Bosco]

Bob...Thanks for the advice which was pretty much as thought all along. I mainly posted the question as the sort of thing boat owners are subjected to when they take their boat in for some work/advice.

I did not see the sense of going heavier as the standard CAL rigging sizes has seemed to work well for some thirty odd years so hate the idea of fixing something that is not broken.

As far as the PBO goes...Well synthetics are attractive for various reasons and I do love the idea of rigging you can splice...but in this case it would seem to be dumb as nails and mainly just a way for someone to extract maximum money fr or maybe just its new its hip and fashionable

The boat already has Sta Locks so new wire is not too much of a hit on the pocket book and I already replaced the chainplates and mast fittings last year so good to rock and roll...

Thanks again.