This sucked

Took my oldest son sailing for the first time today on my 17'. Great day, 15 to 20k winds from the ENE and a moderate chop. We sailed from the mainland side of the Sanibel causeway over around the tip of Sanibel and beached for a water break. Back on the boat and she took off from the beach like a rocket. About 3/4 of a mile off shore we heard a bing and then the mast came down. The starboard bridle stay had ruptured. So there we sat until someone came along and towed us back toward our truck. He had to give up when the water got too shallow, so we got off and walked through the shells and rocks (no booties, OUCH!) until we couldn't touch, swam the boat about 200 yds then walked it some more until it got too deep to walk again. About that time some kids in a smaller boat came over and towed us to within about 600 yds from shore where we walked it the rest of the way to the truck. My son said it was like doing a triathalon. I wonder if he is ever going to want to go out again. We made it back safe but now I have to order parts. So what do you thnk? I bought the boat 2nd or 3rd hand and I don't have the slightest idea when the stays were last changed. Should I go for replacing all the stays or just fix the bridle stays and hope for the best?

Note to anyone that purchases a second hand boat.
Here's my rule on shrouds:
If the owner can't tell you when the shrouds were replaced last, or if they can and it was longer than 2 years, budget for all new standing rigging. When a seller says 2 years he really forgot about the previous 2 years when he actually bought them

If your bridle broke, all the wires are suspect. Buy 4 new anchor pins while you're at it. No sense in messing with your safety. Right?

_________________
Sail Revolution
Join us on our new FB Page!

Totally agree with Jeramey! after 2 years its a 50/50 if they will hold or not!

_________________
Brad Stephens
[email protected]
(866) 786-5266 <--- Advice HOTline
http://www.sunjammers.com
www.facebook.com/sunjammers

Thanks guys, good advice. I will replace all the shrouds and anchor pins. We were planning to have a sailing picnic with the whole family on Sunday. (that's obviously off now) I shudder to think what could have happened with my 7 year old granddaughter on the boat. I appreciate the advice.

I've been meaning to ask this for a while.

If you're sailing on inland lakes and all that your standing rigging ever sees is freshwater, is there really a need to replace it that often?

_________________
1984 H16 - #80541

Probably has as much to do with time on the water as anything eles. If they are not in use, do they go bad? probably, just not as fast.

Mine have no frays, but are atleast 4 years old. I have had the boat 2 years and had it setup maybe 20 times. total time on the water if I had to guess is not more than 100 hours. Not really sailed super hard, They look great I just would hate for something to happen.

How do you feel about them???

Sam

_________________
Sail Like you Have a Pair
Bluish gray 73 - 83 H16
Super Nice Yellow 84 H18

Yes. The anchor pins are not affected by corrosion as it is only stainless, but they snap and snap good.

It's not only corrosion, it is also how the boat has been sailed/rigged.

If you sail (or the previous owner) without enough rig tension, every wave the mast will bounce enough to kick the rig.
Same for sailing with the main sheet too loose instead of traveled out. it doesn't hold the mast putting all the strain on the shrouds.

I totally agree with Jeremy, in the scheme of things ,even if you prematurely replace your rigging,it is fairly cheap.One big advantage is you will always have a spare in a pinch.Having been dis-masted on my 16 in the rio vista delta of the sacramento river in 25 mph winds combined with about 8-10 mph current heading to nothing but eventually SF bay was no picknic.Had some pretty substantial hull damage not to mention 9 hrs of trying to get a tow upriver ALL due to a snapped side stay.New rigging is CHEAP insurance and a safety issue.ps my rigging was only 5 yrs old and primarilly lake sailed,fresh water only.
Shawn
82 H18 #8211
Div 3

It's time for the beginning of the season Surf City rigging rant:

I asked a pro rigger friend of mine why they say monohull rigging is good for 7-10 years, while cat rig is only good for 2. He said it has to do with all of the different motion associated with trailering, coiling, and having a rotating, generally loose rig. Whereas a mono hull just sits in the water and the rig is always straight. The forces are all pulling in-line with the end fittings.

It's all of this work-hardening of the stainless that makes it fail. With the exception of the roller swage ends like on the 18, salt or fresh water sailing doesn't matter that much. With the roller swage ends, water can seep into the fitting, start to corrode from the inside, expand, and crack the fitting. Oftentimes, the wire will pull out before you even know it's corroded. Last year this guy brought in an 18 bridle from 197? and it was peeled like a banana. He said he was sailing on it with no problems, so you never know.

I say it every time in posts about rigging, if you're on a budget or whatever, at least change out the anchor pins.

I say this every time too. Don't buy things that make your mast stand up on Ebay. Buy from a reputible company that uses calibrated tools. The rig from Hobie is swaged using very high-dollar hydraulic tools, and in my opinion is the best quality for the best price. If you ever have rig made at a local rig shop, the quality is usually excellent, but the price will generally be 30%-to 50% more.

Go to Big Box marine and make your own on the bench? The price is doubled for a H16 shroud, and the swages won't be calibrated properly.

Just play safe with the mast, that's a lot of stuff to come down on top of you.

_________________
Sail Revolution
Join us on our new FB Page!

just to chime in on this . I lost my mast on San Francisco bay due to a bad anchor pin. Jeremy has the pin now for reference. The pin snapped inside where it goes through the hull. That 14 dollar part did $500 in damage to other stuff on my 18. Not to mention i lost a weekend of sailing in a regatta paid for and never got to the start. I always thought that that 2 year rule was bs but i found out the hard way. Learn from my mistake.
Btw when you de mast if you lay the mast across the tramp at the front cross bar , lift the boom and you can down wind ok to get where your going.

_________________
Rich Vilvens
F-18 5150
[email protected]
http://www.sailblogs.com/member/f-185150sailing/

Are you guys talking about the chainplate pins?Call me stupid but my parts catalogue only shows those pins unless you are talking about the threaded
anchors that the chainplates attatch to,if so do I need to replace the under anchor also.
shawn
82 h18 # 8211
div 3

yes the anchors that go through the hull snapped.
not the chain plates

_________________
Rich Vilvens
F-18 5150
[email protected]
http://www.sailblogs.com/member/f-185150sailing/

I sailed my 85 16 for almost 20yrs on the same set of rigging, I guess I just got lucky lol.

_________________
06 getaway -- always remember, man with both feet in mouth have no leg to stand on.

Chainplates fail too. Check where the chainplates are "pinched" and spot welded. I have broken two sets over the years. I have always caught it before the total failure, but it is something I now check with every rigging.