10 year inspection on SO39ip rig

[dbostrom]

We're some of those strange people who feel the need to operate our boat in charter. It's not a money making/saving proposition. It's more of an engineering hobby and way to get a really prime slip in a harbor of ~2,000 often distant boat parking spots. And, having a pure toy on this scale turns out to clash with my Calvinist heritage; I need a plausible reason to mask my self-indulgence.  The firm we're with is not along the Sunsail or Moorings lines or even we would not be so crazy. This outfit is more of a boutique type of operation and the owners have their own boats in the fleet, following same rules etc. 

Anyway, all that by way of background to the fact that our boat has been operated by overwhelmingly competent crews but in a way that will expose any weaknesses, concentrating as it does what might be several decades of use by "normal" owners into a shorter time span. This unusual duty cycle might be considered a useful source of information for normal owners wondering about what's likely to wear out. 

Along these lines, we've just had a very detailed inspection of our rig done as our boat has just reached 10 years of age. I'm happy to report that there is but a single defect needing correction in the rundown from the eagle-eyed rigger, namely a port aloft T-terminal with a fracture in it. 

I have no idea if this is common to the particular piece of hardware in question, but for other owners it might be worth glancing at if there's a reason to be "up there." 

Happily, as Jeanneau chose Selden it's very easy to obtain a replacement. Cite build number on mast, name part. That's it (oh, and $$). 

Photo attached. 

[element]

Thanks for the heads up!

Actually, our 39iP is at the moment at the local rigger to replace the standing rigging.
Our boat is now 14 years old and did almost 25.000 nautical miles, so we thought it would be time for it.
Especially with an future Atlantic crossing in mind and we don't know what the rig endured when used by the previous owner.

But your picture makes clear it is necessary to do a regular inspection of the standing rigging!

[dbostrom]

Deeply envious of your plan, and that's a wise choice for a do-over, Element.

My bucket list extends only as far a circumnavigation of Vancouver Island, so far. Getting closer, need to finish skill building (only sailing since '12, so many wasted years). Once that's done, something bigger? Partly it's a matter of incrementally informing my better half that death is not a certainty-- that part of the scheme is going very well. Nightly updates on Vendee Globe are excellent for psychological adjustment, turns out. She's now a committed armchair fan of extreme blue water sailing :-). 

[zaphod]

Jan 25, 2021 23:19:33 GMT dbostrom said:

Deeply envious of your plan, and that's a wise choice for a do-over, Element.

My bucket list extends only as far a circumnavigation of Vancouver Island, so far. Getting closer, need to finish skill building (only sailing since '12, so many wasted years). Once that's done, something bigger? Partly it's a matter of incrementally informing my better half that death is not a certainty-- that part of the scheme is going very well. Nightly updates on Vendee Globe are excellent for psychological adjustment, turns out. She's now a committed armchair fan of extreme blue water sailing :-). 

My wife has made it pretty clear she is not interested in bluewater sailing at all. I will have to be content spending our retirement exploring the BC, Washington and perhaps Alaska coastlines. If we are going to cross oceans we will fly over and charter!

[mdrsail]

Thanks for the heads up- I am going up the pole of my 39i this weekend and will check these. How many are there and are they all the way up?

[dbostrom]

Jan 25, 2021 23:38:24 GMT zaphod said:

Jan 25, 2021 23:19:33 GMT dbostrom said:

Deeply envious of your plan, and that's a wise choice for a do-over, Element.

My bucket list extends only as far a circumnavigation of Vancouver Island, so far. Getting closer, need to finish skill building (only sailing since '12, so many wasted years). Once that's done, something bigger? Partly it's a matter of incrementally informing my better half that death is not a certainty-- that part of the scheme is going very well. Nightly updates on Vendee Globe are excellent for psychological adjustment, turns out. She's now a committed armchair fan of extreme blue water sailing :-). 

My wife has made it pretty clear she is not interested in bluewater sailing at all. I will have to be content spending our retirement exploring the BC, Washington and perhaps Alaska coastlines. If we are going to cross oceans we will fly over and charter!

My brother and I did a run out to Neah Bay and then on into the actual Pacific a bit last year. An icebreaker; there's now empirical evidence on record that survival is a not only a possibility but even probable. 

Funny thing is, my wife has a stomach of iron and would be ideally suited for this duty. As long as she's got work to do (preferably internet as well) she'll be down below and beavering away no matter how horrible the sea state etc. A few years ago we did the Whitsunday Islands, decided we had to see the abandoned resort at Lindeman Island and because of schedule simply gutted out the notorious tide vs. current arrangement in those parts. We on deck were turning green and the boat was slamming mast-shakingly horribly into 12'x24' lumps but a glance down the companionway revealed the strong one solidly wedged into place, typing at the laptop. I can only wish I had that level of gastronomic poise in such conditions. 

[dbostrom]

We finally had the conjunction of boat, weather and rigger to complete the repair of the fractured fitting.

Tricky because the outer shroud ends up slack all the way to the deck, leaving the mast in a compromised situation during the repair. Also there are a few fiddly bits to drop, which did not happen.

Rigger set up an arrangement involving an add-on routed through an eye temporarily affixed to the outer upper spreader, lead through similar on lower spreader, down to a block connected to a handy pad eye on deck and on back to a winch for tension. This ended up feeling pretty secure. Mainsail halyard straight to midship cleat, for backup. Apparently the force really is better following the normal plan as much as possible, so the backup is left a little bit slack or at least less taut than the temporary "shroud."

Sadly this photo does not capture the details very well. I was attending to other matters and didn't have time to fully obsess over the project.

It all worked, I'm happy to say. Needs to be a calm day.

I have a recommendation for a rigger, if you're in the upper left quadrant of Washington.