Catalina 350 International Association

Forr Fun is a 2003 350 with Hull Number 007. I looked at the standing rigging and it looks fine. The broker that I am listing it with thinks I should replace the standing rigging and that will make it more attractive to buyers. He says standing rigging should be replaced every 10 years. For a broker we are using Nick Hayes of Pier One in Punta Gorda, Fl.
Do any of you know if standing rigging on a 350 should be replaced every 10 years and have you done it?

I have not replaced ours and we have a 2006 commissioned boat. However, I am in freshwater, and I take my mast down every year for winter and inspect it. If you are worried about it, have a competent rigging expert take a look.
Some things to look for: corrosion on the cables and fittings, "meat hooks" in the cables, cracks in the fittings, wear in the eyes where your pins go through, damaged threads on your turnbuckles.

Inspected? YES.

Automatically replaced? NO.

In fact, just finished doing this on ours as we are getting ready to head to the Bahamas. Polished lower swedges (320 wet dry sandpaper) and carefully checked for any signs of cracks or fatigue.

Checked turn buckles and tuned rig.

If this were a racing boat and had been pushed HARD with rig tuned very tight and likely less robust wire size-- a different matter.

Previous replies are good advise. I understand where your broker is coming from. I too used to broker boats. The broker is trying to avoid problems that arise at survey.
We all heard the 10 year deal on rigging, but I've never had anything fail that was taken care of, checked and in good shape. My own rigging is now 14 years old and still "good" in my opinion. I look at it myself, and have a friend who is an expert check it when he is aboard. I too am headed to the Bahamas in Feb, and I think I'll hire an expert to inspect the rig this year. The comfort would be worth the price.

If you think your rigging is in "good" shape and don't want to replace it, hire a good rigger to do a rig survey. This is one you would present to the broker and buyers.
The buyer is going to have the boat surveyed and the surveyor will inspect the rigging. Most do not go up the mast though. Most surveyors are not expert riggers, and should defer to your riggers survey. That still will not prevent the surveryor from recommending the rigging be replaced. It might still become a bone of contention.

I think if you do decide to repace it, it will help convince the broker and buyer that you indeed take excellent care of the boat and want everything to be "right".

Bill on TRIUMPH

Colleagues:

Maybe I'm looking at this backwards, but I would never buy a sailboard that I hadn't paid for a general survey, an engine survey, and a rigging survey. Yes, I agree that getting a rigging survey done is a good idea, but a seller's survey is done from the perspective of selling the boat, not buying it. When we bought our C350, the previous owner had done a general survey a year earlier, but our surveyor was looking for things that we as prospective buyers would need to know before deciding to buy. As a seller, you should show that you're taking care of the boat, but a survey doesn't really prove anything.

Just my two cents.

Bruce Johnson
#221 - Glamorgan

Our C350, hull # 011 had a complete refit last year.
Glad I did because it gave me a chance to inspect everything. II did everything myself with the help from Rigging Only. Great and knowledge company.
Doing the job myself didn’t cost that much and the piece of mind is worth it.

I appreciate all of your responses. I am going to discount the boat a little for the buyer even though the rigging looks good to me. If the boat does not sell I will probably not replace the standing rigging at this time since I am mostly a fair weather sailor.