Service Guidelines

Rigging on sailing vessels

The Maritime Coastguard Agency (MCA) is recommending that masts and rigging are serviced according to manufacturers’ guidelines.   Marine Results will tailor a programme to suit a yacht’s schedule and to meet these criteria. Further ‘in service’ guidance to carbon mast damage was written by the MCA in conjunction with Marine Results over a 2 year period and was issued as their Marine Information Note 417 (M).

The guidance is contained in the MCA’s booklet LY3 The Large Commercial Yacht Code, in their section rigging 4.5.1, which is reproduced here:

4.5.1 General

4.5.1.1 The condition of the rig should be monitored in accordance with a Maintenance Manual and a planned maintenance schedule. The schedule should include, in particular, regular monitoring of all the gear associated  with safe work aloft and on the bowsprit.

4.5.2 Masts and spars and standing rigging

4.5.2.6 Annual surveys on the vessel should include reviewing records and history of rig maintenance measures against the specifications provided by the maintenance manual

Our rig inspections

Marine Results undertakes a rig inspection with the mast in and still fully rigged, inspecting from top to bottom, reviewing key areas such as the sheaves, pins, spreader roots and tips, backstay, forestay and runner tangs.

We issue an update in the rig log-book and issue a report of recommended maintenance.  This type of inspection should be performed on all craft after any major passage, or at least once a year regardless of age or usage.

Our intermediate service

A full service should be carried out annually.  Our intermediate service includes:

• A full mast check, from top to bottom, as above
• Jacking the rig down
• Lubricating all fittings that can be accessed while the mast is still in the yacht, such as the cold heads
• Jacking the mast up and ensuring all rig tensions are correct with the spar correctly centred
• Re-tuning mast and rigging
• Updating rig log-book
• Issue maintenance report

Our full service

A full service should be carried out every four years for racing yachts and heavily-used cruising yachts.  We carry out the following:

• Check the entire rig thoroughly pre-service
• Unstep the mast, then dismantle it
• Rods are tested using non-destructive techniques such as dye or ultrasound testing
• Some rod heads are cut and re-headed and some rods replaced dependent on the service period.
• Thorough inspection of all other mast components including any composite rigging which is tested according to safe working load (SWL) parameters
• Evaluate test results and observations before discussing any required repairs with yacht representative(s)
• Make all necessary repairs, reassemble and re-step mast
• Re-tune the mast and rigging
• Conduct sea trial, adjust mast tuning if needed
• Update rig logbook