REFIT

RIGGING SERVICE PROGRAMME

BSI Recommended Standing Rigging Maintenance and Service Guidelines

BSI has developed a Rigging Service Programme that focuses on preventive maintenance to protect the structural integrity of a yacht’s rigging and enhances performance, longevity and safety for the yacht’s guests and crew while maximising the investment with limited service downtime. Yachts participating in the Rigging Service Programme will have their maintenance records continually updated with the assurance this information is safely secured at BSI Headquarters in Denmark. (BSI Service Log)

No yacht is alike

BSI professionals, with years of rigging experience, know that all vessels are not built or treated equally.

Furthermore, our vast database of delivered and serviced rigging equipment gives us a continually improving understanding of wear & tear over a yacht’s life from the club racer to the largest blue water cruising yachts. No yacht is alike, so BSI offers flexibility in the programme to coincide with the yacht’s scheduled refit plans. Pre-service inspections are recommended as this allows both BSI and the yacht to plan in advance and minimize downtime.

Factors affecting life expectancy

The life expectancy of a set of rigging, whether rod, fibre or wire, can be affected by many factors:

Age of rigging
Miles sailed
Sailing conditions
Designed safety factors
Proper tune
Adherence to maintenance schedules
Traumatic events such as groundings, knock-downs and flying jibes
Environmental conditions and Corrosion

Customised service

For yachts using composite rigging, either exclusively or in combination with some stays in rod, the service recommendations remain the same for the metal hardware used as attachments of composite stays.

BSI work with professionals, individual owners, captains and management companies to establish a customised service schedule tailored to the yacht’s needs. Service recommendations are based on the rigging manufacturer’s specifications, the vessel’s history of sailing and maintenance, future sailing plans, and the yacht’s projected downtime and budget. Therefore, BSI has developed a series of categories to help identify which classification the yacht falls into. These categories will tend to experience different mileage and sailing conditions.

Find the best service programme for you

Choose a category matching you

Category 1 – Ocean Going with Professional Crew
Yachts typically are of heavier displacement, do higher mileage and designed with
Category 2 – Offshore with Amateur Crew or Short handed
Yachts typically are performance style Cruisers intended for Offshore and Blue Water use.
Category 3 – Coastal Cruising / Club Racing with Amateur Crew or Short handed
Yachts typically are of lighter displacement and intended for Inshore and Coastal use
Category 4 – Racing with Professional Crew
Yachts typically are of lightweight construction and intended for Performance use, with higher Safe Working Loads

Service Recommendations for Category 1 + 2

Please type in miles or years at sailing.

Years of sailing

BSI Rigging Service # 1

BSI Rigging Service # 1 recommended before the end of Year Five of sailing, or 50,000 to 60,000 miles. The partial refit services include:

Un-stepping the rig and removing all rigging components
Cleaning and inspecting all fittings, rigging and rod heads
Non-destructive testing—(NDT) with dye penetrant, where determined necessary
Re-heading and re-seating all Diagonals, Forward and Aft Rods, if deemed necessary
Re-furbishing and polishing of all fittings in accordance with manufacturers guidelines
Reviewing history of non-metallic rigging, bench testing or replacement according to manufacturer’s recommendations. Generally, Kevlar Stays are replaced at this time
Full lubrication and dressing
Re-stepping
Dock tuning and sea trial
Forward inspection notes to BSI for update of BSI Service Log

BSI Rigging Service # 2

BSI Rigging Service # 2, recommended at 9 years of sailing or 90-100000 miles The full refit services include:

Un-stepping the rig and removing all rigging components
Cleaning and inspecting all fittings, rigging and rod
Non-destructive testing—(NDT) with dye penetrant, where determined necessary
Re-heading or replacement of all vertical rods
Re-heading and re-seating all Diagonals, Forward and Aft Rods
Re-furbishing and polishing of all fittings of all fittings in accordance with manufacturers guidelines
Reviewing history of non-metallic rigging, bench testing or replacement according to manufacturer’s recommendations. Generally, Kevlar Stays are replaced at this time
Full lubrication and dressing
Re-stepping
Dock tuning and sea trial
Forward inspection notes to BSI for update of BSI Service Log

BSI Rigging Service # 3

BSI Rigging Service # 3, recommended at 13 years of sailing or 120-130000 miles The partial refit services include:

Un-stepping the rig and removing all rigging components
Cleaning and inspecting all fittings, rigging and rod
Non-destructive testing—(NDT) with dye penetrant, where determined necessary
Replacement of any rod(s) from original manufacture
Re-heading and re-seating all Diagonals, Forward and Aft Rods
Re-furbishing and polishing of all fittings of all fittings in accordance with manufacturers guidelines
Reviewing history of non-metallic rigging, bench testing or replacement according to manufacturer’s recommendations. Generally, Kevlar Stays are replaced at this time
Full lubrication and dressing
Re-stepping
Dock tuning and sea trial
Forward inspection notes to BSI for update of BSI Service Log

BSI Rigging Service # 4

BSI Rigging Service # 4, recommended at 17 years of sailing or 160-180000 miles At this time any of the remaining material from the original delivery is coming to the end of its expected service life and should probably be replaced. Consideration should also be given that at the next refit, BSI Rigging Service #5, will be when the yacht, and any originally supplied rigging material, will be over 20 years old. The complete service history should be reviewed along with future sailing plans and BSI will issue a recommendation but generally we recommend a full service along the lines of Rigging Service #2, but adjusted for replacement of original material as necessary. The full refit services include:

Un-stepping the rig and removing all rigging components
Cleaning and inspecting all fittings, rigging and rod
Non-destructive testing—(NDT) with dye penetrant, where determined necessary
Re-heading or replacement of all vertical rods
Re-heading and re-seating all Diagonals, Forward and Aft Rods
Re-furbishing and polishing of all fittings of all fittings in accordance with manufacturers guidelines
Reviewing history of non-metallic rigging, bench testing or replacement according to manufacturer’s recommendations. Generally, Kevlar Stays are replaced at this time
Full lubrication and dressing
Re-stepping
Dock tuning and sea trial
Forward inspection notes to BSI for update of BSI Service Log

BSI Rigging Service # 5

BSI Rigging Service # 5, recommended at 21 years of sailing or 200-220000 miles At this time any of the remaining material from the original delivery should be replaced and if the yacht has followed the recommended service schedule above it is now time for another partial refit. The partial refit services include:

Un-stepping the rig and removing all rigging components
Cleaning and inspecting all fittings, rigging and rod
Non-destructive testing—(NDT) with dye penetrant, where determined necessary
Replacement of any rod(s) and fittings from original delivery
Re-heading and re-seating all Diagonals, Forward and Aft Rods
Re-furbishing and polishing of all fittings of all fittings in accordance with manufacturers guidelines
Reviewing history of non-metallic rigging, bench testing or replacement according to manufacturer’s recommendations. Generally, Kevlar Stays are replaced at this time
Full lubrication and dressing
Re-stepping
Dock tuning and sea trial
Forward inspection notes to BSI for update of BSI Service Log

Information about BSI Rigging Service Program

Initial Stepping of Rig(s) Riggers, Spar manufacturers and boatyards use various procedures, but BSI recommend that a complete specification is issued for the vessel at time of installation. Mast Jack loads, Stay Tensions, Turnbuckle settings etc. should be recorded and Mast(s) tuned to manufacturers’ specifications. This information establishes the important baseline that should be kept on file and updated every time work is done to the Rig System, in the yachts BSI Service Log.

New Yacht – Six Month Inspection Optional visual inspection of all Rigging and interfaces. This inspection is typically carried out four to six months after delivery. In cases where the yacht receives a comprehensive Sea Trial and Inspection prior to hand over, this inspection can be deferred to an Annual Service.

Comprehensive Rigging System Inspection
Adjust Mast Tune if Required
Forward inspection notes to BSI for update of BSI Service Log

Routine Inspection by Crew

Recommended Rigging System Inspection several times a year and before and after a long or heavy passage
Contact BSI for advice if any concerns arise

Annual Service Recommended every Twelve to Fourteen months. The Rigging is slackened to enable Inspection and Servicing. The mast(s) will remain in the vessel throughout the process, which includes:

Comprehensive Visual Inspection of the Sail & Rigging System
Complete inspection of all accessible rod heads
Re-lubrication of all accessible Rod Heads and Fittings
Re-tuning the rig, as necessary
Forward inspection notes to BSI for update of BSI Service Log

Pre-inspections, to be carried out prior to each rigging service #1-4. BSI recommend a pre-service inspection to record all rigging lengths, turnbuckle settings, plus any adjustments or modifications. This allows for a full technical review and a Bill of Materials to be generated in advance reducing the down time and cost to the vessel. If the rigging was not manufactured by BSI a preservice inspection is required to enable a comprehensive technical review to be completed. All fittings and pin sizes, lengths, angles are recorded with the rig under load. A refit estimate and recommendations can be generated, and service schedules reviewed to minimize the downtime of the vessel.

Non-Destructive Testing. Whilst NDT is an important part of the preventive maintenance of yacht rigging it is important to remember that the result, regardless of testing process, will only tell you the condition of the material or fitting at time of testing. It will not give you any indication of how much longer one can expect the material to remain in a satisfying and reliable condition. Once a crack develops in a coldhead it can lead to catastrophic failure within a few months depending on load cycling and we have taken this into consideration when setting the recommended service and re-heading schedules.

Service Recommendations for Category 3 + 4

Yachts in category 3 and 4 generally have very different service requirements due to the substantially fewer miles they sail each season. The rigging service of these yachts are normally handled by BSI’s Certified Service Centers without direct input from BSI but can in some situations also have owners, and non-professional crew, take care of the maintenance. The general recommendations that are based upon annual inspections and maintenance with partial or full refits remain the same but the schedule between the various services can be extended depending on the results from annual inspections.

Annual Service Recommended every Twelve to Fourteen months. The Rigging is slackened to enable Inspection and Servicing. The mast(s) will remain in the vessel throughout the process, which includes:

Comprehensive Visual Inspection of the Sail & Rigging System
Complete inspection of all accessible rod heads
Re-lubrication of all accessible Rod Heads and Fittings
Re-tuning the rig, as necessary
Updating BSI Service Log for the yacht

Rigging Service # 1

Rigging Service # 1 is recommended from year 5 after launch up to year 8 depending of miles sailed and results from the annual inspections. The partial refit services include:

Un-stepping the rig and removing all rigging components
Cleaning and inspecting all fittings, rigging and rod heads
Non-destructive testing—(NDT) with dye penetrant, where determined necessary
Re-heading and re-seating all Diagonals, Forward and Aft Rods, if deemed necessary
Re-furbishing and polishing of all fittings in accordance with manufacturers guidelines
Reviewing history of non-metallic rigging, bench testing or replacement according to manufacturer’s recommendations. Generally, Kevlar Stays are replaced at this time
Full lubrication and dressing
Re-stepping
Dock tuning and sea trial
Updating the BSI Service Log