It started out as a beautiful day at Arrow Bay, Gau. Matt went to move the boom from port to starboard so our solar panels could capture more sunlight. And then we noticed a problem with our starboard side stay, standing rigging.
We have 16mm stainless 1×19 wire. It is all supposed to be wrapped together as a unified family. But this one stand decided it did not want to play with the others anymore.
Standing Rigging
What is our standing rigging?
A sailboat’s standing rigging refers to the set of fixed wires, rods, or lines that support the mast and other spars. It is crucial for maintaining the boat’s stability and performance.
Unlike the running rigging, which is used to adjust the sails, standing rigging provides a stable framework to withstand wind and sail forces. And equally important, it holds up the mast.
Our standing rigging was replaced in Sint Maarten in 2016 using 16mm stainless steel. It has an average lifespan of 10-12 years. Our current rigging is 9 years old. Our last standing rigging lasted 14 years and had no damage or compromised areas when we replaced it. But the previous rig did not have nearly as many miles on it as our current rig.
We’ve managed to put over 50,000 miles on our current rig, which is a LOT of miles.
Several surveyors have commented on the quality and high standards of our rigging for the size of our boat. Stating, in fact, that our rigging was “overbuilt for the boat.” Always better to be over built than under built.
Discovery
I clean the stainless, which includes the stud (not the turnbuckle), and the first 2-3 meters of the side stays. I cleaned the stainless 1 week prior to our discovery with nothing amiss.
We sailed from Ovalau to Gau on a starboard tack with (1) reef in the main. True wind was around 12-15kts and apparent was about 17-18kts. We were pinching pretty hard (close to the wind), but it was an unremarkable, non-stressful day on the rig.
While at anchor at Gau, Matt noticed the damage and we immediately went into action.
First thing we did was create a plan:
- Assess the extent of the damage
- Secure a safety line on both side stays
- Collect specifics, dimensions, and data on replacement parts
- Contact Westside Rigging (the only qualified rigger in Fiji)
- Contact Vuda Marina (book slip to do the work)
Current Rigging Specifics
Our shrouds are CS16-Ix19, 16mm Ixi9 stainless steel (33 meters long).
The top pin is HYMEMI6 Swage eye l6mm wire I” pin inserted into a saddle that we can reuse.
The bottom is HYISEMI6RH Swage stud I6 mm wire 1″ UNF RH that will need to be swaged (standard).
We are hoping Westside Rigging can use the same or better stainless. The stainless for their side stay comes from Australia and their bits/pieces come from either NZ, Australia, or Korea.
Preventative Efforts
We replaced our running rigging in New Zealand. We kept the previous lines that were still good including our lines that had dynema core.
The previously used topping lift is 14mm with a dynema core and a 4200kg safe working load.
Our 16mm stainless shroud has a 2900kg safe working load. So, the topping lift is almost 60% stronger.
Matt takes the topping lift up to the attachment point on the mast.
Matt uses a 3:1 purchase to tighten the line and secure the starboard side stay. It looks like a macramé mess, but it is strong and tight.
In addition, Matt also used one of our spinnaker halyards on each side stay. The spinnaker halyards also have a dynema core and are very strong. The spin halyards are attached at the top of the mast (just above the side stay attachment point).
He secured the red spin halyard on starboard and the green halyard on port.
Westside Rigging
Westside Rigging has been in business for almost 30 years in Fiji. We had been in contact with Sammy to help us replace the bearings in our furler. And since he was already coming out to the boat we thought we’d have him do a rigging inspection since our rig is about 9 years old.
Prior to the side stay issue, I scheduled the furler work and inspection for 25 August and booked Vuda Marina for 1 day.
We contacted Sammy immediately (7:45am on a Saturday) once we discovered the issue with our side stay. I was not expecting a response until Monday. Imagine my surprise when the phone rang 2 minutes later!
I sent him photos and gave him the specifics. He assured us he has everything in stock and can easily replace both of our side stays.
The Plan
The easiest and safest way to get from Gao to Vuda are several short day passages. We have one fairly long passage of 90+nm from Gao to Kadavu. We can make short day passages from Kadavu back to Vuda (which is on the other side of the big island, Viti Levu).
Our goal is to be as gentle as possible on the rig. Focusing on trips with light winds, small seas, and if possible port tacks. Fingers crossed.
Stay tuned for Part II coming in a few weeks.
Our blog posts run 6-8 weeks behind actual live events. We noticed the compromised side stay in early August 2025.
We share the beauty of Gau in our last blog post.
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