What's included
From masthead to deck fitting —
nothing overlooked.
Standing rigging failures rarely announce themselves in advance. Work-hardened wire, corroded swage terminals, and worn clevis pins all look serviceable until they're not. Our inspection methodology is designed to find the problem before you do — offshore, in a blow.
Standing rigging inspection
End-to-end inspection of every stay, shroud, swage fitting, clevis pin, toggle, and chainplate. We look for work-hardening, hairline fractures at swage terminals, pin wear, crevice corrosion, and chainplate deck seal failure. The failures you can't see in a casual walk-around are the ones we're looking for.
Running rigging assessment
Halyard, sheet, and control line condition check. UV degradation of covers, core slippage in braided lines, sheave groove wear, clutch jaw condition. Lines that look fine on deck can be significantly degraded inside the sheath.
Winch overhaul
Full strip-down, clean, inspect, and regrease. Pawl condition, spring tension, drum bearing, drum attachment bolt torque. A winch that feels smooth may have stiff pawls that won't trip under load. We check function, not just feel.
Teak deck restoration
Cleaning, caulk assessment, re-caulking, and oiling to specification. We assess whether caulk replacement will materially extend deck life — or whether the deck planking itself has reached the end of its serviceable thickness. You get an honest answer, not a quote for work that won't solve the problem.
Deck hardware service
Cleats, fairleads, turning blocks, clutches, and travellers — fastener inspection, re-bedding where sealant has failed, replacement where hardware is beyond service life. Failed sealant under a deck fitting means water in the laminate; we treat re-bedding as a structural job, not a cosmetic one.
Mast inspection
For masts ashore, a full inspection covering windex bracket condition, spreader boot and root fitting, masthead sheave wear, feeder entry condition, internal conduit integrity, and radar mount security. Work that can only be done properly with the mast horizontal.
How we work
Rigging inspection —
how we approach it.
The sequence matters. We start at the masthead and work down, logging every component by condition.
-
01
Mast inspection ashore (if lifted)
If the mast is on the ground, we inspect it horizontally — the only way to properly assess sheaves, internal conduits, and the full length of wire where it contacts fittings. We prefer this window; it doesn't require going aloft.
-
02
Deck-level standing rigging check
Every lower swage, toggle, clevis pin, split ring, and chainplate checked. We look at the wire at the swage entry — the most common failure point — with magnification where needed. Pin wear and clevis alignment are checked for each shroud attachment.
-
03
Running rigging & sheave assessment
Halyards and sheets run through by hand to check for internal core damage. Sheave groove profiles checked against wire/rope diameter. Clutch jaw wear assessed. Lines recommended for replacement are specified by type and diameter so you can source them easily.
-
04
Winch strip and service
All winches stripped, cleaned in solvent, inspected for pawl and spring condition, regreased with the correct marine winch lubricant, and reassembled. Test function confirmed before completion.
-
05
Written report & recommendations
A written report of every finding: what's in good order, what we recommend monitoring, and what should be replaced before the season. Replacement rigging is specified by wire diameter, construction, and terminal type so it can be ordered directly. No ambiguity.
Common questions
Rigging & deck — what owners ask.
When should I replace my standing rigging?
The commonly quoted guideline is every 10 years for offshore use, 15 years for coastal. But condition matters more than age. Work-hardened wire and failing swage terminals can appear well before ten years on a hard-used boat; well-maintained rod rigging can last significantly longer on a sheltered-water boat. We give you an assessment based on what we find, not a blanket age rule.
Can you step and unstep the mast?
Yes, for most fin-keel and lifting-keel yachts up to 45ft. We coordinate with the crane at the yard and carry out full mast inspection and any work ashore before re-stepping. This is the right time for a thorough inspection — far better than going aloft with the mast in the boat.
Do you supply replacement rigging, or just carry out the labour?
Both. We source and supply 1x19 stainless wire, dyform, or fibre rod to the correct specification, with swaged or mechanical terminals as appropriate. We document the specification used — wire construction, diameter, breaking load, terminal type — so it can be matched precisely when next replaced.
My teak deck feels soft in places — is it repairable?
Sometimes. Soft areas usually mean caulking has failed and water has tracked between the teak and the backing layer, causing delamination. We assess whether re-caulking and re-bedding will resolve it, or whether the planking has thinned past the point of economic repair. Some teak decks are genuinely past saving; others are ten years off needing replacement with the right maintenance. We'll give you a straight answer either way.
How do I know if my chainplates need replacing?
The tell-tale signs are rust staining at the deck seal, staining on the liner below the deck, and movement or play in the fitting. Internal corrosion is the bigger concern — chainplates can look fine externally while being significantly corroded at the point where they pass through the deck. The only reliable check is removal and inspection. We carry this out as part of a thorough rigging survey on any boat with older stainless chainplates.