A Fitting Out Checklist Including Rig Checks and Testing

Busy boatyards get busier at fitting out time, the beginning of a new season. The gloom of a UK winter generally chases the sailor to warmer climes during winter months, so inevitably, there is work to be done before the first sail.
Sometimes known as a ’shakedown’, we have to wake the electric chain hoist engine from its hibernation, slap on the antifouling, grease the winches, check the safety gear. The excitement of seeing our precious vessel craned into the water is followed by the trepidation of rediscovering just how rusty our seamanship skills are after a prolonged winter lay-up. Hopefully, the old magic will return as soon as the tiller or wheel is back in your hand.
The batteries go flat, no VHF radio, no GPS, no navigation lights. The water in the tanks smells of rotten eggs. The log impeller gets stuck and the winches are stiff. But it’s when things don’t go to plan that true seamanship and friendship is put to the test. Riggers will tell you about catastrophic rig failure all because a humble split pin fell out. Better to have a shakedown than a mast fall down.
Boat repair includes woodwork and joinery, hull repair, deck repair, grp repair and sterngear repair.
Rig checks and testing:Not all rig failures are catastrophic, but most are inconvenient, expensive and avoided. Check your rig and you can detect and prevent problems before they happen.Checking the rig, sails, standing and running rigging for safety doesn’t end with fitting out. Safe sailing is a season-long issue.
Insurers differ where rigs are concerned. Some say rigging needs replacing after 10 years, others want a survey after five. Many rigs don’t have history or service records. All this tells you your rig is something of an unknown quantity.

Electric chain hoist, Electric hoist, Hoisting equipment, Crane equipment, Hoist Motor, Chain Block, Lever Block, Crane Accessories, Electric Chain Hoist Manufacturer.

Genoa cars:10% of genoa cars can fail between seasons. Check split pins and grub screws as some makes are prone to coming apart. If the car’s plunger stop or towing system fails under load, the car could knock off the aft end block and in a flash you’ll have bearings everywhere and a useless car. Check the genoa track bolts and end blocks.
Shroud terminals:Check that everything is secured with good condition split pins (on clevis pins and bottlescrews) or locknuts. Lift shroud covers regularly and clean out the salt and grit. During maintenance, add stainless steel washers inside the clevis pin split pins to limit wear and working if there’s room as the clevis pins rotate.
Check all shrouds and stays at upper and lower terminals
as well as at spreader ends. Replace any where stranding is found. If stranding is detected on one shroud, replace both it and the opposite shroud. Rust-coloured deposits at the neck of a swage can indicate hoisting equipment that one of the strands was not properly polished before the wire was twisted and the impurities have flowed to the terminal and oxidised. Scotchbrite clean and check again.Tying warps to shroud bases deforms and weakens rigging screws and toggles.
If you have single roll-swaged terminals (look for opposing flashlines on the terminal) and one strand has gone, it’s likely the opposite strand has gone too.Mainsheet hardware Check all mainsheet and traveller blocks for damage or distortion, make sure split pins are in position and taped, and shackles tight and seized. Check all mainsheet track bolts and end blocks are secure… the mainsheet car can overpower the travellerjammer while gybing in a blow and smash through the end of the track.
Mast gaiters:Check they are not perished and seal with rubber-friendly sealant. Before refitting, make sure the mast is chocked stable, otherwise the mast wall rubs against the deck ring, damaging both deck and mast. UV is hard on gaiters so pay extra attention if you keep the boat somewhere sunny.
Furling gear
Check the furling line from end to end. Check all the lead blocks are fair and the guide arm and drum are secure. Most importantly, check the securing screws where the drum meets the tuff tube and Locktite or tape over with PVC tape. They often work loose and fall out.
Gooseneck.There’s a huge amount going on at both the gooseneck and kicker/vang attachment - rotation, tension and compression under load. Often this distorts aluminium fittings.
Remove the fitting, file back into shape, grease and replace, using stainless steel or nylon washers to restrict the amount of working, then secure with good condition split pins.Running riggingCheck sheets and guys for wear. Whip if the cover is partly chafed, replace if the core is damaged. Whip or burn both ends to prevent fraying. If you haven’t done so on laying up, remove, mouse and check all halyards. Wash all running rigging in soapy water, rinse thoroughly and keep any spare line below when you’re not at sea as it degrades in UV. For the same reason, give the mainsheet and jib sheets your particular attention.