20 Jan Importance of rigging inspection
When you schedule boat maintenance yearly, surely you must include survey and inspection of the rigging system and spar.
The importance of routine maintenance is critical and a well run yacht is defined by the amount of time and effort spent in the care and monitoring of the its systems.
The following informations should help define rod life expectancy and answer some general question regarding rod cable maintenance.
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What to look for when inspecting rod rigging
Cracks in rigging components, especially cracks that are orientated transverse to the load, are a sign of impending failure.
Cracks can be found using visual inspection, a magnifier, or by dye penetrate testing.
Other professional testing techniques available are X ray, ultrasonic and eddy current testing.
For visual inspection, the rod or fitting must be cleaned or polished to expose the cracks.
Rusty areas frequently indicate cracks underneath. In addition to cracks, you should look for corrosion, pitting, black streaks, rust and visible wear.
Any areas showing discoloration or potential corrosion should be thoroughly cleaned and inspected.
If any evidence of pitting, corrosion or wear remains after this cleaning, please consult a professional authorized rigger.
Pitting, corrosion or visible wear could require rod re-heading, replacement of the rod or replacement of associated fittings.
Proper alignment to the load is also very important to generate a good working life for any rigging.
Misalignment of fittings, caused by interference or bends, should be checked accurately.
Kinks or bends in rod rigging result in increased local stress and can dramatically reduce its life.
If a fitting or rod has operated in a bent, kinked or misaligned condition, RIGGservice recommends it be replaced, as the damage due to cycling cannot be easily evaluated.
If a rod is bent and then straightened before further service, depending on the severity of the bent, it could be used again to provide a normal working life. This is a judgment call and authorized professional technician must be consulted.
The survey and inspection of the rigging and the spar should be carried out at regularly scheduled intervals, This improve the chance that any potential service issue will be caught before they become a problem.
An important part of the inspection and maintenance schedule is the creation of data, service and photographic log.
