Please can someone refresh me on the recommended lifespan of rigging? I believe insurance company's are saying 5 years?
Mine is about 13YO, and Nautilus accepts it. They wanted an inspection/report from a certified rigger the renewal before last.
I've always been under the impression it's 10 years, I was talking with Doug Brooker a few weeks ago and his advice is replace it if its day over 10 years old, in the context of serious ocean cruising.
I'd say 5 to 7 years if you want reliable rigging, esp if you race or head out on the ocean. you can get away with longer if your rig NEVER sees significant loading, or if it is stored well away from salt water.
the most common rigging failure I've seen is a shroud failure just inside the swage at deck level, where salt accumulates & the wire is strained. rig looks shiny 100%, but it is only as strong as its weakest link, which can be hidden.
poods 
I don't load mine and it doesn't get a lot of work. We have been in 35kt winds a few times, 25 bit more, but always well reefed and I always avoid heavily flogging sails, a real cause of damage.
If the insurers don't complain I would hope to get more than 10 years.
My old quarter tonner is racing at Jervis Bay these days. When I bought it it still had the original rigging [1970]. I checked it carefully but found no faults. I did break a gooseneck fitting gybing one day. The new owner still races it with the original rigging. He is insured with CGU with racing cover. Not sure if his policy covers the rig. I know from chasing up insurance the other day, [see the other thread] that even with comprehensive cover the rig is not always covered even after they ask you the value of mast and sails! After the recent floods in Queensland and the disaster of beached yachts at Jervis Bay I would suggest people check what their insurance actually does cover, you may be surprised.
With a Northshore 27 unless you know it has been used for racing, it is likely that not too much strain has been placed on the rigging and it is in fine shape. An inspection by a rigger might be a cheaper way to go.
Hi people
just remember turnbuckles when you're thinking rigging.
My boat was re-rigged 6 yrs ago by the previous owner (oversized and has seen very little bad weather and stress), however, I now believe that the turnbuckles were not replaced during the process.
The port main shroud turnbuckle 'exploded' a few weeks back. The flogging from the headsail sheet was the nail in the coffin for it but quite clearly it had been on the way out for a long time.
My little girls and I were VERY lucky with the chain of events as we'd been sailing along merrily on port tack for ages and, when it did go, we had just tacked and there was no load on the bad side.
Similarly, a local boat lost its stick due to a turnbuckle failure on the way back from Hamilton Island Race Week in 2011.
Cheers
Trace
Trace is right. The turnbuckle and the wire inside it are the usual point of failure.
speaking of turnbuckles, 'ugly' open bodied or standard closed bodied is the way to go?
