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Boat Rope

ByThe Rigging Company

The vast U.S. cordage market allows us to have several competitive options including; Robline, New England, Samson, Yale, and Marlow Ropes, just to name a few. Each one of these manufacturers provide various rope constructions utilizing different materials to allow the consumer to achieve different functions based on application. All of the jargon like Spectra, Dyneema, Vectran, Kevlar, Technora, Dacron, Double Braid, Single Braid,…

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How to Service Your Winches

ByThe Rigging Company

Some winches are more difficult to service than others. If you do not know what to expect, certain parts, depending on manufacturer, can come sliding out at inopportune times and jump overboard! I happen to know this from personal experience and if you are really unlucky (like I was) then it may be a part from a vintage…

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When Replacing Electrical Items in the Mast

ByThe Rigging Company

Re-wiring and replacing the fixtures in the mast is a task that most of us boat owners need to face at some point. Let’s address what needs to happen during this process and what is the most efficient way to do this. First, the mast needs to be un-stepped. Therefore it could be a smart idea to…

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Not all T Terminals are Created Equal……

ByThe Rigging Company

‘T’ Terminals, ‘T’ Balls, Gibb Hooks, Shroud Terminals, and Lollipop Fittings are just some of the nicknames for these special fittings. I would just like to take a minute to address the different terms associated with these fittings; their uses and misuses. It appears that many boats in today’s sailboat market use these types of…

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How to Stow Your Inner Fore-Stay

ByThe Rigging Company

Stowing the inner stay appears to be quite the challenge sometimes. All too many times I have seen systems that are either over complicated, under engineered or are just plain ineffective. Below I describe a method that is very straight forward, simple and effective.  Almost in every case imaginable, the inner stay storage bridle, is the key…

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Das Boot!

ByThe Rigging Company

There are many styles of mast boots and spreader boots. Just like with anything else, choosing the right product and installing it properly is essential to its functionality. Installing a mast boot that doesn’t leak, has a low profile, ensures that the chocks (pictured below) or Spartite material stays put, and looks good, is essential…

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Harken Travelers

ByThe Rigging Company

Harken dominates the sailboat parts market in many areas. Travelers are no exception. Don’t think for a minute that this product is only for racers, it is for cruisers too!  There is nothing more frustrating than not being able to move the traveler while under load (what’s the point of having one otherwise?). Of course there…

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The New Boss

ByThe Rigging Company

The IMOCA Open 60 Hugo Boss team is growing and has added an American by the name of Ryan Breymaier. This guy has many accolades in sailing, one of them being the ‘Golden Route’ record: New York to San Francisco by way of Cape Horn. Recently he took the New York to Barcelona ‘Ocean Masters‘…

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Leading Halyards Aft

ByThe Rigging Company

Leading halyards aft is becoming quite popular on newer boats today. Leading the lines to the cockpit can provide the convenience of not having to leave the safety cockpit in order to control the sails. This comes at the cost of added friction, even when using extremely high end hardware to try and reduce this….

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The Symbol of the Modern Americas Cup

ByThe Rigging Company

USA-17, the fixed wing revolution icon, meets its final resting place just in front of Oracle’s Headquarters in Redwood City, California. [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vladvQR5C18&w=560&h=315] Apparently it is quite the process to make this happen, but relative to the world of Americas Cup costs, this is just a drop in the bucket.  

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The Highfield Lever

ByThe Rigging Company

The Highfield lever was originally invented by the late Mr J. S. Highfield in about 1930. I believe this concept was initially intended to load and release running backstays at a predesignated tension. This method for runner tensioning has since been replaced with ‘high speed’ synthetics, fancy blocks, tackles, and/or dedicated winches. Some years later,…