[C38] Blue Water Sailing

[Pierre Patino]

There have already been many great responses regarding rigging. It's been
my experience that the recommendations of the Coast Guard are usually right
on point.

Our C38 is also in San Francisco. However, we sail it quite often and
20-30kts of wind (and more) are pretty much guaranteed all summer and much
of spring and fall. It's very rare that we can sail mid-summer without
having to reef the main. I replaced our standing rigging 10 years ago (cost
= $6500 at the time) upon the recommendation of a surveyor even though
nothing was visibly obvious. He also stated that it should be done about
every 10 years which means I'm on borrowed time.

However, we're strictly day-sailors. Every time I'm asked "do you plan to
go for a long cruise" (insert Hawaii, Baja, San Diego, Farallones etc.) I
always say "when I find an extra $20K".
Why? Because I'm always thinking of the worst case. I need better
foul-weather gear, EPIRBs, parachute/sea anchor, stormsail, liferaft,
radar, a working stove, AIS, extra fuel tanks, extra batteries and so on. I
know some people think that's too much and I'm thinking I might need more
than $20K.

And yes I know that Hawaii is not exactly a "long cruise".....

In any case, it's all about risk management for me. I also have a little
18-ft catamaran and it dismasted in heavy winds once because I waited too
long between rigging replacements. Luckily I was able to radio for help and
got towed back to port.  That's the best case scenario...







On Tue, Mar 9, 2021 at 8:11 AM <1derful at comcast.net> wrote:

> Rigging and thru haul question
>
> Blue Eyes has lived in SF Bay and her skipper wants to go South to Oxnard
> about 500 miles.
>
> I haven't done that so I found a pilot that will do it. He visited my boat
> yesterday and asked when was the last time standing rigging was replaced.
> I have owned boat for 15 years and haven't replaced.  He said that it
> should be replaced every 12 years.
>
> The recommendation seems arbitrary to me.  I rarely raise the main because
> I sail with a girl friend and usually motor or let out the self furling jib
> so the standing rigging hasn't stressed.  Should I replace?
> He says it would cost about $10,000 which is ridiculous to spend on a boat
> which may be worth $25,000.
>
> Next he noticed rust around the thru hull fitting for the water intake to
> engine.  Does boat need to be hauled to fix?  It doesn't seem to be leaking
> but since it was rusted he said that it must be.
>
> He declared Blue Eyes "unfit for sea travel."
> He seems like a Boy Scout to me.......life is a risk.
> I don't want to be stupid but the chance of Blue Eyes dismasting from San
> Francisco to Los Angeles and the crew drowning seems negligible.  This
> skipper only takes Bristol boats.
>
> Questions are:
> 1. replace standing rigging
> 2. repair thru-hull fitting.
>
> Patrick
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