15 November That's better @ Langkawi

Jackster arrived in a rain squall at Telaga Harbour Marina, Langkawi at the same time as our new rigging was been unloaded from a plane at the airport; the afternoon of 17 October.

New rigging arrives at marina

The rigging had been sent by air freight from a town on the French / Swiss border.  We knew which flights it was booked on so were able to hire a car and go to the airport (5 miles away) next afternoon and do the clearance ourselves.  No import duty to pay because we are a yacht in transit and Langkawi is duty free.  A local agent with a truck was collecting a package at the same time we were there and with some nifty negotiation he delivered the two heavy boxes to the marina for us.

Our first week was spent on unpacking and preparation.  It was raining too.  David had spent weeks thinking and planning the most efficient and safe way for us to swap old for new.  The rigging on Jackster appeared to us to be in still in very good condition, but of unknown age.  We've owned her for eight years so the minimum was eight years, some of the fittings were original Amel, some had been changed to Sta-Lok.  Next year we plan to cross the Indian Ocean and the following year to cross the Atlantic.  For us, and for our underwriters, it was the time, and the best place to do the work.

two new pairs of shroud

Acmo, the company that supplied the original rigging to Amel in France still makes and supplies rigging for new Amels.  All we had to do was place an order for one set of rig for an Amel Super Maramu and it would be made to the correct lengths, with the correct fittings and made with the best 316 European stainless steel. When we opened the box we were delighted to find every turnbuckle and every swage was stamped ACMO and the date of manufacture.  No more guessing the age of our rig.  La creme de la creme commes les dits en France.  With David and I doing the fitting we were guaranteeing returning our standing rigging to the same high standard that Chantiers Amel specify.  We have a greater vested interest in attention to detail than A.N.Other commercial rigging company; in mid ocean it is our safety which is on the line.

main boom supported on deck

Old becomes...

...new

changing lower shrouds first

David's carefully thought out plan was to begin with taking as much stress off the masts as we were able; sails down and stowed and both booms lowered to rest on the coach roof.  Then we began with the lower shrouds and working our way up to the higher cap shrouds which reach from deck to top of the mast.  David would lower the top of outgoing shroud to me on a long rope and I would feed it to lie along the deck, undo the rope and attach it to the top of the new shroud to be lifted.  Once David had his end secured I could fit the clevis and cotter pins at deck level and by tightening the turnbuckles the mast was supported.  We went pair-by-pair, port side, starboard side so we were never more than one wire off at any time.
The most challenging shroud to change was the forestay.  The forestay is the thickest (12mm) and longest shroud (18.3m) on the boat. It stops the main mast falling backwards and passes through an 18m aluminium tube, the head sail foil, which the biggest sail on the boat is attached to.  The foot of the forestay also has an electric supply which had been disconnected and a heavy furling motor which couldn't be disconnected. With two halyards secured from the top of the mast to the bow to pull the mast forward and with help from friends (it was all far too heavy and big for me to handle) David released it at the top of the mast and he lowered it as we walked it out along the dock.

Jacqui taking measurements

each piece date stamped

Changing the wire was straightforward.  It came out without hitch.  The new one was greased and inserted through the foil.  Lifting and fitting was not so simple.  The combined weight of shroud and foil caused it to sag as we tried to align the fitting with the deck mounting, but we did it.  David was lowered to part way down the mast and bracing his legs against the mast stretched out to push the head stay forward and reduce sag.  I undid the turnbuckle as far as it was possible.  The big guys pulled down and I was able to get the clevis pin through and secure it with a split pin (cotter pin).  We'd done it.

Old shrouds coiled on deck

Fitting the new rigging took two weeks of hard physical work.  Tuning it took another two weeks of adjustments and checking.  David hoisted me  to the top of the mast with a long tape measure and we measured from centre top of mast to toe rail, and spreader tips to toe rail to check the mast was dead upright - spirit levels don't work when you're afloat. Checking that each mast was straight and true, each pair of spreaders adjusted equally and checking all the fittings were exactly as they should be.  And then we rechecked everything.

From Amel we have the specifications for correct tension for each shroud and with the aid of a newly purchased tension gauge we able to give to do this.

We are delighted Jackster's rigging has been restored to original Amel standard and specification.