Riggers and/or Captains in SoCal, prepping for LB to MDR transfer

[CapnRob85]

Hi all,

We bought a new to us 1971 E29 in Long Beach back in September that we have at leeward bay marina, while we have been doing some work on the boat in the marina here, mostly cosmetic, electrical, and interior work. We now have the boat in good shape and need to prepare her for sailing. We have a couple issues that we need a rigger for, (1) is to retrieve our Genoa halyard cable from the mast head, which we assume is up there but can’t see and don’t have climbing gear, so we are on a captain’s recommendation looking for a rigger to go up the mast, have a look at the mast head, potentially retrieve and attach halyard line to the cable halyard and inspect the sheaves, and (2) to inspect the rest of the rigging and the spreaders (photo attd). The spreaders are wood with chipping paint. Is our boat the tall mast version of e29 if it’s a double spreader? One rigger said he never had seen wood spreaders on ericsons. Any comments on the condition of the spreaders from the photo?

We are trying to complete a transfer between Long Beach and Marina Del Rey, which is coastal sailing of about 30 NM.

We are also looking for a capable licensed captain for that transfer as well, potentially one who can go up the mast and do an inspection of the rigging beforehand. We are now paying rent in two marinas and trying to complete the transfer as quickly and safely as possible. We have a Johnson 15 OB for power outside of sails (sails are in fair condition) as the A4 inboard is not operational. Thanks in advance for advice and / referrals.

We have contacted a couple riggers in the area and so far (Rashi, Sea Tec (Alan), Bahia marine (Ben), Bryson Marine) nobody has availability for months.

-Rob

 

[Christian Williams]

Rosie the rigger. She's great.

Rose Rigging-Marina del Rey-CA-90295|Boatersbook.com

Rose Rigging Services, in Marina del Rey, California provides complete boat and yacht rigging services for both sail boats and power boats. Whether it's for cru

www.boatersbook.com

Jerome Sammarcelli. Rigger, among other things, good fellow to know.

S A I L U T I O N S

www.sailutionsusa.com

If you used a broker, he could help get you company for the trip. Or the former owner, perhaps. If you want to chat about possibilities, you could call Lon Bubeck at Flying Cloud Yachts, or Steve Curran at Marina del Rey Yacht Sales. They're brokers, and likely know of somebody who'd be available to accompany you.

Riggers are hard to schedule. But you can make the delivery under power if you trust the outboard. Leave at dawn on a day with low scheduled wind and use the GPS. It's an easy trip. Join Boat US tow service, we all carry that coverage anyhow and it will take the sweat off.

 

[CapnRob85]

Amazing Christian. Thanks very much!

 

[Loren Beach]

One caveat about the riggers you have spoken to - wooden spreaders were very common on boats from many different builders in that era. Others here can comment on early EY rigs, however.

 

[CapnRob85]

One caveat about the riggers you have spoken to - wooden spreaders were very common on boats from many different builders in that era. Others here can comment on early EY rigs, however.

Do you think that my spreaders are original? They do seem old. I can’t tell what type of wood it is. Might be teak. It was originally painted. I feel it’s in pretty good shape and if sanded and repainted may be fine, but cant tell. Is a 50 year spreader with chipped paint too old as a rule or depends? I’m having a hard time determining which updates are necessary/blockers and which are good to have.

 

[Loren Beach]

Nothing "wrong" with wood spreaders. They can rot if not maintained.
I prefer aluminum because I do not want to remove and paint and/or repair wood every year or so. Mark it up to laziness.

The present spreaders might be original....
It's hard to tell, this many decades down the road how much of the spar system on your boat is original. The riggers that I know all recommend new standing rigging every 20 years at the most, for instance. Your boat could be on its third set of shrouds now, or the prior owner ignored it. Pretty hard to tell without credible written records.
(That's a major reason that most buyers will replace the rig within a few years after buying any older boat. And often do it immediately. )

FWIW, I know of riggers that will do, for well earned $, a full rig inspection. i.e. a rigging survey. It's an investment, IMO.

 

[bigd14]

If after inspecting, you decide to replace the spreaders, contact Buzz Ballenger at Ballenger Spars. He made up some lovely new spreaders and a thru-bar for my former E27. Document measurements and angles before removal.

 

[Todd charchenko]

FWIW I just shipped in 79 E-29 to Seattle from Alameda And my spreaders were wood but I don't believe they were teak as they were not a very hard wood

 

[CapnRob85]

Nothing "wrong" with wood spreaders. They can rot if not maintained.
I prefer aluminum because I do not want to remove and paint and/or repair wood every year or so. Mark it up to laziness.

The present spreaders might be original....
It's hard to tell, this many decades down the road how much of the spar system on your boat is original. The riggers that I know all recommend new standing rigging every 20 years at the most, for instance. Your boat could be on its third set of shrouds now, or the prior owner ignored it. Pretty hard to tell without credible written records.
(That's a major reason that most buyers will replace the rig within a few years after buying any older boat. And often do it immediately. )

FWIW, I know of riggers that will do, for well earned $, a full rig inspection. i.e. a rigging survey. It's an investment, IMO.

Thanks Loren Beach! Great advice. I'm going to try and get an inspection scheduled.

 

[CapnRob85]

If after inspecting, you decide to replace the spreaders, contact Buzz Ballenger at Ballenger Spars. He made up some lovely new spreaders and a thru-bar for my former E27. Document measurements and angles before removal.

Thanks Bigd14! I'll keep Buzz and Ballenger in mind if/when we decide to replace!

 

[CapnRob85]

FWIW I just shipped in 79 E-29 to Seattle from Alameda And my spreaders were wood but I don't believe they were teak as they were not a very hard wood

Good to know Todd. Thanks!

 

[racushman]

Most of the wood spreaders of this era of boat are sitka spruce (softwood). No way to tell if yours are original or not, but I would assume they are unsafe unless proven otherwise. I used to have a Catalina 30 with wood spreaders that had lived its whole life in sunny/dry Southern California. When I inspected them at ~20 years of age I discovered widespread dry rot where the spreader butt meets the mast. If yours are bad then wood replacements are easy to make (in my case I fabricated from a 2x4). Aluminum replacements would be better, but are also expensive.

 

[CapnRob85]

Hi All, we made it up to MDR! Thanks for all of the good advice here. We ended up motoring most of the way and getting the US Boat insurance as a backup. We left early at 6 am. Our Johnson 15 outboard ran strong against the current and NW headwind at around 2 knots, which got us past point Vincente, then we put up the main and motorsailed at a solid 5 knots the rest of the way in. We hired an operator referred by our marina who has lived in the area his whole life and is a pro. Happy to refer him if anyone is in need. Would love to meet any sailors out there in the MDR area in the coming months. See you around MDR / Catalina soon! Thanks, Rob.