Yacht Rig and Masthead Inspection Report

Losing a rig in a storm due to rigging failure is a nightmare scenario which can all too easily happen if the rig is not checked and maintained regularly. As this is a key liability for insurance companies it is one of the issues which surveyors are expected to report upon in the insurance survey which occurs every 5 to 8 years. The only way to check the rig properly is to examine the masthead and the associated elements.
The prudent owner/skipper will wish to chech his rig more often than every 5 to 8 years, ideally with an annual de-masting or by a visit to the masthead. The time interval between inspections depends to a large extent upon the use the yacht is put through in a year. A yacht used for casual recreational sailing at weekends will not experience the same rigours as a yacht used for transatlantic passage making, so common sense must apply. It is suggested that the owner of a vessel discusses the ideal time intervals for masthead inspections to be effected with his surveyor.

A pre-purchase condition survey would not normally inspect the mast head other than by visual inspection using binoculars from deck level, unless specifically requested by the commissioning client. A full masthead inspection requires a demasting or masthead visit so that a closer inspection may be effected. With boatyards charging about 150 to 200 Pounds to drop a mast, the former is to be preferred.

If the vessel is on hardstanding then a de-masting is the only option as the risks of the yacht falling over with the weight of someone up the mast are too great to be entertained. With the yacht afloat, our surveyors will visit the masthead for an insurance survey but will require to "mousetail in" a sailsafesurvey.co.uk owned new rope for the hoisting purpose.

Items of concern at the masthead include....
**Wire strand failure of multi-strand standing rigging at the swaged end connector,
**Fatigue failure and splitting of the swaged end connector,
**Distortion damage to the standing rigging end connector entry into the mast,
**Wear on halliard sheeve blocks,
**The mounting of masthead accessories such as aerials and tricolour lights
**Condition of halliards and halliard fairleads at the masthead
**Lubrication of moving parts & corrosion inhibition