New standing rigging

i rerigged with all 7/32 and sta-loks.  looking back, the fittings were the same price for 1/4 or 7/32. 

only thing is with heavier rigging you need to tighten things down even more to get acceptable tension in the rig

On Joie de Vivre, the split portion of the backstay is made from a single wire.  A thimble is used where the split portion meets the upper portion.  Therefore fewer pieces and fewer chances for failure.  The double backstay is a neat idea.  Since the mast is supported twice, I wonder if a rigger would suggest a lighter wire to make the backstays.

On a side note, from this junction also hangs about 12" of wire terminating in a snap shackle.  This supports the boom instead of the toppinglift when in port.  The advantage is greater stability, as I often lean on the boom when boarding or moving about the boat.

Good day Antoniogm!

Have the conversation with a good rigger but I expect they will say stick with the wire diameters that you have.  When the boat was designed, all the standing rigging would have been spec'd for the boat's needs including a safety factor.  I assume you are not adding huge new sails so the rigging loads will not have changed.  Ironically, I would expect that the quality of the wire will have improved over the years and the loads supported by the 7/32 wire are now slightly higher than they were previously.

I believe the lower shrouds on my boat are 3/16 wire but I would have to check to be certain.  I would expect these to be lighter than the upper shrouds.

In terms of the backstay configuration, our set-up works like a charm and I see no reason to change it.

On my boat I have 1/4 wire for the forestay which I had to replace four years ago as part of a repair to the furler.  At that time my rigger said that the 1/4" wire was overkill but I stuck with it for peace-of-mind as the wire lives hidden under the furler extrusion.

Also, ask the rigger if your standing rigging *needs* to be changed.  In my experience we sometimes get projects into our heads that are not necessary or can be deferred in favour of other projects. 

The pedigree of your Contessa ensures that you won't sound like an ignoramus because you've chosen such a great boat!

I would recommend checking with Seco South in Largo FL (727 536 1924) for anything in the way of standing rigging and lifelines.  They are an OEM supplier to some higher end boats built in the Southeast US, but also sell to retail customers like ourselves. I've used them several times to replace complete standing rigs and been very pleased with the service and the price.  I'll use them when I get around to replacing the rig on my Contessa.  Chris

Finally got the rigging all measured.

Looks like it's mostly 3/16" actually, with 1/4" pins. Seems kind of light to me, but the rigger indicated that upgrading to 7/32 would necessarily require larger pins, and hence larger chainplates (he dismissed drilling out the current ones, as it would thin out the tang too much).

Everyone here seems to indicate a size up in rigging. Did you also change the chainplates? Is 3/16" the production rigging size the Contessa shipped with?

Thanks, A.