Sailboat rigging, chainplates and sails

What to inspect · Sailboats

The mast and rigging are expensive and safety-critical, and most general surveyors stay at deck level. Have a rigger go aloft. Sources give different lifespans for wire rigging, so unless replacement is documented, plan as if the rig is original.

Get a rigging survey

• A rigger climbs the mast and checks the spars, spreaders, stays and shrouds, turnbuckles and, where reachable, chainplates. It takes about an hour; BoatUS put the cost at $400 to $600 in early 2026 (costs vary by region and year).
• Riggers mainly look for rust and crevice corrosion that leave hairline cracks. A dye test can show cracks the eye can't see.
• BoatUS lists red flags that call for a rig survey: rigging more than about 10 years old, frayed wire, cracked swage fittings, weeping chainplates, and turnbuckles screwed all the way in.

How old is too old?

• There is no single answer. Practical Sailor's rule of thumb is to replace wire rigging every 8 to 10 years, sooner after offshore passages or racing. A rigging firm cites 10 to 12 years for wire and 15 to 20 for rod.
• The same rigging firm warns that many insurers won't cover sailboats with aged rigging. Ask your insurer what it requires before you buy.
• Unless the seller can prove when the rig was replaced, assume it is original and price your offer to match.

What to look at yourself

• Broken strands (fishhooks), rust or cracks where wire enters a swage fitting, bent fittings, and loose shrouds, which can point to anything from poor tuning to a failing mast step.
• Lower fittings suffer most, because salt water runs down the wire into them.

Chainplates and sails

• Chainplates that pass through the deck often leak. Look inside for stains, rot or delamination where they bolt to bulkheads. Stainless can corrode unseen inside a wet deck, which is why glassed-in chainplates that can't be inspected are a concern.
• Ask for a list of the sails with their ages and look at them out of their bags. In 2020 one major insurer began depreciating sails and canvas from their sixth year in partial-loss claims, saying soft goods have the shortest life aboard.

Sources disagree on Service life of stainless standing rigging — left out rather than guessed. Check your local authority.

General guidance for recreational boaters, researched from the sources listed and written in our own words. Your equipment manuals, local knowledge, the Navigation Rules and a qualified instructor come first.