Champagne Needs 9.5 Metres — What If the Catalogue Stops at Nine?

 

The Winter Boat Shed — Repair, Improve and Prepare for Next Season

Champagne Needs 9.5 Metres — What If the Catalogue Stops at Nine?

The boat needs nine and a half metres. The catalogue offers nine. What happens next?

Some winter maintenance jobs begin with something obvious: a frayed sheet, a reluctant pulley or a patch of varnish that has seen better days.

This one begins with a number.

As part of the winter work on Champagne, our A-Rater, we have been looking at replacement wire rigging. The wires we need are around 9.5 metres long. The catalogue options we have found appear to stop at nine.

That immediately raises a practical question: can we buy the wire and fit the ends ourselves, or should someone make the complete assemblies for us?

It is a useful problem to explore because plenty of boat owners eventually discover that their boat does not fit neatly into a supplier’s drop-down menu.

The first step is to turn “I need a longer wire” into a clear description of the assembly the boat actually needs.

The Catalogue Is a Starting Point

An online listing tells us what that particular supplier offers through that particular page. It does not establish the longest wire a rigging workshop can make.

Made-to-measure rigging is an established service. A rigger can discuss the required wire, end fittings and finished dimensions, and may be able to use the old assembly as a pattern. Sailspar, for example, offers this option, with the position of the bottlescrews marked. sailspar.co.uk

For Champagne, that changes the next step. Rather than spending another evening searching for a product labelled “9.5 metres”, I would prepare photographs and measurements for a rigging enquiry.

Winter maintenance often becomes easier at the point where we start describing the actual job clearly.

First Ask: What Does 9.5 Metres Include?

“Length” sounds unambiguous until you put the parts on a bench.

There is the wire itself. There are the terminals at its ends. There may also be toggles, a bottlescrew or another adjustment arrangement.

The complete distance between the boat’s attachment points is different from the cut length of the bare wire.

For this project, 9.5 metres is our starting description. Before ordering anything, we need to confirm exactly what that figure includes.

A measurement of 9,500 mm is only useful when both parties agree where it starts and finishes.

A supplier may require pin-centre to pin-centre, bearing-surface to bearing-surface, or another dimension shown on its drawing. These references must not be treated as interchangeable. Sta-Lok and Essex Rigging publish their own measuring conventions. stalok.com

Nor should we simply order 9.5 metres of loose wire and expect the finished assembly to have that same length once the terminals are fitted.

The practical question to ask is:

“Please show me the two points between which you want the finished assembly measured.”

That one exchange can prevent an expensive misunderstanding.

Photograph, Label and Record Before Dismantling

This connects directly with an earlier Winter Boat Shed theme: photograph it before you take it apart.

Before any rigging is removed, I would want:

• A photograph showing where each wire belongs.
• Close-ups of the upper and lower connections.
• A record of any adjuster settings.
• Labels identifying port, starboard and the particular wire.
• Notes about anything that did not fit or adjust properly during the season.

Rigging should only be disconnected with the mast lowered or properly supported under an agreed procedure. Removing a stay to make measuring convenient can remove essential mast support.

Photography is particularly useful here. A written note saying “fork fitting” may be incomplete; a clear photograph with dimensions can reveal the orientation and surrounding clearance as well.

Keep each assembly and its associated parts together. Two wires that look alike in a coil should not have to be identified from memory several months later.

Measure the Assembly the Supplier Wants

Ask for the supplier’s measuring instructions before beginning.

Where an old assembly is being measured off the boat, lay it out straight in a suitable clear space, remove slack without stretching it, and use the specified reference points. Avoid measuring around a loose coil.

For a wire approaching ten metres, a second person can make the job much easier: one holds the starting point while the other reads and records the far end.

Repeat the measurement. Photograph the endpoints and note the units.

A simple record can prevent later confusion:

Item	What to record
Identity	Boat, wire position and side
Finished length	Millimetres, using the supplier’s stated reference points
Included parts	Terminals, toggles and adjuster, as applicable
Adjuster position	The precise setting used when measuring
Wire	Diameter and confirmed construction
Connections	Fitting types and dimensions, supported by photographs
Existing concerns	Damage, poor adjustment range or doubtful alignment

Unknown information should be marked “to confirm”.

There is no advantage in turning a guess into a specification just to fill every box.

The Bottlescrew Setting Can Change the Order

A bottlescrew, or turnbuckle, alters the effective length of the assembly. Its setting therefore matters when measurements are supplied.

There is no universal ordering convention. Sta-Lok describes assemblies supplied at the midpoint of adjustment as standard. Essex Rigging specifies fully closed screws for its general standing-rigging orders, with a different convention for certain class-specific products. stalok.com

Both can work when the instructions are understood. Mixing their conventions can produce the wrong result.

For Champagne, I would record the existing sailing setting before changing anything, then follow the chosen supplier’s instructions for the order measurement.

The new assembly must leave the adjustment needed for the boat’s rig setup while meeting the hardware manufacturer’s thread-engagement requirements.

A half-metre shortfall is a reason to revisit the specification. It is not a reason to wind an adjuster beyond its permitted range.

“The Same Diameter” Is Only Part of the Answer

Wire rope comes in different constructions. Labels such as 1x19, 7x7 and 7x19 describe different arrangements of strands.

Those labels are specifications, not interchangeable shopping descriptions. The replacement wire and its termination must be appropriate for each other and for the rig.

For Champagne, the existing diameter and construction need to be identified and checked against the boat’s requirements. I would also draw on the experience of a rigger familiar with performance dinghies and, where useful, other A-Rater owners.

That experience helps frame the enquiry. It does not replace measuring our own boat.

Likewise, changing to a thicker wire or a different material is a design decision to discuss, rather than an automatic upgrade.

My aim would be a correctly specified replacement with a clear record of what was fitted.

End Fittings: Check the Complete Connection

An eye, fork or threaded terminal has to match the component it connects to.

Relevant details include pin diameter, fork clearance, thread size and handedness, orientation and the ability of the connection to move as intended. A fitting that looks similar in a photograph may still be unsuitable.

For example, if a fork will not accept the existing attachment plate properly, forcing it into place does not resolve the mismatch.

The rigger should also assess associated pins, toggles and attachment points. Fresh wire cannot compensate for a damaged component elsewhere in the assembly. Manufacturer guidance stresses compatibility and alignment throughout the connection. blog.hayn.com

This is where detailed photographs and a labelled old assembly can be more helpful than a long description over the telephone.

Can We Make Our Own?

It is a fair question, especially in a winter workshop where learning practical skills is part of the enjoyment.

There are two important routes to distinguish.

Professionally swaged assemblies

Swaged terminals are secured using equipment and tooling appropriate to the wire and fitting system.

For Champagne, commissioning complete assemblies would put component selection and manufacture into one agreed job, using confirmed measurements.

It would also give us a clear specification to retain for future replacements.

Purpose-designed mechanical terminals

Some mechanical, or swageless, terminals are designed for assembly using hand tools. Sta-Lok is one example.

That makes owner assembly possible in suitable applications, but the exact terminal, wire and internal components must match. Sta-Lok specifies different wedges for different wire constructions and requires a new wedge when its terminals are reused. stalok.com

Choosing this route would mean following the current instructions for the exact product and having the proposed arrangement assessed for Champagne.

The availability of a self-fit terminal does not, by itself, establish that it is suitable for this boat.

Learning a technique is worthwhile. Deciding whether that technique belongs in a particular load-bearing assembly is a separate part of the job.

Why “Add Another Half Metre” Needs Careful Thought

The obvious arithmetic is straightforward:

9.5 m - 9.0 m = 0.5 m

But that calculation only compares two lengths. It says nothing about suitable fittings, loads or geometry.

I would not buy a short assembly on the assumption that a collection of extra shackles, links or adaptors would make up the difference.

A purpose-designed extension can be legitimate where a rigger specifies it. An improvised chain of fittings introduces questions that the original shopping problem did not answer.

For Champagne, a quotation for the correct complete assembly is the sensible starting point.

Send an Enquiry Someone Can Answer

A useful initial enquiry could read:

We are replacing wire rigging on our A-Rater, Champagne. Our initial length estimate is approximately 9.5 metres, but we need to confirm the finished assembly measurement and exactly which fittings it includes.

Can you supply suitable made-to-measure assemblies? We can provide labelled photographs, measurements and the existing assemblies as patterns if required.

Please confirm your measuring reference points, required adjuster setting and the information you need to identify compatible wire and end fittings. We would also like advice on which associated components should be renewed.

This is an enquiry, not a final manufacturing instruction.

Before work begins, the quotation and drawing should make the specification clear enough for both sides to check.

When comparing quotations, check what each includes: hardware, assembly, inspection, delivery and any fitting or setup work. A length of loose wire and a finished replacement are different purchases.

Keep a Record for Next Winter

Once the replacements have been specified and fitted, I would keep the final drawing, supplier details, installation date and photographs together in Champagne’s maintenance record.

Before sailing, the complete installation needs checking and the rig needs setting up appropriately. Matching the old assembly’s length is only one part of that process.

The old wire is useful evidence, but an arrangement that fitted poorly or had inadequate adjustment should not simply be copied without review.

That is one benefit of tackling the job during winter: there is time to investigate before the first race day.

The Extra Half Metre Is an Invitation to Understand the Rig

Champagne’s replacement-wire problem begins with an irritating gap in a catalogue.

It leads to much better questions.

What exactly are we measuring? Which parts are included? What wire is required? How do the connections fit? Where should the adjusters sit? Who will make and check the assembly?

For me, this is part of the satisfaction of winter boat work. A job that first appears to be a purchase becomes an opportunity to understand the boat more thoroughly.

We need an agreed specification for the assembly Champagne requires.

The catalogue may stop at nine metres. Our next step is to measure, document and speak to the people who can make the right rigging.