What does it cost to replace a sailboat's standing rigging?

Budget roughly £4,000 to £8,000 to replace conventional wire standing rigging on a straightforward 30 to 38ft cruising sloop, or £8,000 to £15,000 or more for a larger or more complicated rig. First check the rig's documented age and exactly what the quotation covers: wire alone costs far less than a complete job with terminals, bottlescrews, crane lifts and tuning.

Replacement bills compared

Boat length is a starting point, but the number of stays, wire diameter and access arrangements account for much of the bill. These figures are budgeting allowances, not fixed tariffs; local labour rates, tax and yard charges vary considerably.

These historical examples show the spread:

• Hallberg-Rassy 382, Spain, 2022: an owner reported paying €4,800 for a rigger's replacement job after finding damaged terminals on 30-year-old rigging. The report did not establish everything the price included.
• 43ft cutter, United States, around 2021: new rigging supplied separately cost $5,800. Crane visits and labour added about $4,000, bringing the total to nearly $9,800.
• Hallberg-Rassy 42E, Italy, 2023: a quotation totalled approximately €14,000, comprising €1,950 for mast handling and associated work plus roughly €12,000 for the complete rigging package and fitting.

These are dated examples, not current offers. They show why a quotation that looks expensive may be reasonable once you compare the work included.

What the quotation should cover

Standing rigging comprises the wires or rods supporting the mast: forestay, backstay, cap shrouds, lower shrouds and any intermediate, inner or baby stays. Halyards and sheets are running rigging and normally cost extra.

Ask each rigger to itemise:

• Wire and terminals: diameter, construction, material and termination type, with every stay identified.
• Adjustment hardware: which bottlescrews, toggles, clevis pins and split pins will be renewed or reused.
• Mast handling: electrical disconnection, unstepping, crane hire, trestles or storage, restepping and reconnection.
• Furler work: dismantling and rebuilding around the new forestay, plus any separately priced replacement bearings or damaged foil sections.
• Completion: mast alignment, dockside tuning, any sailing check, tax and disposal.

Check that crane charges cover both lifts and ask whether the boat must come ashore. Yard labour and mast storage can quickly push up a low quoted price if they are charged separately.

Why rigging costs vary

A simple single-mast sloop generally costs less than a cutter with extra stays or a ketch with a second mast. More spreaders mean more wires, terminals and connections to measure, inspect and assemble.