Independent guide: Visual checks cannot prove a rig is sound. Hidden corrosion and fatigue may only be found by a rigger or on disassembly.
Quick answer
A good rig inspection follows the load path: hull structure, chainplates, turnbuckles and toggles, terminals, stays and shrouds, tangs, spreaders, the masthead and the mast itself, then the running rigging and furlers. Owners can do a useful deck-level check every season. A rigger should inspect aloft every one to two years and after any incident, and the most complete inspection is done with the mast out. Use the checklist and self-assessment below.
What an inspection should establish
- What is visibly wrong now?
- What important areas cannot be verified visually — and should be?
- What does the rig's age and history imply about future work?
Deck-level checks for owners
- Chainplates: staining, leaks, movement — see chainplate replacement
- Turnbuckles and toggles: bent bodies, cracked threads, missing split pins or rings
- Lower terminals: cracks and rust weeping at swage necks — see swaging
- Wire: broken strands near terminals
- Mast base: corrosion, cracking around the step, wedges or collar in place
- Furler: smooth rotation, drum condition — see furler service
- Running rigging: chafe at clutches, winches and exits
What needs a rigger aloft
- masthead fittings, sheaves and lights
- upper terminals and tangs
- spreader roots, bases and tips
- the forestay's upper terminal and furler swivel
- mast section around fittings
See how to inspect a mast aloft.
Warning signs
Broken strands, cracked swages, bent fittings and elongated holes mean immediate action. See signs your rigging needs attention.
Inspection by situation
- Before buying a yacht
- After heavy weather
- For insurance
- Before an offshore passage
Record the result
Photograph the same fittings each time, note the date and findings, and keep the report with your rigging records. A report should state its scope: "rig inspected" can mean anything from a walk around the deck to a mast-out examination.
Annual checklist and self-assessment
Tick through the checklist below (progress is saved on this device), then use the self-assessment to see whether your rig is due for professional attention.
Frequently asked questions
How often should a yacht rig be inspected?
Owners should do a deck-level check each season and before any significant passage, and many have a professional inspection including aloft every one to two years. Inspect again after any grounding, knockdown, collision or heavy-weather event, whatever the rig's age.
What does a professional rig inspection cost?
It depends on boat size, access and scope — a deck-and-aloft inspection on a marina berth costs far less than a mast-out examination. Ask for the scope in writing so you know what was and was not inspected.
Tick through
Annual inspection checklist
30 checks
Deck level — work from the hull upward
Aloft — masthead and spreader level
Running rigging — the whole working length
Records — what to write down
Progress is saved in this browser only. It is not a substitute for a professional rig inspection.
Self-assessment
Is my rig due for attention?
Seven questions, no data leaves your browser. This is a prompt for a conversation with a rigger, not an inspection or a verdict on your yacht.
0 of 7 answered. Answer every question to see an indicative result.
Common questions
- How do I inspect my yacht’s standing rigging?
Inspect standing rigging by working the whole load path in daylight: chainplate, turnbuckle, toggle, clevis pin, lower terminal, wire, upper terminal and mast tang. Clean each fitting first, then look for cracking, pitting, rust bleeding, distortion, broken strands and fittings that cannot articulate in the direction of load.
- How do I check a forestay hidden inside a furler?
Most of a furling forestay is enclosed in the foil and cannot be inspected in place. Check the exposed upper and lower terminals, the swivel and drum, and the foil joints for movement. A genuine forestay inspection means removing the furler or unstepping the mast, which is why forestay condition is so often missed.
- How do I inspect a mast aloft safely?
Going aloft safely requires two independent attachment points, a halyard whose full length and terminal have been inspected first, a competent person tending the winch, and a plan that never relies on a rope clutch alone. Many owners are better served paying a rigger who goes aloft daily and carries the right equipment.
- How often should I inspect my rig?
Inspect a yacht rig at deck level at least annually, and go aloft or have a rigger go aloft annually as well. Inspect again after any grounding, knockdown, dismasting, accidental gybe or heavy-weather passage, regardless of when the last inspection was. Add a quick deck-level walk before every offshore passage.
- How much does a professional rig inspection cost?
A professional rig inspection in Australia is usually priced as a half-day or day rate plus travel, making it one of the cheapest risk-reduction purchases a yacht owner makes — typically a small fraction of a re-rig. Cost rises with mast height, whether the inspector goes aloft, and whether a written report is included.
- How do I get a second opinion on a rigging assessment?
Get a second opinion by commissioning an independent inspection from a rigger or rig surveyor with no commercial interest in the resulting work, giving them the same photographs and history but not the first assessment. Ask both to justify findings against the specific components they examined rather than against the rig’s age.