Don't know if he recommnds Dyneema rigging or not but I and a lot of other sea breezers use and recommend Joe Walsh.
Give him a call and have a chat 0410476626 he knows his stuff.
I will be there Monday getting my steering cables replaced.

I'm sorry to say that I couldn't recommend Joe Walsh. We changed our standing rigging on our 50 foot cutter rigged ketch with him last year. We chose Joe as he has a great reputation, and came recommended.

Sadly, it was a total nightmare. He was highly disorganised, took more than 5 months with countless broken promises, and in the end we moved on with a large number of (admittedly minor) issues still unresolved, rather than having to deal with him any longer.

Throughout this process, he was gruff, unpleasant and unwilling to engage in any proper discussion on specific elements of the job whatsoever, resulting in sub-optimal outcomes in many many ways. He also cut many corners, which left us feeling concerned about the quality of workmanship, to the extent that we engaged another rigger to check his work.

I think he's "jumped the shark" - may have been great in his day, but sadly no longer up to the job, in my opinion. He's also the last person I'd ask abut new techniques or material - he's 100% stuck in the past.

The good news is that there were no major issues when we had his work checked, just a long list of minor issues to be resolved (some of which he no doubt would have sorted if we had harassed him for long enough, rather than giving up on him and moving on, but some of which he had been denying were an issue in the first place).

We've since moved on to Jason from Diverse Rigging - he is young, but very customer service orientated, and has been efficient and cost effective so far. I'd start there for sure.

SteelSapphire said..
I'm sorry to say that I couldn't recommend Joe Walsh. We changed our standing rigging on our 50 foot cutter rigged ketch with him last year. We chose Joe as he has a great reputation, and came recommended.

Sadly, it was a total nightmare. He was highly disorganised, took more than 5 months with countless broken promises, and in the end we moved on with a large number of (admittedly minor) issues still unresolved, rather than having to deal with him any longer.

Throughout this process, he was gruff, unpleasant and unwilling to engage in any proper discussion on specific elements of the job whatsoever, resulting in sub-optimal outcomes in many many ways. He also cut many corners, which left us feeling concerned about the quality of workmanship, to the extent that we engaged another rigger to check his work.

I think he's "jumped the shark" - may have been great in his day, but sadly no longer up to the job, in my opinion. He's also the last person I'd ask abut new techniques or material - he's 100% stuck in the past.

The good news is that there were no major issues when we had his work checked, just a long list of minor issues to be resolved (some of which he no doubt would have sorted if we had harassed him for long enough, rather than giving up on him and moving on, but some of which he had been denying were an issue in the first place).

We've since moved on to Jason from Diverse Rigging - he is young, but very customer service orientated, and has been efficient and cost effective so far. I'd start there for sure.

Maybe it might be you or it might be me but I have never had an issue with him can only say as I have found him.

SteelSapphire said..
I'm sorry to say that I couldn't recommend Joe Walsh. We changed our standing rigging on our 50 foot cutter rigged ketch with him last year. We chose Joe as he has a great reputation, and came recommended.

Sadly, it was a total nightmare. He was highly disorganised, took more than 5 months with countless broken promises, and in the end we moved on with a large number of (admittedly minor) issues still unresolved, rather than having to deal with him any longer.

Throughout this process, he was gruff, unpleasant and unwilling to engage in any proper discussion on specific elements of the job whatsoever, resulting in sub-optimal outcomes in many many ways. He also cut many corners, which left us feeling concerned about the quality of workmanship, to the extent that we engaged another rigger to check his work.

I think he's "jumped the shark" - may have been great in his day, but sadly no longer up to the job, in my opinion. He's also the last person I'd ask abut new techniques or material - he's 100% stuck in the past.

The good news is that there were no major issues when we had his work checked, just a long list of minor issues to be resolved (some of which he no doubt would have sorted if we had harassed him for long enough, rather than giving up on him and moving on, but some of which he had been denying were an issue in the first place).

We've since moved on to Jason from Diverse Rigging - he is young, but very customer service orientated, and has been efficient and cost effective so far. I'd start there for sure.

Sadly #2. A good mate with a Hutton 25 at Gladesville got it re-rigged there and the new shrouds were put back in the wrong place. My mate tried to get it fixed but complained to me every time he called them he got "not interested" "too busy" "too busy" and eventually gave up.

twodogs1969 said..

SteelSapphire said..
I'm sorry to say that I couldn't recommend Joe Walsh. We changed our standing rigging on our 50 foot cutter rigged ketch with him last year. We chose Joe as he has a great reputation, and came recommended.

Sadly, it was a total nightmare. He was highly disorganised, took more than 5 months with countless broken promises, and in the end we moved on with a large number of (admittedly minor) issues still unresolved, rather than having to deal with him any longer.

Throughout this process, he was gruff, unpleasant and unwilling to engage in any proper discussion on specific elements of the job whatsoever, resulting in sub-optimal outcomes in many many ways. He also cut many corners, which left us feeling concerned about the quality of workmanship, to the extent that we engaged another rigger to check his work.

I think he's "jumped the shark" - may have been great in his day, but sadly no longer up to the job, in my opinion. He's also the last person I'd ask abut new techniques or material - he's 100% stuck in the past.

The good news is that there were no major issues when we had his work checked, just a long list of minor issues to be resolved (some of which he no doubt would have sorted if we had harassed him for long enough, rather than giving up on him and moving on, but some of which he had been denying were an issue in the first place).

We've since moved on to Jason from Diverse Rigging - he is young, but very customer service orientated, and has been efficient and cost effective so far. I'd start there for sure.

Maybe it might be you or it might be me but I have never had an issue with him can only say as I have found him.

Yeah, that's the frustrating thing. I've met plenty of people with positive things to say too, both before and after our nightmare. I suspect our job was just too big for him to take on - there's a big difference in scale between re-rigging a 25 foot sloop, and a 50 foot cutter rigged ketch with keel stepped masts, and while I don't think there's anything intrinsically different from a technical point of view, I just think the job got away from him. Doubtless he's handled as big/bigger jobs in the past, but the key phrase there is in the "past".

When l was looking for a rigger early last year l checked Walsh out personally and l had a good look at two recently finished jobs (the jobs were far from finished !) by him and all alarms went off the charts: NONONO!
I am glad l did not engage him as l heard more horror stories about his workmanship since.
He was far the cheapest by a good margin but still, l am glad l did not give him the job.

(Now l have to fight another bloody rigger! )

Back on topic.....dyneema standing rigging
Just did an S&S 34 new double spreader mast with it and here is my thoughts....
- the materials will set you back 20-40% more than re-rigging in s/s depending on what fittings you can re-use
- if you are getting a rigger to do all the splicing, add another 20% as it's far more time consuming than s/s
- you will get about the same lifespan out of the dyneema but you will only have to replace the dyneema so it becomes cheaper
- use turnbuckles (well lubricated) and lashing as the rigging will stretch more than the turnbuckles will handle
- set up a stretch system to pre-stretch before putting on the boat. A couple of trees and an endless chain works well.
- if you have a furler you will have to keep a s/s forestay

Personally unless your loaded I wouldn't pay someone to do it. The beauty of dyneema is it's easy to splice so you can save alot of time with DIY.

If you want more advice on doing it yourself and pricing on the gear to do it, email me on [email protected] and i can give you heaps more info!

2bish said..
Mario Ruel did a full re rig for our boat and installed a dyneema backstay as part of the job. Great guy, efficient and good work.

Dyneema backstay is the easy one!! No chafe to worry About, length do esnt have to be spot on due to purchase system and it's usually pretty easy to attach to the masthead.

SteelSapphire said..
I'm sorry to say that I couldn't recommend Joe Walsh. We changed our standing rigging on our 50 foot cutter rigged ketch with him last year. We chose Joe as he has a great reputation, and came recommended.

Sadly, it was a total nightmare. He was highly disorganised, took more than 5 months with countless broken promises, and in the end we moved on with a large number of (admittedly minor) issues still unresolved, rather than having to deal with him any longer.

Throughout this process, he was gruff, unpleasant and unwilling to engage in any proper discussion on specific elements of the job whatsoever, resulting in sub-optimal outcomes in many many ways. He also cut many corners, which left us feeling concerned about the quality of workmanship, to the extent that we engaged another rigger to check his work.

I think he's "jumped the shark" - may have been great in his day, but sadly no longer up to the job, in my opinion. He's also the last person I'd ask abut new techniques or material - he's 100% stuck in the past.

The good news is that there were no major issues when we had his work checked, just a long list of minor issues to be resolved (some of which he no doubt would have sorted if we had harassed him for long enough, rather than giving up on him and moving on, but some of which he had been denying were an issue in the first place).

We've since moved on to Jason from Diverse Rigging - he is young, but very customer service orientated, and has been efficient and cost effective so far. I'd start there for sure.

+100. I had a very bad experience with him too. He took the mast out but didn't put the new rigging in or put the mast back, so I ended up doing it myself. A fortnight ago I was chatting to someone else who had the same experience.

Hi all
Wow...stirred up a bit of a hornets nest there but that's the benefit of a forum full of real life experience. Did a little more digging and yes, going synthetic is not as cheap and easy as it is made out to be. Spoke to Jason at Diverse rigging who put my mind at ease in regards to some of the crap stainless coming in from China.
Looks like I'm back in the stainless camp, now to get a few quotes. Thanks all for the feedback.
BTW, I have also dealt with Mario Ruel in Pittwater some years back and found him very knowledgeable and helpful.

Cheers
Gos

sirgallivant said..
On a ship of yours galvanised steel would not be out of place.
It would be cheaper and more user friendly to maintain and repair.
I know, this thought is orthodox this day and age of shiny s/s and oh so modern dynema, spectra and carbon fibre but your yacht is not a space age boat either.
I would seriously consider the galvanised steel option.

On a boat not designed for it, it actually wouldn't be alot cheaper than s/s as you would have to custom make fittings.
Also a forestay under a furler has to be s/s

Just saw this set up on Morning Star today on the Tamar. Looks very clean.





Sorry about the sideways photos
A

Fixed it for ya!

(With apologies to HG and best wishes from us all.)

Andrew68 said..
Just saw this set up on Morning Star today on the Tamar. Looks very clean.





Sorry about the sideways photos
A

Yeah I did all that splicing!!

new 28 foot boat we launched friday rigged sk75 bronze deadeyes bronze chainplates even with all the bronze work still cheaper than ss and no chaff on the varnish when rigging