Electronic rig testing

Jeckells sailmakers offer a new service

Jeckells the Sailmakers are able to offer a new electronic rig testing service for clients which offers a quick and simple way of detecting problems in your rigging before they become serious and cause damage.

The electronic rig-tester provides a method of non-destructively checking the quality of rigging terminals to identify potential problems before they cause a rig to fail. Terminals can fail for a variety of reasons such as fatigue due to continuous vibration, poor compression during manufacture or corrosion caused by salt water.

Rigging usually fails at the joint between the wire and the termination - the point at which it is connected to the mast or deck. Jeckells’ electronic rig-tester measures the very low electrical resistance between the wire and its termination. The system is essentially comparative, looking for the difference between the readings taken from similar terminals. Any defective joints will generate high resistance readings and lead the tester to a potential problem area.

Customers can send their rigging to Jeckells at the company’s Wroxham loft for testing or arrange for a full rig test whilst the rigging is in place. The cost of the service ranges from £3 per terminal if the mast is down and from £10 if climbing of the mast is required.
If a client commissions Jeckells to test their rig and goes on to buy a new sail then a percentage of the cost of the test is refunded.

Group bookings can also be arranged whereby Jeckells the Sailmakers will spend a day in one area and carry out a rig test on an entire yacht club for a special rate. For customer convenience, this service can be arranged on a Saturday or Sunday.

"Sails and rigging go hand in hand and we feel that our investment in this new technology will provide an extremely valuable service for our clients", explains Chris Jeckells, Managing Director of Jeckells the Sailmakers. "Using the electronic rig tester we can help our customers to identify weak areas of their rigging so that they can be replaced before disaster occurs".