Spars and rigging split into two jobs, and you choose each differently: standing rigging holds the mast up, and running rigging makes the boat go. Standing-rigging fittings are chosen by breaking load and matched exactly to your wire — this is the one area of the boat where a wrong number can put the rig over the side, so you never guess a size. Running rigging is chosen by the load it carries and the hand feel you want. Poles, bowsprits and lifelines complete the picture, tying the rig to the deck and keeping the crew aboard.
This category is for the owner who tunes, maintains and upgrades their own rig — the 30–45 ft cruiser or performance-cruiser sailor replacing halyards, servicing terminals, adding a bowsprit for a code sail, or renewing lifelines. Because standing rigging is load-critical, the sections below separate the mast-up hardware from the make-it-go lines so you can work on each with the right mindset.
A note on safety: standing rigging holds the mast up, so any load, breaking-strength, wire-size or service-interval figure must come verbatim from the manufacturer's own documentation. Where a number cannot be sourced that way, size it from the maker's table rather than an estimate.
Spars & Rigging at a glance
| Section | What you'll find |
|---|---|
| Lines & Running Rigging | Halyards, sheets and control lines, and the rope to build and splice them. |
| Standing Rigging Fittings | Terminals, turnbuckles, toggles and fittings that hold the mast up. |
| Bowsprits, Spinnaker & Whisker Poles | Poles and bowsprits for setting and controlling downwind and reaching sails. |
| Lifeline & Stanchion Rigging | Lifelines, stanchions, gates and the hardware that keeps the crew on deck. |
| Backstays & Babystays | Backstay and babystay adjusters and hardware for tuning mast bend and forestay tension. |
How do standing and running rigging differ?
Standing rigging is fixed and structural — the wires and fittings that hold the mast up and take the rig loads, chosen by breaking strength and matched to the wire. Running rigging is the moving lines — halyards, sheets and control lines — chosen by working load, stretch and hand feel. The two are designed to different rules: standing rigging is a safety system with no margin for a wrong size; running rigging is a performance and handling choice.
How do I choose a standing-rigging fitting?
Start from the wire: its diameter and construction set the terminal, turnbuckle and toggle that go with it, and every one of those has a rated breaking load that must exceed the rig load with margin. Mixing sizes or types — an undersized turnbuckle on oversized wire, a swage where a swageless terminal belongs — is exactly how rigs fail. Take the wire and fitting figures from the manufacturer, confirm compatibility, and never estimate.
How do I choose the right line for running rigging?
Match the line to its job. Halyards want low stretch to hold sail shape; sheets balance strength, grip and hand feel; control lines want easy handling. Line diameter has to suit the clutches, blocks and winches it runs through, so choose the rope and the hardware together. Cover and core construction change how a line feels and lasts — pick for the load and the handling you want.
What do poles, bowsprits and lifelines add?
They extend and secure the rig. A bowsprit or whisker pole sets the tack of a downwind or reaching sail out where it can draw; a spinnaker pole controls the guy. Lifelines and stanchions are the deck's safety rail. None of these carry the mast, but each is chosen the same careful way — by the load and the boat it serves.
How often should I inspect my standing rigging?
Regularly, and closely — standing rigging fails from fatigue you can often see coming. Check terminals for cracks, wires for broken strands, turnbuckles and toggles for wear and alignment, at least at the start of each season and after any hard sail. Because it is load-critical, when a fitting's condition or history is in doubt, replace it rather than run it another season.
How do I choose the right rope construction for a line?
Match construction to the job. Low-stretch cores such as high-modulus fibres hold sail shape in halyards; a good cover gives grip and hand feel on sheets; softer, more flexible lines suit control lines that run through many turns. Diameter must suit the clutches, blocks and winches the line passes through, so choose the rope and the hardware together, not separately.
Can I mix wire and fitting brands in my standing rigging?
You can use fittings from different makers, but each must be rated for and compatible with the exact wire it terminates — same diameter, same construction, correct terminal type. What you cannot do is mix sizes or fudge compatibility. When in doubt, keep a rig's terminals within one system and confirm every rating against the manufacturer.
Explore each section
- Lines & Running Rigging
- Standing Rigging Fittings
- Bowsprits, Spinnaker & Whisker Poles
- Lifeline & Stanchion Rigging
- Backstays & Babystays
Frequently asked questions
Can I reuse standing-rigging fittings when I re-rig?
Terminals and swages are generally replaced with the wire, not reused; toggles and turnbuckles are inspected and replaced if worn. When a fitting is load-critical and its history is unknown, replace it — the cost is trivial against a lost rig.
How do I know what wire size my boat uses?
It is set by the boat's design and rig loads; confirm it from the boat's or spar maker's specification, and match every fitting to that exact wire. Do not size a fitting by eye.
What's the difference between swage and swageless terminals?
Swage terminals are pressed onto the wire with a machine; swageless (mechanical) terminals assemble by hand and can be fitted and inspected without a rigging shop. Both are rated — choose by your setup and match the terminal to the wire.
Does MAURIPRO carry rigging wire, fittings and rope?
Yes. The sections below link to real, in-stock terminals, turnbuckles, rope, poles and lifeline hardware from the rigging brands MAURIPRO works with.