By Jason Johnson

If Gary Stray, owner of Super Cat Rigging,were placing a help wanted ad in the local newspaper, it might go something like this:

Must be able to work in tight spaces, need to have mastered college-level geometry and engineering, and should have the visionary skills of a clairvoyant. Only perfectionists need to apply.

Elite riggers are a rare breed whose work can make an ordinary powerboat extraordinary. Fortunately for performance boaters, a new generation of riggers, including Stray and his crew at Super Cat Rigging in Wentzville, Mo., are taking the profession to new heights. From high-end builders and custom rigging shops, there's a tremendous amount of talent serving notice in engine compartments all across America.

Stray's work with Marine Technology Inc. has garnered the most attention because of the artistic

Sweat The Small Stuff
It's that sense of detail that Chad Schneider, one of DCB's lead riggers, understands completely.

"We just try to do the best work possible," Schneider said. "From the cleanliness of the wiring and plumbing to the spacing of clamps and making sure everything is turned a certain way and everything is clean."

Clean is a fitting adjective to describe Schneider and other DCB riggers' work. Functional and durable come to mind as well.

"Nothing gets overlooked here," he said. "We use all the best parts we can and we're concerned about every last detail whether you can see it or not."

Mike Thomas, co-founder of TNT Custom Marine in Miami—one of the most respected rigging shops in the country—said attention to detail is critical.

"Often, we're dealing with high-performance stuff so there's a little more at stake," said Thomas, who has been rigging boats with his partner John Tomlinson for more than two decades. "If you make a mistake with a No. 6 drive or a Merc 1075, you're looking at a $60,000 to $70,000 mistake."

Thomas pointed out that even though TNT rigs many high-profile race boats and high-performance pleasure boats, they are careful not to get too fancy.

"The bottom line is we rig our boats to run in saltwater and the ocean, so we're not so much worried about the look of the rig job, as much as we are the durability," Thomas said.

Thomas acknowledged he still takes a lot of pride in a clean appearance, though. In fact, it was the meticulous rig jobs by shops such as Bob and Jack's Custom Marine some 25 years ago that turned him onto the trade.

"Some race boats in the old days were pieces of art," Thomas said. "Some of those guys had an aircraft background and incorporated that into their boats."

The aircraft-inspired results displayed resilient construction and calculated organization.

"Simple racing-style rigging works the best," said Peter Hledin, owner of Douglas Marine and Skater Powerboats, who still uses military toggle switches in his boats because he said they never fail. "We try to keep things functional and durable and easy to access."

Indispensable Rigging

Talk to Hledin, Thomas, Stray or any rigger for that matter, and they'll explain that hull design is the most critical element to a boat's performance. But without adequate rigging, good luck getting a boat to go anywhere.

It is the ins and outs of a performance boat, controlling the power, steering and more—it's sort of like your body's muscle structure and central nervous system. Without proper rigging, signals would get crossed or never reach their intended destination. Think about what it takes to get the oil pressure signal from the engine to the helm. Not only does everything need to be fastened from the engine but the wiring needs to be secured all the way up to the helm and then anchored properly to the corresponding gauge.

Now picture dozens of wires working in the same manner for other components in the boat. The more durable and systematic the rigging, the less chance for problems.

As many boat owners can attest, poor rigging means headaches. When cables aren't secured properly or tanks aren't mounted precisely on the transom, things can, and will, go wrong.

Not to mention, it just looks sloppy when things aren't tidy. While many production boatbuilders simply don't have the time to devote to a boat like custom rigging shops do, it doesn't mean their work is inferior.

"For us, it's just the DCB mentality," said Schneider, who spent five years rigging at Teague Custom Marine before heading to DCB almost eight years ago. "Dave (Hemmingson, DCB's owner) concentrated on rigging from the beginning and he gives us the opportunity to make everything as nice and as cool as we can."

What It Takes

When it comes to rigging execution, the task calls for certain personalities.

"I think you need to be meticulous," Stray said. "You've got to be safety conscious, which is No. 1, and everything has to be laid out. I always try to look seven or eight steps ahead."

Being nimble or flexible isn't a must, but it helps when it comes to squeezing into tight spaces or working around an engine.

Thomas believes a good rigger needs to be a craftsman or a "jack-of-all-trades."

"To be a good rigger, you have to be a person with some patience and you need to be able to work with your hands," he said. "You also have to be someone who can foresee how to lay everything out."

Although rigging may not always come out right the first time—Thomas said he's ripped plenty of jobs out of a boat and started over again—being prepared is the best game plan.

Essential Preparation

Schneider said it takes him and another DCB rigger between three and five weeks to rig a boat depending on the setup. While the actual rigging process takes up most of that time, the preparation is crucial.

"With our big jobs like new race boats, I try to get involved right off the bat as the boat is being built," Thomas said. "Sometimes structural things can be done to help make the boat easier to rig. Once the boat is in our shop, Johnny (Tomlinson) and I spend quite a bit of time laying it all out. We have a game plan before we drill our first hole. We also try to get ahead of the curve by pre-ordering parts."

Usually rigged in-house, Hledin said his company's Skater catamarans are often designed with rigging in mind. "A lot of our design ideas come from rigging and/or rigging issues," he said. "Especially on our bigger boats—the 40s and 46s—it can be tricky to get the motors in."

Stray said the first thing he does when working on a boat is get to know the customer and find out what they want.

"Once we have the empty boat, we put a dummy engine block in and figure out where everything is going to go like sea strainers, fuel pumps and oil tanks," he said. "That all gets worked out, making sure hoses and wires don't cross—that's my pet peeve."

Creative Juices

Stray developed his eye for detail from years of rigging race boats in Italy and Dubai, which is where he met MTI owner and founder Randy Scism. But it's his genetics that led him to the work he's best known for—themed boats. Stray's father was an engineer and his mother was an artist.

"It's the engineering side of things I'm most interested in," he said. "I guess I have my mother to thank, though. She was very artistic."

That artistic side is why Stray stands out in the business. He takes a lot of pride in what he calls a "show-quality boat," for example the "Batman" boat showcased at this year's Miami International Boat Show.

"The theme boats really enthuse me—the wilder the better," he said after showing off the inspiration for the boat—a toy Batmobile.

From lightly bead-blasted, brushed aluminum plates to fabricated "Batman" logo ignition keys, the production of the "Batman" boat and other theme projects goes beyond general rigging. They are works of art.

Hard work and talent account for much of Stray's finished product, but he's the first to admit he's been fortunate to even have the opportunity to attempt seemingly endless-budget projects like Speed Racer, which featured painted engine valve covers, custom-built throttles and shifters, and powder-painted clamps and fittings.

"I've been extremely lucky with the MTI customers," said Stray while flipping through renderings and sketches of the "Demented Dentist" boat he's working on that will include large teeth for the throttles. "I've also been fortunate to be surrounded by a lot of really talented people."

Scism said Stray deserves all the recognition he receives.

"He's constantly reinventing the wheel and taking it to the next level," Scism said. "He's done so many now that with each one he tries to outdo the next one and the level is just so far out there that no one is even close. I've worked with guys all over the world and I think he's the best I've ever seen."

Despite setting the bar, Stray said he is always learning.

"It's just really a fascinating job," he said. "There's never one day like the next."

Industry Progress

While Stray and others have helped raise rigging standards, Thomas pointed out the quality of parts has played a role as well.

"When I first started, you had to fabricate nearly every piece yourself," Thomas said. "Just look at the instruments out there today. You can build a race boat at the highest level, and every component you need, there's a manufacturer out there that builds a darn good product."

Thomas said it also boils down to dollars. "A lot of man-hours goes into a nicely rigged boat—and that takes money and time," he added. "Still to this day, rigging has gotten better. Even some of the production stuff is great. Yet there's still some people who don't catch on."

Now that's a story for another day.

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