Cut the Wire and Make Own Standing Rigging ?

[flemmingsveen]

I start to get a bit tired now, after 4 years work on our boat an finally on water the dollar never seem to stop running trough my hands....
I got some of my swaged fittings and some turnbuckles that start cracking. So I got some options.

1. Cut of the cracked swaged terminals put on some of the twist on connections and find a decent way to extend the wire.(the terminals are aprox 5 inches) And change the pieces on the turnbuckle that are cracked. (Got some spare buckles and cable)
2. Buy a drum of 7x19 cable on ebay and a bucket of terminals and make new cables.
3. Get quotations from rigging people.

And how to check the cable inside the furling. hmm german stuff, top reff furling, I guess I have to take the whole thing apart?

Im leaning towards number one, just because we dont know how long we are going to sail. And we already spent all our saving so many times...

But on the other hand as long as I can find terminals that is affordable (Haven`t checked yet). The cable on ebay dont have a huge pricetag.

Hmm anyone support number one? and have solutions what to extend 5 inches with?

[ADMPRTR]

If you are not planning on sailing much longer then #1 is probably acceptable. All I can suggest is a series of shackles to achieve that.

Option #2 is only as good as the wire you can source. You also may end up buying more than you need and if you don't have the proper skills and equipment to do the job properly it could be a problem.

Option #3 is probably the best but if you are selling the boat soon then it won't the best economical solution although new standing rigging may make it easier to sell the boat (or not).

A forth option might be to find parts off a scuttled boat that is being sold for scrap.

Can't comment on your furling issue.

The solution really comes down to what you do with the boat and how long you intend to do it. IMO.

[Cotemar]

This is an expensive sport mate.
I would go with option 3

[ADMPRTR]

Originally Posted by Cotemar

This is an expensive sport mate.
[/B]

The understatement of the year...

[flemmingsveen]

Cotamar:
I know all about expensive.... My cost the last 4 years is many times the boat value. But right now im unsure, money start to get low...
For us its more a lifestyle, its our home for the family
ADMPRTR:
Yes the 4th alternative is smart. Im taking a tour to the marinas, I also found that it is something called terminal extenders, Ill have too look into that. If I can take up the rigging battle in a year or two it would be nice.

[ADMPRTR]

I understand your pain. I feel it to and I only use my boat a few weeks a year. Hence my own ambivalence about owning a boat.

That said, really, rigging is a safety issue, not just an inconvenience if it fails. If you are going out with your family then I would really urge getting the rigging done professionally, or at least properly. Hidden fractures or rust could result in very serious consequences.

What you may be able to do is prioritize what to replace and set in a plan to spread out the work over a period of time. That is what I did, replacing my forestay when it needed it and keeping an eye on the others. It isn't ideal but is better than nothing.

[cal40john]

How old is the wire, you might need to replace it. Stalock and Norseman, which are mechanical ends, have extra long studs to make up for short wire if you don't need to replace the wire.

Is your boat very low tech? 7x19 is usually used for running rigging because of its flexibility. It is not used very often as standing rigging because of its stretch.

John

[flemmingsveen]

Took a total check today with the following results:

5 clearly cracks in swag terminals, 2 other starting.
So its 4 good. terminals.
3 forks from the turnbuckles are starting to crack.
some nuts where cracked to.
All theese came the last 4 years. We have been sitting in a industrial yard with steeldust everywhere.....

But now I have to Find out if the weak candystripes I have on all my wires are a sign if they are bad or not. Could not see it from close but when i looked up from a distance I saw it clearly.
Do somebody know for shure? I have to take out a spare cable and change one of the rear cable since it have gotten much worse the last month. Maybe too much tension I belive, feel a bit stiff.

So before I go to sleep Ill better research some more, I would really like to do some cable switches and keep the big cost a couple of years ahead.

Candystripes are the new thing, they look good!

[osirissail]

Originally Posted by cal40john

How old is the wire, you might need to replace it. Stalock and Norseman, which are mechanical ends, have extra long studs to make up for short wire if you don't need to replace the wire. . . . John

These are the extra long studs from Sta-Lock. You cut off the cracked swag stud and install these. Sailing Services in Miami sells them, but you might be able to get them from a more local provider.
Sta-Lok Long Stud Terminals

[roverhi]

Working with StaLok or Norseman terminals is a no brainer. Just follow the directions to the letter and your set. Both manufacturers make long studs to take care of just replacing the lower terminals. My first ever experience with Norsemans was rigging our W32. Took two days to do the job because I went really slow initially to be sure that I did it right and the W32 has a bunch of terminals with the bowsprit, boomkin and staysail. Can do a terminal in under 15 minutes after a little practice, now.

Given your experience with the rigging, I'd be thinking about doing a total wire and turnbuckle replacement. Unless the rigging is really old, you shouldn't have all the cracks that are showing, especially after being on the hard. Buy 316 SS 1x19 wire if you can afford it. The corrosion resistance is so much better with 316. I'd be leary about dealing with Ebay suppliers. There is some really crappy SS wire out there so I'd want to know the provenance of the wire that they are selling

[flemmingsveen]

The extra long terminals looked nice. Im not sure of the age on the rigging.
Could be 20 years or also less. The Boat is all metric, but the turnbuckles had 1/2" pins in them. So they could may be bought here in the Caribbean.
I have a feeling that the candy stripes is a sign to change.

I have looked at many solutions, defender sells, Swage eye for 18.99 usd each
1x19 ss316, 250 feet from ebay 480 usd.
822usd total pluss toggles. Cant find them cheap so need to overhaul my old ones. Get some new fork ends etc. And the cost to get them swage pressed. Im not feeling to worried, its not 10k yet...

Another solution that could make things easy is that I found Timbles for 1x19 cable. I tought the ss316 was to stiff to do this with. But it would make it cheaper to use oval swage and timble, and cheaper tool to crimp it.
But this is just me rambling online to late with battery falling down to 12,1V... Better pray for plenty wind tonight. And maybe some more good ideas. And if someone have news about candy stripes on the wire it better, I could just order extra long terminals and some parts for my turnbuckles.
Good night good folks!

[osirissail]

You need to take photos and post them as your descriptions are rather unusual and difficult to imagine.
Here is a reputable source of rigging 316SS wire and prices: http://www.sailingservices.com/catal...007_page11.pdf

I would be terrified of buying standing rigging wire off eBay. You have absolutely no ability to determine what the wire alloy actually is and where the wire came from and if it has been abused or mechanically compromised.

The reason folks use Sta-Locks or Norseman Terminals (and other brands) is that swaged terminals have to be done in a very large powerful rotating machine. Swaging is NOT a do-it-yourself process. And very few companies who offer the service do a very good/reliable job. So Sta-Locks and Norseman Terminals are best for D-I-Y installations.

Here is a photo of a swaging machine:

[flemmingsveen]

I will post a picture a day when I go ashore and get som good wifi connection for upload. The wire looks fine, no rust along the wire what makes the candy stripes looks like a brownish thing inbetween some cables. its not one rusty cord that goes around. But more just a darker area that go around. But I will post it. To rest my mind I must admit changing the cables and turnbuckles would be a nice thing to do. Seems do be landing on 2000 USD shipped for finished cables from the states. I go up in the mast later or tomorrow and measure all the lengths. And get quotes. It could add value to change the rigging also i guess.

[Efraim]

If you want rigging done right and at a reasonable cost, all you have to do is find an industrial rigger. The people who do rigging on cranes, elevators etc. In almost all jurisdictions these people are licensed and can provide you with certificates for insurances purposes, all at a fraction of the cost of a "marine rigger".

[Tia Bu]

If the candy striping is just a discoloration around the outside of the cable, it is not a problem. The real thing to look for is corrosion starting to show between the strands of the cable, coming from inside. You might pry gently between the strands with a small screwdriver or marlin spike to look inside.

Corrosion between the strands is a sign the wire should be replaced.

A professional rigger showed me that, for what it's worth.