Rerigging with Hayn Hi-mods

[um saudade]

I have some Hy-Mod fittings installed on my boat. I think the basic design is great, certainly strong enough and puts very little stress on the ends of the wire.

BUT: A year or so ago I helped shorten the backstay of another boat so a hydraulic adjuster could be installed and we used a Hy-Mod fitting at the lower end. After a couple months sailing the owner decided that another inch needed to come off the backstay to make everything come out right. That Hy-Mod did not come apart. Ended up cutting the stay almost flush with the fitting and then the body went to the anvil to pound out the wire. It was not over torqued and did not seize for the body came off the rest of the fitting with no issues at all.

The entire fitting was fine and could be put back into service with total confidence but don’t think you are going to casually take them apart for service or inspection. I carry a couple of spare crown rings (the small spacer that insures the wire is positioned correctly) for I think this is the part most likely to be damaged when changing the fitting out.

For what it is worth, when I was re-rigging my boat and was replacing the shrouds I discovered that one of the new Hy-Mod fittings had the wrong crown ring inside, causing a fair delay while I had the vendor track down another of the correct dimensions. A small point and may never happen again but I suggest you make sure you have all the correct parts before starting the job.

[chouliha]

Originally Posted by um saudade

I have some Hy-Mod fittings installed on my boat. I think the basic design is great, certainly strong enough and puts very little stress on the ends of the wire.

BUT: A year or so ago I helped shorten the backstay of another boat so a hydraulic adjuster could be installed and we used a Hy-Mod fitting at the lower end. After a couple months sailing the owner decided that another inch needed to come off the backstay to make everything come out right. That Hy-Mod did not come apart. Ended up cutting the stay almost flush with the fitting and then the body went to the anvil to pound out the wire. It was not over torqued and did not seize for the body came off the rest of the fitting with no issues at all.

The entire fitting was fine and could be put back into service with total confidence but don’t think you are going to casually take them apart for service or inspection. I carry a couple of spare crown rings (the small spacer that insures the wire is positioned correctly) for I think this is the part most likely to be damaged when changing the fitting out.

For what it is worth, when I was re-rigging my boat and was replacing the shrouds I discovered that one of the new Hy-Mod fittings had the wrong crown ring inside, causing a fair delay while I had the vendor track down another of the correct dimensions. A small point and may never happen again but I suggest you make sure you have all the correct parts before starting the job.

That is exactly what happened to me. I changed out the backstay in the Marquesas and I used new Hayn insulators and old Norseman fitting. A year and a half later in Tahiti I wanted to replace the Norsemans with Hi mods which required replacing a short piece of wire. I could not get the wire out of the hi mod and did exactly as you did. Cut the wire off flush and used a punch to knock the wire out. It did not damage the ring or cone.

Chuck