help with broken backstay

[johneri1]

Sailing this afternoon ended when the backstay on my Newport 30 came zinging past my ear (it got interesting quickly). I have seen other boats with what looks like a retrofit using an insulator. is this a good fix? I don't knoe how else to do it as it came loose at the swedged joint down where it splits. Any help is appreciated. Thanks.

[Chuck Baier]

Those insulators you have seen are for a HF radio. Replace the stay with a new one.

[Fard12]

Originally Posted by johneri1

Sailing this afternoon ended when the backstay on my Newport 30 came zinging past my ear (it got interesting quickly). I have seen other boats with what looks like a retrofit using an insulator. is this a good fix? I don't knoe how else to do it as it came loose at the swedged joint down where it splits. Any help is appreciated. Thanks.

How old is your rigging?
Replace the back stay completely.
You should look into getting a rigger to check at all standing rigging.

[maxingout]

If you lost one wire, there's a good chance that other wires are at risk.

You need to inspect all the swages/fittings to make sure there aren't any hairline cracks or broken wire strands.

In fourteen years of offshore sailing, I've replaced every wire/swage on board except for two capshrouds. Some of the wires I've replaced more than one time.

Everytime I get ready to sail offshore, I climb to the top of the mast and inspect the rigging to make sure everything is in order. So far it has worked. It's also worth checking chainplates and toggles, because they can crack and fail. I had one near disaster from a broken headstay toggle when I was in Turkey.

Rigging is easy to check. It's not rocket science.

[Steve Rust]

Not to mention the insulator will probably cost more than the wire. If, and that's a qualified if, everything else checks out okay what about using the existing wire and a Noresman swagless fitting using the extra long stud.

[Ex-Calif]

Replace them all. This is the "real" insurance on your boat.

If you are worried about the cost of shrouds go price a mast, boom and sails...

[Alondra]

It seems that you can measure the current of the stays to see how good they still are but I would say, if one breaks, it's time to get new ones. All of them. Sorry.

[johneri1]

Thanks to all--I am currently looking into resources for rigging here in Newport Oregon. Thanks again.

[forsailbyowner]

just to go against the grain, they do sell ex long stud mechanical terminals to do a quick repair. norseman for one. Im really contemplating going galvenized on my next set of standing rigging. So many veteran lifetime cruisers swear the superiority of galvanized over stainless, who am I to argue.

[Chuck Baier]

Originally Posted by forsailbyowner

just to go against the grain, they do sell ex long stud mechanical terminals to do a quick repair. norseman for one. Im really contemplating going galvenized on my next set of standing rigging. So many veteran lifetime cruisers swear the superiority of galvanized over stainless, who am I to argue.

What exactly would be the benefits other than cost? We too have met a lot of long time cruisers and not seen galvanized rigging on any of their boats.

[roverhi]

Benefits........Rust stains all over your boat. You can't buy quality galvanized wire in this day and age of Chinese manufactured goods. Galvanized was the thing in the days of the Hiscocks and other veteran cruisers after WWII coming from an impoverished Britain. 316 Stainless wire with mechanical compression fittings done yourself is a cost effective way to rig a boat.

Aloha
Peter O.

[cptnandy]

Actually properly done galanized wire that has been wormed parseled and served will out last stainless and will not have rust problems. When the rigging was removed from the carthaginian (ship that used to be in Lahaina harbor) prior to sinking her the wire was as new and that was 40 years after it had been installed. Stainless looks better, but has it's own set of problems. Stainless rigging (including your chainplates) should be replaced every ten years, or magnufluxed to check for problems that you cant see.

[roverhi]

As I said, you can't get the quality of galvanized wire that was common 40 years ago when the Carthaginian was rigged. Also, parcelling and serving is a very labor intensive and time consuming process that was best done by Shanghai'd sailors who were lucky if they got the modern equivalent of a nickel an hour. If you can't do the wire spliced eyes yourself, each one will probably cost you more than a SS Norseman terminal. Forget galvanized wire, it's an anachronism from a sadly long dead era.

Aloha
Peter O.

[forsailbyowner]

have you looked up and seen how the high tension lines are rigged for power tranmission? With top quality galvanized cable. How is it connected? spliced around thimbles. The stainless is a consumer product and the major concerns are not best performance or longevity. Look at a commercial or military boat sometime. How much stainless cable do you see holding up the various appendages. Yeah go forget the galvanized go with the stainless and keep replacing your rigging every few years. To make stainless out of steel add nickel and weaken it. Save money, stronger finished product, better longevity. all reasons for galvanized. One book I read whose author had decades of experience and hundreds of miles of cruising painted his rigging with black paint and fish oil mixed annually. He had the same galvanized rigging on his boat for 15 years after having failure after failure with stainless.

[Hud3]

Originally Posted by forsailbyowner

have you looked up and seen how the high tension lines are rigged for power tranmission? With top quality galvanized cable. How is it connected? spliced around thimbles. ...

Sorry, not true. Electric distribution and transmission cables are manufactured from stranded aluminum wire, with a stranded steel or aluminum alloy core for strength. Not an argument for galvanized standing rigging.