Blue Wave Swageless Rigging Terminals

[xslim]

Originally Posted by Ann T. Cate

I couldn't say Sta-Loks are better, as I have no experience with the other product. However, I will say that if you ever have to do a bush repair somewhere the replacement wire can be shipped to you, if you carry spare cones, you can easily replace the wire and get going again, as we did in Vanuatu. They are easy to assemble.

So you had Blue Wave?
Do you have them only on lower end or also on the mast connection?
What kind of repair you needed to do?

[double u]

Reduction of bl up to 15% !
Stalok no reduction afaik (but most certainly more fiddly to assemble)

[xslim]

Originally Posted by double u

Reduction of bl up to 15% !
Stalok no reduction afaik (but most certainly more fiddly to assemble)

What is BL you are referring to? What is the source of this information?

[double u]

Bl of wire (what else?)
Source: blue wave assembly instructions

[pcmm]

Originally Posted by xslim

The difference is that in Sta-lok, you put cone on top of internal strands, and wrap the outer strands on top of the cone.
in Blue Wave, you put cone on top of whole wire, and then you put a compression ring on top of cone.

Have a look at the docs:

Swageless Cone Terminals | Blue Wave A/S

It clearly shows in the instructions that the procedure is identical to sta-locks!

the only difference I can see is that sta-locks have that extra "former" at the top that others don't use.

[xslim]

Ok, I think I somehow saw it differently:

Swageless Terminals | Blue Wave A/S

[pcmm]

Originally Posted by xslim

Ok, I think I somehow saw it differently:

Swageless Terminals | Blue Wave A/S

Why would you use that version in anything other than an emergency? They state in the literature that that fitting you have to reduce the strength of the wire by 15% As far as I can see I'd only use those for lifelines. Not for standing rigging.

[xslim]

I just missed that they have a proper Cone terminal.
So yes, of course I will go with the Cone version.

[double u]

Had seen only the “simpler“ version...
Btw: https://www.s3i.co.uk/swagelesstechnical.php
has a former that should keep an inadverted slipping of a strand of wire into the slit of the cone (which would have a catastrophic impact on bl)

[Jim Cate]

Originally Posted by xslim

So you had Blue Wave?
Do you have them only on lower end or also on the mast connection?
What kind of repair you needed to do?

Answering for Ann:

Not Blue wave, but Sta-Loks. And we had them on both ends of all stays and shrouds on that boat. No problems in installing or in usage over 86,000 miles in that boat.

And that replacement of our forestay was accomplished on the lawn in front of the office at the Aore Island Resort, across from Luganville. Quite amusing for the resort visitors! We would have been stuffed if not for replaceable terminals!

Jim

[david samuelson]

Hi
I have never used Blue Wave but have used STA-LOKs many years. And when I read the blurb on Blue Wave it doesn't give me that warm, fuzzy feeling of safety: 2 things

1. It can immediately reduce wire strength. Then you use the boat and the wire begins to deteriorate.
2.This one scares me. It must be re-tightened. So your rigger puts all new rigging on your yacht and does he tell you that you have to climb up to the top of your mast and re-tighten the terminals after you've been sailing? So now we have 15% plus (i don't know, can it just quietly slide out?)


Quotes from the 2 companies:

BLUE WAVE
“After the first dynamic load the terminal MUST be tightened again.
When assembling swageless terminals the breaking strength of the cable used will be reduced by 0-15%”

STA-LOK
No mention of re-tightening
“The Sta-Lok terminal will work under a constant loading and variable shock loading, making it stronger than the wire rope.”

I personally am happy to stay with STA-LOK. Just my 2 cents worth.

[barnakiel]

Blue Wave is a top shelf company.

I have never seen any terminal (swaged or swageless) fail - new and clean. The only times I witnessed a fail were terminations age unknown.

It is difficult to compare swaged vs. swageless fail rate due to vastly different base rates.

I have only ever once read about old style Norseman fail. That was ages ago.

Have a stalok here in the most vulnerable position. Seen Blue Wave in action. No hiccups.

Get Blue Wave if this is what your heart desires.

b.

[randomrun]

Re-rigged my Nicholson 35 with Blue Wave fittings 12 years ago. A great product. Used a Top Climber and did it singlehanded one shroud at a time. Turned out great. Frank


Sent from my iPhone using Cruisers Sailing Forum

[44'cruisingcat]

Originally Posted by tomj

Has anyone had any experience using Blue Wave (Denmark) swageless rigging fittings? They appear to be robust and are easily assembled and appear not to use "cones". Any Pros/Cons appreciated. Thanks..

I have Blue Wave swageless fittings on our shrouds and forestay.

Very easy to use, very robust. I saw a test where the wire broke before the fitting let go.

The don't have cones which insert into the wire, they have what are very similar to the jaws of a drill chuck, which go around the wire. These jaws need to be replaced when you re-use the terminal.

Getting a used terminal apart takes some doing. Heat and violence eventually does it!