Galvanized Standing Rigging: Is it Safe? How to Know?

[DumnMad]

Something funny about your rigger and surveyor. They're scared of certifying galv where corrosion is signaled by rust stains but would certify stainless?
Wouldn't want them certifying my stainless for crevice corrosion if they can't detect rust in galv rigging.

[Snowpetrel]

Surverors and riggers like stainless.. Enough out clauses to be able to wriggle out of any claims, its much harder to argue when the damage should have been obvious to anybody who actually looked. You can't argue invisible crevice corrosion or fatigue with galv. Any damage is obvious and takes years to become seroius.

Saying that, I wouldn't certify an older galv rig without removing a sample of the serving. Thereis good and bad ways to do it.

Theres lots of modern alternantives to the traditional ways. Ie denso tape, hydroseal, penetrol etc.

[boden36]

Our gal rigging has eyes around thimbles and is retained by compression fittings.
I would like to experiment with hand made poured ends. Has anyone out there made them?

Regards,
Richard.

[AndDavRos]

Awesome info! Thanks for all the input. I picked up Toss's book on rigging and have started going through it. I'm hesitant to pull all the galv rigging to strip it, soak it, and then re-parcel and serve (I have a mental image of the boat sitting neglected for months while I tackle that project) but once I get a handle on the details, I'll peel back the layers next to the sockets to inspect and take a closer look at the masthead. The sockets / connections at the chain plates are all heavy/oversized poured sockets (my understanding is the builder used a molten zinc mix that was poured into the sockets to make them solid). Any suggestions on how I would maintain these?

As far as traditional vs modern rigs, it's interesting. The builder favored traditional techniques and applied modern technology to a lot of things. Steel hull, aluminum spars, and heavy/oversized rigging (which is good for the kind of cruising we want to do, if it is in good condition). Another piece that I wonder about is how sitting on the hard for the last four years has affected things.

Thanks again for all the help! I only get to work on the boat every two or three weeks, but the next time I get a chance I'll post some pictures of the rig.


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[charliehows]

I replaced my gal rigging - with new gal. - over a year or so. I dont think parcelling and serving are worth the effort - and the one good thing about exposed gal rigging is that it will tell you when its due to be replaced by rusting - which you cant see if its served.

in my opinion its cheap enough to replace every 10 years or so. In many ways gal is superior to s/s - cavitation corrosion in s/s fittings is invisible until something breaks, whereas gal only corrodes on the exposed areas - I've seen 50 year old gal rigging wires cut open and they are still pristine under the top thin layer of rust.
The only exception on my boat is the 2nd forestay for hanked on sails - thats s/s for the sake of keeping wear on the hanks to a minimum.

[Wotname]

Originally Posted by Snowpetrel

........
Theres lots of modern alternantives to the traditional ways. Ie denso tape, hydroseal, penetrol etc.

Good point!
It would be difficult to argue against denso tape ; although one would want to cover it with something just so it didn't migrate everywhere.

I'm thinking marline or self amalgamating tape or similar.

[Glenn.Brooks]

Originally Posted by Jim Cate

Glenn, my memory may be playing tricks on me, but I think that you have some of the steps mixed up in your description of treating galvo rigging.

Jim, you are undoubtedly correct,in that I mixd up a few steps. It's been a looong time since I maintained galvanized wire... The thread is fascinating in that several other posters apparently are currently very familiar with galvanized rigging and that it is still in use, albeit on a limited scale!

[fish53]

Great thread! I am completely rigging my boat with galvanized wire and fittings, including external chain plates. There is a lot of good information in these posts, my one comment would be to avoid swages or other mechanical fittings as there is a weak point where the wire exits and can be fatigued, I hand splice all of my ends using galvanized thimbles.

[Glenn.Brooks]

Originally Posted by fish53

Great thread! I am completely rigging my boat with galvanized wire and fittings, including external chain plates. There is a lot of good information in these posts, my one comment would be to avoid swages or other mechanical fittings as there is a weak point where the wire exits and can be fatigued, I hand splice all of my ends using galvanized thimbles.

Regading chainplates, Just curious what kindof boat you have? Wood, gaff rigged, FG fin keel racer? Etc... You might be better served with bronze or stainless chainplates, only because they take a lot of surface contact and the galvanizing gets scrapped off quickly, causing copious maintenance to,prevent rust streaks on the deck and hull. Not really structural, but from a practical boat maintenance point of view, other materials than galvanized steel might serve you better for the chaiplates. Btw, you can find some really nice cast bronze chainplates from foundAries and a couple of traditional marine supply houses. Port Townsend Foundary and wooden boat foundation chandelry come to mind.

[fish53]

Hi Glenn, Actually I looked at a local foundry but they were too pricey for bronze, I'll happily check out your other sources as I agree bronze would make a nice chain plate. My boat is a Tartan 27.

[frank_f]

Originally Posted by fish53

Great thread! I am completely rigging my boat with galvanized wire and fittings, including external chain plates. There is a lot of good information in these posts, my one comment would be to avoid swages or other mechanical fittings as there is a weak point where the wire exits and can be fatigued, I hand splice all of my ends using galvanized thimbles.

What are you using for the wire? 7x7, 1x19? Galv aircraft? Brion Toss' wire splicing method?

Thanks,

Frank

[fish53]

6x7 fiber core using a French locking splice, soak the whole thing in kerosene, raw linseed oil and pine tar to saturate the core, then worm with tarred marline, parcel with strips of cotton cloth and serve with galvanized fence wire to a point about two inches past the splice. Good to go for about 30 years or more if you slush the wire with the pine tar mixture once a year or so, if my last boat is any indicator.

[biker6977]

I greatly appreciate all this info. As a person looking for a boat I was writing off any that didn't have SS rigging, I will now stop doing that. Live and learn- thanks to this great group!!!

[frank_f]

Originally Posted by fish53

6x7 fiber core using a French locking splice, soak the whole thing in kerosene, raw linseed oil and pine tar to saturate the core, then worm with tarred marline, parcel with strips of cotton cloth and serve with galvanized fence wire to a point about two inches past the splice. Good to go for about 30 years or more if you slush the wire with the pine tar mixture once a year or so, if my last boat is any indicator.

Thanks. Looks like a new winter project for me.

[Glenn.Brooks]

Originally Posted by fish53

Hi Glenn, Actually I looked at a local foundry but they were too pricey for bronze, I'll happily check out your other sources as I agree bronze would make a nice chain plate. My boat is a Tartan 27.

I misspoke a bit, the second source is the wooden boat chandelry run by the Northwest Maritime Center. Here is their web site.

http://shop.woodenboatchandlery.org/

Check out the Davey catalog on line, it has bronze chainplates if I remember correctly. Davey is an Enland foundary, but the Chandlerly is their US importer and is very responsive to requests and custom orders. The people at Port Townsend Foundary are super responsive also. Good luck on your project, seems Very doable