1x19 Stainless Steel Wire Rope vs. Synthetic Standing Rigging

[Fi2010]

Most buyers will choose stainless shrouds since it looks better and that’s what most of us are comfortable with. Dyneema or Spectra fibers need to be coated with a special finish or mixed with other fibers to avoid sun damage and chafe. The coating and mixed fibers also reduce the slippery nature of Dyneema and Spectra, which are the trade names for high modulus polyethylene (HMPE). Even with the UV protection the rope shrouds will wear out faster because of the sun and unavoidable shock loading.

[Mark Johnson]

I love it for our running backs, because the DUX is far lighter, so when in the stored position, they flop around far less.

When we have it rigged up tight, if the temperature drops 40 degrees overnight, as it often does in NC, they are then, floppy loose.

Since they are on quick adjust (hands only) turnbuckles, this is no big deal.

On the overall double spreader rig:Our 22 year old, 316 SS rig is VERY sensative to tune, and this difference in coefficient of expansion would be a disaster.


We will replace our SS wire, but it still looks perfect. The DUX would never serve our purpose on the rest of the rig.


Regarding weight aloft, remember, the rigging is a very small % of the overall spar, fully loaded.

[SailRedemption]

Originally Posted by Fi2010

Most buyers will choose stainless shrouds since it looks better and that’s what most of us are comfortable with. Dyneema or Spectra fibers need to be coated with a special finish or mixed with other fibers to avoid sun damage and chafe. The coating and mixed fibers also reduce the slippery nature of Dyneema and Spectra, which are the trade names for high modulus polyethylene (HMPE). Even with the UV protection the rope shrouds will wear out faster because of the sun and unavoidable shock loading.

I find everyone comments on our dux rigging how nice it looks. And most rigging dyneema are, as far as I recall, coated or mixed with other fibers. At most there may be a dyneema sleeve on top.

[SailRedemption]

Originally Posted by Mark Johnson

Regarding weight aloft, remember, the rigging is a very small % of the overall spar, fully loaded.

I don't know about that, we have a high aspect rig and our mast weighs less than 500lbs (66' Isomat NG105, 7lbs/ft). The wire 7/16 and 1/2" wire we removed was at least 150lbs. That's 30% of the spar weight, including the spreaders, spin crane, and lights . That's significant weight loss.

[TonyDove]

Very interesting thread … with a lot of good points scattered throughout.

One aspect I'd add is the rest of the standing riding components. A high aspect rig will benefit from the weight reduction aloft for sure … But why do people put up carbon fibre masts with synth shrouds & stays, when stick with heavyweight SS attachment fittings up the top? if you want weight savings then Titanium and carbon fittings complete the deal … and remember … the key word is 'aloft' because the intention isn't just saving weight … but lowering the CoG and improving the righting moment. The other obvious area for attention is the other end of the shrouds & stays, i.e. the chainplates. The bugaboo of SS is crevice corrosion … the back of the attachment area of those SS fittings up the mast is an obvious place for crevice corrosion to do it's insidious deeds … and behind the chain plates is the other. Again … the solution is Titanium or carbon.

Okay … tell me all about how much more expensive Titanium is … but then tell me how much cheaper it is to have the crevice corroded SS plates give way and bring the whole rig down. Your standing rigging is the only thing that keeps your boat being a sail boat. It needs to be bullet proof. Talking to a contact I have in marine insurance … more rig failures and dismastings are traced back to chain plate and fitting failure than the shrouds or stays snapping.

Getting back to the original question though … you are asking us to predict the prejudices and biases of hypothetical buyers in 10 years time … I'll pass on that one … I never thought anyone in their right mind would vote for Trump.

Happy sailing

[blubaju]

Originally Posted by TonyDove

Very interesting thread … with a lot of good points scattered throughout.



...A high aspect rig will benefit from the weight reduction aloft for sure … But why do people put up carbon fibre masts with synth shrouds & stays, when stick with heavyweight SS attachment fittings up the top?



Happy sailing

My rotating 18.6m wing mast weighs 85kg. No metal fitting up there. Look what sailors and nautical architect used for centuries before chainplates where invented, i do not have chainplates on the hulls either, all molded carbon/epoxy.

The forestay forms a sling around the mast, the shrouds pass through a well rounded hole and are attached opposite side. Chafing further reduced by leather envelopes. I was scared when I saw that plan, but after 10 years it still holds

[sanibel sailor]

You didn't ask which was best.


It is always a buyer's market. You don't want anything that will lose a potential buyer. While the argument over which is "best" will continue, I doubt anyone would reject a mainstream monohull because it has SS rigging, while a number of people may take some points off for synthetic, particularly those who don't DIY.

[billnz]

Originally Posted by Cpt Mark

If you're talking right now I'd guess (as nobody has any empirical evidence I'm aware of) that SS wire would be preferred because it is known, standard and what people have seen for most/all of their boating life.

In 10 years synthetic may well be the new standard and SS an old obsolete joke, or not. That's in the future and if you can read the future, but lottery tickets and share them with me for my sage advice LOL.

Will SS need replacing in 10 years? It could. If I was buying the boat to sail the big blue I'd replace it as it is cheap to do and to critical of a component not to but that's me.

Iv just delivered a 45 ft Bene, 98 vintage with original SS rig , asked the new owner to replace rig before going but (as always) 'will do it at home port' - 800 miles * 50 knts hard sailing (30 hrs) to windward on last day stood up well(with my heart in my throat), I wonder how synthetic would have made me feel ?

[blubaju]

Originally Posted by billnz

Iv just delivered a 45 ft Bene, 98 vintage with original SS rig , asked the new owner to replace rig before going but (as always) 'will do it at home port' - 800 miles * 50 knts hard sailing (30 hrs) to windward on last day stood up well(with my heart in my throat), I wonder how synthetic would have made me feel ?

Exactly the same and afterwards you trust synthetic. My entire business life i was a stainless steel fabricator. Many times I suggested my customers to use simple PVC bcs of chemical resistance. Many times there where voids in the raw materials, those days from Germany or Sweden only, today maybe China. Today we would use X-ray to find them in life critical situations.

My first (heavy) catamaran had stainless rigging, all well tensioned, my Schionning, build 2010, rotating carbon mast, was designed for synthetic, hence even chainplates are moulded, masttop are slings only. The rigging is quite "loose", the shockloads and vibrations would break SS shrouds and stays.

When I see the pictures here, SS only exchanged with Dyneema, still using monstrous SS chain plates & turnbuckles, this can be done, but is not the real design for synthetic.

Colligo & others have very beautiful designs and should be honored for their PR, still they are fabricators and need to sell their fittings, similar solutions can be archived at much lower expense.

Same for the Dyneema, many producers and even more brand names. I have a German brand, 30% less than the most "famous" and only for safety reason changed last year. Rope is prestreched and has factory UV protection on the fiber!

Synthetic is incredible resistant to vibration & chafe, you can easily carry a few meters spare and easily make your own, every splice more will be faster, we use long splice only. Tensioning is easily done when sailing, just take the slack out from the leeward shrouds, needs some wind of course ;-)