surveyor recommends...

[kim r]

my in the water survey last summer recommended i do something about my lifelines that run through my metal stantions and have no protection- they will wear if i were to actually use my boat- i really really like my lifelines - they are very.... 'tall'. Any ideas how and what to slip in there ? kim

[skipmac]

Need more information. I guess from the limited detail that your lifelines are coated wire? And this coated wire goes through holes in the stanchions and the surveyor says the wire will wear at that point?

First, if you have coated wire, a lot of cruisers recommend replacing with uncoated as corrosion or wear can take place under the coating and not be visible. Also, if you have coating and the coating wears away that does not create an immediate problem as the strength is all in the wire, not the coating. However a worn coating will allow water (or more water) into the wire and add to corrosion.

If the holes in the stanchions is just drilled through a metal pipe then there is a problem with wear. Better stanchions the hole is a tube with smooth edges all the way through the vertical stanchion pipe so much less likely to wear than a sharp edged hole.

Yes, high stanchions are good, as long as they are strong and well braced but if the wire through the stanchions is weakened by a wear spot that could break this is worse than no stanchions at all.